Nariva Swamp tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 00:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are America/Port of Spain local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Last spring tide on Mon 18 May (range 1.4m). Next neap on Fri 22 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Nariva Swamp is Trinidad's largest freshwater wetland, covering 6,234 hectares of the Nariva County coastal plain south of Manzanilla and extending several kilometres inland from the Atlantic coast. The swamp is RAMSAR-listed as a Wetland of International Importance, designated for its diverse freshwater communities and as one of the last critical habitats for the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Trinidad. The swamp connects to the Atlantic at the Nariva River mouth, where tidal influence from the Atlantic ocean modifies the salinity and water level in the estuary channels — typically for 2 to 3 kilometres inland from the river mouth — and the brackish transition zone supports a distinct plant and animal community from the fresher interior. Spring tidal range at the Nariva mouth is approximately 0.6 to 0.8 metres, reflecting the slightly higher Atlantic range compared to the Caribbean-facing coasts. Inland, tidal influence diminishes and freshwater conditions dominate. The interior of the swamp is dominated by moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa) — a species that forms extensive palm swamp ecosystems in freshwater-saturated soils across tropical South America and Trinidad. The moriche palm forest of Nariva is the largest stand in Trinidad. Moriche palms produce the red fruit that is the primary food source of the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) — in Trinidad, scarlet macaws are locally resident and use the Nariva palm swamp for feeding and roosting. The Nariva scarlet macaw population is one of the few in Trinidad not under severe hunting pressure. The moriche palm also produces fruit eaten by red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus), which are vocal at dawn and dusk; their call carries for more than a kilometre across the swamp. Anacondas (Eunectes murinus notaeus) are present in the swamp's water channels and palm swamp floor — a reliable presence that the kayak guides know how to locate without disturbing the animals. Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) are common along the swamp edge channels; they can be seen at night with a torch from a boat, their eye-shine reflecting in the beam. Kayaking the interior channels of the Nariva Swamp is the most rewarding access method — the channels are navigable by a solo or tandem kayak at all states of tide, given that the freshwater level is maintained by the Nariva River catchment independent of tidal state. Organised boat and kayak tours depart from the Biche access point or from operators in the Nariva County area; several Port of Spain tour companies offer day trips. Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. The Institute of Marine Affairs, the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Environmental Management Authority of Trinidad and Tobago are the relevant authorities.