The sun burned magenta as it rose over the edge of the Caribbean island of Dominica and the village of Layou was bustling into life. With his snorkel and mask, Winston Louis, a fit 60-year-old, walked briskly towards the sea. Known to villagers as Dr Titiwi – a reference to a small fish that appears at a certain point in the moon’s cycle – Louis has been fishing since he was 12. He knows the sea intimately.
As Louis swam out, he spotted a large creature flailing in the water. It was a leatherback turtle, caught in Louis’s fishing net. The world’s largest turtle species, and endangered, individuals can weigh up to 900kg (2,000lb). This female had been trying to swim to shore to lay eggs, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly precarious as nature and humans collide.
Louis swam back to the beach as other villagers gathered. Two young men jumped into a boat and rowed to the leatherback to pull her closer to shore, her weight slowing their progress.
Winston Louis and others work to rescue the huge female leatherback turtle, which became ever more tangled in the fishing nets and lines as she flailed around
In shallower waters, the rescuers could see that the turtle was deeply entangled in the nylon fishing net and rope. Four men held the net as Louis cut her free. After much effort by the men, and trauma for the turtle, she swam off, probably intent on the same journey the next day.
Fishing nets are not the only threat to leatherback turtles in the region. The illegal trade in the reptiles – which can provide a hefty income for families in need – is growing as Dominicans struggle to make a living.
A view of the Atlantic Ocean from the Kalinago Territory in north-eastern Dominica. The Kalinago, formerly known as Caribs, are the Caribbean’s largest Indigenous population
The economy in Dominica, which covers roughly 290 sq miles (750 sq km), is particularly vulnerable now after the island was hit by two extreme weather events within two years. In 2015, total loss and damages arising from Tropical Storm Erika amounted to about 90% of the island’s GDP – an estimated $483m (£382m), according to the World Bank.
In 2017, another storm, Hurricane Maria, brought winds of up to 165mph (265km/h) and wrecked 93% of the housing, according to Samuel Carette, of the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica.
For Jared Lengleis, a shaman from the Kalinago Territory in the island’s north-east, the extreme weather events are a sign of loss of equilibrium in the natural world. “What the Great Spirit created for us was placed in a perfect shape and form. Everything has its meaning,” he says.
“The earth is very sick. Man has polluted his environment; people don’t seem to care about tomorrow’s generation.”
Homes are built on stilts to cope with flooding on the island. Dominica has experienced 15 extreme-weather events since 1979, and 90% of the population live in coastal villages
Dominica’s 72,000 islanders are very much at the forefront of the climate crisis. The country sits on the tropical Atlantic hurricane belt, with 90% of the population living in highly vulnerable coastal villages. The country has experienced 15 extreme weather events since 1979.
In 2017, Dominica’s prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, told the UN that the island found itself “on the frontline of the war on climate change”. Plans to become the “world’s first climate-resilient nation” became less a choice than a matter of survival.
Children coming home from school in Wotten Waven, a town in the Roseau Valley known for its hot springs. An old Land Rover sits alongside drying laundry in the midday heat; many homes still bear signs of damage from Hurricane Maria. Nahime Deshon picks guavas in Wotten Waven. Fresh produce and seafood on sale at Roseau market
Since then, resilience has been integrated into every layer of how the country is run, according to the environment minister, Cozier Frederick. It ranges from community-led early-warning systems, in which local response managers across the island monitor rain gauges and water levels, as well as hi-tech hydrology and meteorology stations and measures to build natural sea and river barriers to prevent flooding.
In addition, new construction standards that comply with Dominica’s 2020-30 Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan and building code have been implemented. These aim to improve the ability of vital infrastructure to withstand natural disasters.
The government plans to build 5,000 climate-resilient homes by 2030, and half of these have already been completed.
The village of Soufrière, on Dominica’s south-west coast
In the meantime, Dominica hopes to become a popular destination for eco-tourism. Leatherback turtles are just one of the big draws. Known as the Caribbean’s “nature island”, the country is blessed with awe-inspiring mountains, lush rainforests, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanoes and some of the best diving in the region.
“It’s important for us because we need people more than ever to invest in the culture, livelihoods and things that will make the island more sustainable,” says Frederick. There are no chain hotels and most tourist accommodation is built sustainably.
Jungle Bay, near Soufrière – one of a new generation of sustainable tourist accommodation. Handmade crafts on sale in the Kalinago Territory. A tour along the Indian River allows you to stop at the Bush Bar to sample local rum. Crew from Nature Island Dive take tourists to the Soufrière-Scott’s Head marine reserve. The scuba diving operator has been at the forefront of battling stony coral tissue loss disease, which destroys the soft tissue of reef corals
Frederick would prefer travellers to spend time getting to know the island and its culture rather than it being a quick stop along a cruise ship tour. “They spend very little and leave a lot of stuff behind,” he says.
Back in Layou, Louis and the others who helped rescue the leatherback turtle sigh with visible relief.
“I feel good,” Louis says simply.
A hike into the Morne Trois Piton national park takes you to the highest waterfall on the island, Middleham Falls
