Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Grenada

Geography

Grenada is one of the most southerly islands in the Caribbean Sea as it is a part of the island chain known as the Lesser Antilles, and more specifically the Windward Islands. Just to the island's southeast is Trinidad & Tobago and to the north is St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Grenada also borders the Caribbean Sea in the west and Atlantic Ocean in the east.

Grenada has a small mountain range running north and south, but these slopes are fairly gentle. The southern part of the island is the flattest and most livable as there are numerous rivers running in every direction from the mountains. The small islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are also part of Grenada.

Weather

Grenada is a tropical island with a weather pattern to match. Throughout the year temperatures tend to be in the range of 65-90° F (18-32° C) with the high end being day time temperatures and the low end night temperatures. There are regularly winds moving west to east bringing with them rain and humidity; the western half of the island tends to get the bulk of the rain and humidity. Although Grenada is in the hurricane zone, when most hurricanes reach the shores they are still small hurricanes or tropical storms, although in the past large hurricanes have hit the islands. Hurricane season in the Caribbean is from June to November.

Wildlife

Grenada has an odd wildlife system as the island nation has few indigenous mammals due to its volcanic origin; in fact most of the land mammals a visitor will see were brought in by people. Some of the mammals present today include armadillos, monkeys, bats, and less known animals like the manicou, an opossum and the agouti. However, off the island's shore are more mammals and great sea life. These waters contain mammals such as whales and dolphins. Plus, as an island nation there are thousands of fish surrounding the country and these waters contain larger animals like sharks, but also include eels, angelfish, barracudas, grouper, sponges, lobsters, snapper, crabs, and thousands more including coral.

Like the sea life, there are plenty of birds that live on the island or migrate through. These birds are mostly limited to water fowls like ducks and herons, but there are other non-water fowl species that call the islands home such as the finch, hummingbird, and dove. The reptilian and amphibian life is also limited in scope, but there are iguanas, turtles, snakes, iguanas, and frogs among others. There are numerous other species, including insects, most notably butterflies on the island.

This page was last updated: April, 2013