Barrouallie

Barrouallie sits on the leeward coast with a black sand beach and a fishing fleet, and it is known across the region for the blackfish fishery: short-finned pilot whales hunted from open boats with hand harpoons, a practice that began with Yankee whalers in the nineteenth century and continued after commercial whaling ended. The meat is dried and sold locally. The practice is contested and numbers taken have varied widely.

Background

French settlers from Martinique founded Barrouallie in 1719 as the first European colony on St Vincent, and the town was once the capital. It is now the largest town in Saint Patrick Parish and its parish capital, with 5,884 residents in 2012. Mountains around it form a hollow that over time has shielded the town from volcanic eruptions. Caroline Arindell, born here about 1850, emigrated to Trinidad in the 1860s with her husband John McShine, and their descendants became well known there. The hurricane of September 11, 1898 hit hard: a photograph taken just afterwards shows that only two or three houses kept their roofs.

Source: Wikipedia, "Barrouallie"

The main sights

• The fishing beach - the black sand shore the boats work from.
• The blackfish fishery - the pilot whale hunt the town is known for.
• The open boats - the small craft used with hand harpoons.
• The town - the leeward coast settlement behind the beach.

When to go

December to May is the dry season. The fishery runs through much of the year. Landings happen in the morning.

What to expect

The pilot whale hunt is contested and visitors uncomfortable with it should know it is a working part of the town rather than a display. Photographing landings without asking causes offence. The town has little else for visitors.

Nearby

Wallilabou Bay is north, and Layou is south.

Key facts