Tortuga Island

As denoted by its name, Tortuga Island is home to a substantial population of turtles, owing to the frequent migration of marine turtles who come to nest on the sandbanks. Along with the presence of turtles, the coastlines of Tortuga Island are rich in fish and salt evaporation ponds, which have been utilized by both native and colonial settlers throughout history. Notably, this was most prominent in the 17th century when the Dutch colonizers arrived, leading to a contentious response from the Spanish government. In 1638, the Dutch were forced to evacuate the island, resulting in Tortuga Island being unoccupied ever since.