When researchers look past maritime wrecks, the target location shifts to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Geographically, Trinidad is an anomaly among Caribbean islands. Rather than rising from volcanic arcs, the island is a geological extension of the South American continent.
Situated between 10°02′ and 10°50′ North latitude and 60°55′ and 61°56′ West longitude, Trinidad sits seven miles off the coast of Venezuela across the shallow Gulf of Paria. The northern boundary greets the Caribbean Sea, while the southern and eastern shorelines absorb the Atlantic Ocean and sediment plumes surging from the Orinoco River delta. Port of Spain serves as the bustling urban and financial capital along the western coast.
Christopher Columbus made landfall during his third voyage on July 31, 1498, naming the landmass after the Holy Trinity. Long before Spanish ships anchored in the bay, Indigenous Saladoid and Barrancoid peoples lived along the riverine corridors for millennia. Today, the island commands vital trade corridors at the gateway to South American commerce.
