Dave Martins

A DOCUMENTARY showcasing the beautiful and scenic Mabaruma, the North West District community in Region One (Barima/Waini), was launched on Saturday in the continued effort to promote domestic tourism in Guyana.

The seventeen minute DVD, entitled ‘Mabaruma Sojourn’, produced by turtle conservationist and founder of North West Organics, Ms. Annette Arjoon and Mr. Dave Martins, was introduced at the Ogle Airport, East Coast Demerara.

“Guyana is rightly famous for the beauty of its interior; but Mabaruma in the North West has been particularly blessed with an abundance of natural attractions: waterfalls, bird life, Amerindian communities, rivers and marine creatures. You will find them all on this inland journey.”

These are the introductory words on the DVD, by Martins and backed by his music.

Ms. Arjoon, through the short film, takes viewers on a captivating and interesting journey around the North West community, ‘one of the least known but most beautiful places in Guyana with sprawling river, rolling hills, intact rainforest and friendly people’.

And it is just one hour by air from Georgetown.

Annette Arjoon

Mabaruma is an Amerindian word meaning ‘grater’ and the community is over 200 years old. Arjoon not only takes you through the rich historic and cultural perspective of the area and the Warraus, but there are many adventures to participate in, such as canoeing, swimming, fishing, and a visit to cocoa plantations and, of course, a exciting journey to Shell Beach, a vital nesting site for four endangered species of marine turtles, the Leatherback, Green, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill.

The beach stretches for over 100 miles and is designated as a future national park.

Richard Mathison of North West Organic and the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTSC), who coordinated the launching, gushed, “Mabaruma is a truly, truly stunning place”.

Mabaruma is quite different and it is very, very special, not only because of the scenery and the wildlife, but mainly because of the people and the culture and history behind this”, he said.

He said the documentary shows much of the main tourist opportunities that exist in Mabaruma and the wider Mabaruma area, including Shell Beach which he deemed