Trip to a Lake of Tar

During our trip to Trinidad in February we visited a very interesting lake of tar called Pitch Lake.

Pitch Lake is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world, located at La Brea in southwest Trinidad. The lake covers about 95 acres and is reported to be 350 ft.deep. Pitch Lake is a tourist attraction. It is also mined for asphalt.

Pitch Lake has fascinated explorers and scientists, as well as attracting tourists, since its discovery (for the Europeans) by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595. Raleigh himself found immediate use for the asphalt to caulk his ship. Exported asphalt from Pitch Lake was also used to pave the streets of some regions of New York City.

The origin of Pitch Lake is related to deep faults under the Caribbean Plate. It is believed that the lake is at the intersection of two faults, which allows oil from a deep deposit to be forced up. The lighter elements in the oil evaporated, leaving behind the heavier asphalt. Bacterial action on the asphalt at low pressures creates petroleum in asphalt. For more great photos and facts go to: www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/TrinidadAndTobago/Trinidad/PitchLake/

Note from Elder Harris:

What a fascinating place; the only thing is I was ripped off by someone who pretended to be a guide. He charged me 200 TT’s which is $32 US dollars for 15 minutes of his and our time. Well, you live and learn, but I seem to live but not learn. Karen asked him where the visitor’s center was and he said they didn’t have one. We found out a few days later that there is indeed a visitor’s center there. He must have been a happy man that day thinking of the money he earned from ‘those gullible white people’. This is a photo of our 'guide' showing us the tar.