Interview With Siobhan Kirton of Shivs Barbados

We met with Siobhan Kirton of Shivs Barbados to learn more about her and her business.

• How did you get started?
• I resigned from Liat but I wanted to stay in tourism. I wanted to do something not offered in Barbados. Crabbing was something that I did as a child with my dad when we first moved to Barbados, so I approached him with the idea to offer this service. It would be a crabbing and crayfishing tour for the adventurous. Together we worked on the idea and came up with a plan.

• What did you do at Liat?
•  I was a Passenger Service Agent for 10 years.

• Do you find that it was a big leap?
• Not really, because being in the travel industry for so long, you get to know the feel of people and build the communication skills necessary.

• You mentioned that crabbing was something that you did as a child. What age did you start crabbing? 
• I was around 6 years old when I started. It was a family affair. My dad would take us all – my brother, my cousins when they visit from Trinidad, family friends, … anyone who visited us and was interested.

• You’ve mentioned your dad and I can tell that he has been a big influence, what role does he play in the business now?
•  My dad is a big part of the tour. I call him the pro because he knows way more than I do so I asked him to come along on this journey. It is difficult to catch and talk and hold the crabs all at once. So my dad would do the catching and holding while I do the talking. We then return to the house where my mum does all of the cooking. I wanted to create an environment where you feel as though you are a part of the family, so what better way than to include my family. 

• You mentioned “Holding”, could you explain what do you meant by that?
• Once you catch a crab, there is a certain way to hold so that it doesn’t pinch you. We show you how to hold the crab safely and give you the opportunity to try holding one.

• How does a typical excursion go?
• You can come to us or we can collect you. We will then take you to the various spots to catch crabs or crayfish along the east coast of Barbados – Bath, Martins Bay, Consett Bay, Bathsheba. You can expect the areas to be dark, bushy, wet and muddy so you should come prepared to get wet and dirty. This portion of the tour lasts for approximately 2hrs. We will then return to my home to dine on crab or crayfish which was caught a little earlier. The experience is an extremely beautiful one with the moonlight on the ocean.

• How adventurous are the tours offered?
• I would say hiking is 6/10. I would say crabbing is a 9/10 because of all the bush and mud and water which we will be going through and also up and over tree limbs etc.The  cray fishing would get 10/10, simply because you actually have to go into the streams to catch. 

• What is it like to actually catch a crab?
• You have to listen attentively for the rustling sound of crabs moving in the leaves. They may sit still if they think you didn’t see them or run away. You will need to stand still and then quickly put your foot on them in order to catch if they are standing still or run after if they know that they’ve been spotted. We do not collect young crabs or pregnant ones, those we return. 

• You said that you do not collect pregnant crabs, how can you tell if a crab is pregnant?
• My dad does this. He turns them over to identify if there are any eggs at the bottom of the crab.

• How many crabs do you collect per person on a tour?
• We aim to catch a minimum of 2 per person. The largest group we take is 4 persons so for a 4 person group, we catch 8 – 10 crabs.

• Tell me a bit more about the crayfishing experience.
• As I mentioned before, you actually go into the streams, here you catch the crayfish with your bare hands. Similar to crabs, we do not collect the young or pregnant crayfish. 

• Who are these tours for?
• Anyone who is willing and able, and don’t mind getting dirty. We would not recommend elderly folk or young children as the routes may be a bit treacherous. Once you’re coming to or in Barbados and want to have a unique and adventurous time, this tour is for you.

• What equipment do I need?
• Just come with a good pair of sneakers, we will provide the rest. 

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