Humpback Whales in the Turks and Caicos

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Sighting whales is the most exciting thing and then getting into the water to snorkel with them is an experience of a life time.

Every year, typically from the end of January through March, the Humpback Whales make their annual migration to the Silver Bank close to the Dominican Republic. The Silver Bank is situated approximately 75 miles north of the Dominican Republic and 100 miles southeast of Turks and Caicos

Nose to nose with a humpback whale off Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Nose to nose with a humpback whale

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

A mama whale and her calf off Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

I managed to catch this one and he wasn’t too far off shore

On our trip to Salt Cay, we had the best ever for whale watching. We went out with Salt Cay Divers in their new, deluxe boat and had such an amazing time that we went out again for a second excursion. On our first day out, we saw FIVE mothers and calves. I couldn’t believe the excitement on the boat at each sighting.  Here in the Turks and Caicos Islands the whales are passing through so you need to book your dive trips and or excursions to enjoy this amazing sight.

Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Sighting a mother whale and her calf off Salt Cay

Humpbacked whale staying close to her calf

The Turks and Caicos Islands are on a plateau that is split by the Turks Islands Passage at which is some 6,000 feet deep (1830 meters) and which separates the Turks Islands from the Caicos Islands.

These majestic creatures pass through our area as part of an annual migration for mating and birth

Humpback whales and whale watching excursions with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Adults whales can weigh up to 40 tons and be 50 feet long. New calves can be one ton and be 10-15 feet long.

The gestation period of Humpback whales is 11 months. The females usually return to the place where they were born to have their calves.  A calf is totally dependent on it’s mother and can consume up to 50 gallons of milk per day. This causes a significant weight loss in the mother.

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

We were lucky to see 5 different sets of whale calves with their mothers

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Escorts are mature humpbacks whales that tag along with a mother and her calf to help fend off predators

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Mother and her calf swimming alongside

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Snorkelers slip quietly into the water to swim with the whales

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

A whale sounds as Eva snaps a photo

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Capt. Richard searching the waters for tell tale signs of Whales

Humpback Whale watching with Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Such a beautiful sight to see.

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Sighting of humpback whales in Salt Cay

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Out on an earlier excursion with Salt Cay Divers and sure enough we sighted whales

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Two thumbs up for an awesome snorkel with humpback whales

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Capt Jagan back on shore after another successful and amazing day in search of whales

Whale watching excursions and scuba diving with whales on Providenciales Salt Cay and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Only photo of the Salt Cay Divers new boat but taken a day later when the winds kicked up and the waves were breaking over the seawall

Thanks to Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for the next selection of great photos.

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Mickey and Jayne several years ago and their exciting whale encounter

From Mickey and Jayne on their encounter at Stairway to Heaven at West Caicos

“Well….this site earned its name today!

What a truly magical day underwater – we were only 2 minutes into our dive when a gleaming white pectoral fin caught our eye, and then, the silhouette of a HUMPBACK WHALE!!! We sat on the sand to watch it pass by…and imagine our delight when not only did it not pass us by quickly, but it also decided to spend the dive with us! We spent 60 minutes hovering and watching this gentle giant hang in front of us, and drift up every 15 minutes for a breath of air, and promptly swim back to us again. When our air consumption finally dictated our ascent, we swam to the anchor line and slowly began ascending, only to look behind and watch him follow us! With us hanging at 15 ft, and him at about 20 ft, we simply stared at each other for another 3 minutes until, bittersweetly so, we had to finish our dive. During our surface interval he stayed just forward of the boat and drfited a little away, but we were up for doing dive #2 in the same spot, as we hadn’t had a chance to explore the reef there! About 10 minutes into the dive, he showed back up to our divers and hung out with them until again, alas, we were the ones having to wave goodbye to this marvelous mammal. (From the surface, Jayne had seen it turn around and head back to the divers bubbles). Truly truly amazing. What an absolute privilege, not only to have a moment underwater with this beautiful creature, but to have had some great, passive interaction with it. A day to remember.”

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What a magnificent creature this is

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One of our Harbour Club Villa guests Jim with the whale

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Beautiful close up photo.

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If you’re dreaming of seeing whales, now’s the time to come to the Turks and Caicos Islands

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These whales can grow in length from 40 to 60 feet (12-15 meters and can live from 70 to 80 years.

If you’d like to dive and chance seeing whales, please book your Turks and Caicos Dive vacation at Harbour Club Villas and Marina. We have four dive companies with dive boats in our Marina…….Aqua TCI is moored right on our docks just minutes away. Flamingo Divers are close by and just a short walk away.

Whale Watching excursions and Diving are available with Salt Cay Divers on beautiful Salt Cay……. https://saltcaydivers.com/whale-watching/

Diving is spectacular in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

See you soon.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Historical Salt Cay and St. John’s Church

Salt Cay church dating from the 1800's
St. John’s Anglican Church on Salt Cay

St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay Turks and Caicos Islands

The beautiful old shutters of the church

St. John’s is a beautiful old Anglican church also referred to as St. John’s the Divine and was built in the early 1800’s. We wandered through the graveyard which stretches to an old seawall. Mr. Holton Dickenson, the chatechist and our guide, opened up the old doors which allowed for the sea breezes to flow through up to the altar.

St John's Anglican church on Salt Cay Turks and Caicos Islands

Mr. Holton Dickenson opens the big old doors to the church


St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay

Interior of the church with two pulpits


The old windows of the church at Salt Cay

Beautiful windows looking out towards the Brown House


St. John's Church on Salt Cay

Mr. Dickenson holds the old Register of Services showing numbers of worshippers and amounts collected.

Mr. Holton Dickenson showed us some old records that the church still keeps. These old registers need to be photographed page by page or they will eventually deteriorate and be lost for the future generations of Salt Cay residents.

Marriage Register from 1909

A page from the Marriage Register

St. John's church on Salt Cay Turks and Caicos Islands

Record of Marriage of Thomas Grant and Eliza Araminta Hamilton from 1909

St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

Names of Officiants such as Astwood, Morgan, Tatem in the Register of Services

St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

From an old postcard

St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

From an article in the Turks and Caicos Weekly news by Candy Herwin.

St. John's Anglican Church on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

Looking over the old cemetery walls out over the ocean

St. John's church on Salt Cay Turks and Caicos Islands

The graveyard and church doors taken from the old sea wall in 2018 after Hurricane Irma devastated our islands.

The cemetary and old sea wall

Harriot/Dunn grave site………owners of the White House and salt merchants on Salt Cay

Neil (Daniel Francis Harriot) was the resident Harriot at the White House until his death in 1910. He is buried at St. John’s Church in the plot he set forth in his will. My husband and I were fortunate to meet and talk with Michael Dunn when he visited us at Harbour Club Villas with a friend  years ago. I remember he was looking for a piano that he could play and at that time, I believe there were only two or possibly three on island. A friend of ours had one of them.

The church overlooks the salt pans

The bell tower outside of the St. John’s Anglican Church was usually rung to announce to everyone that it was time to come to church. Every Sunday dressed in their Sunday best, the faithful would listen to the bell tolling and head to church in time for Sunday worship. There are three of these bells still left on Salt Cay.

St. John’s church is a beautiful start to stepping back and into the history of Salt Cay……… a tranquil and peaceful place that speaks of an era of days gone by. The population is dwindling as the ocean breeze gently brushes the gravestones. Time to reflect on the history of this magical island that is steeped in history. We are the keepers of years past and need to do everything we can to preserve, nourish and protect the history and stories of Salt Cay and our national heritage. Thankfully we have concerned and caring people that are doing their utmost to document and keep Salt Cay’s history alive for future generations. Take a bow….you know who you are!

Salt Cay is a jewel in the sun.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Salt Cay As Beautiful As Ever

Blackbeard’s our favourite home away from home

Two trips to Salt Cay recently, one in January for birthday celebrations with my sisters and the second, just to get away and enjoy a slower pace. The hurricanes greatly impacted this little island and the destruction caused was beyond belief.

I don’t want to dwell on the many issues the island is facing or the negatives. My aim in this blog is to show you the charm and beauty of Salt Cay today. In a later blog, I will show you and cover the historical side.

The donkeys were wandering in small groups and posed picturesquely in front of this house.

The White House, a beautiful Bermudian house with stone roof that sustained damages from Hurricane Irma.

The White House, built in the Bermudian style has a limestone roof and overlooks the salt ponds. Salt storage was at ground level and the family lived on the top level. The owner – a 4th generation Harriott, is repairing the building; mostly water damage from leaking roof. He said that experts from Bermuda were coming to help repair the roof.

The Coral Reef Bar and Grill is a real meeting spot for everyone.

We used to be able to walk along the side sea wall but no longer as it collapsed during the strong seas and pounding of the waves. The sand is now filling in the harbour so that where there once used to be water, it’s now all silted in. Debbie had to watch the front of Coral Reef Bar and Grill be washed away from the horrific storm. She has lost part of her restaurant …. the deck is gone and the erosion has been very extensive.

Salt Cay Divers boat ready to take us out whale watching and YES, we saw a mother and her calf.

Pristine North Beach with view towards Grand Turk and cruise ship.

Footprints in the sand and not another soul in sight.

Love the sea glass and so many shells.

Early morning coming up over the salt pans as I walk with my camera. A donkey walks past me along Victoria Street.

North Creek in the early morning

Bermudian kitchen at Government House

Walking along the Folly as the sun rises creating reflections of the White House in the salt ponds

I spotted a lone flamingo in the salt pond

View from the Folly across the salt ponds towards Victoria Street

Here’s the White House from Dunscombe Point and what used to be the island’s swimming hole

An endangered iguana suns himself on the walls of the old cemetary

Field of ancient Turks Head cactus on Cotton Cay just off Salt Cay Turks and Caicos Islands

A great way to get around by bicycle.

So tough to get up on those gangly legs!

What a beautiful morning on Salt Cay

The church is gone, crumbled by the hurricanes but the view still takes my breath away

Can’t get enough of those donkeys!

Some wonderful snorkeling just off the beach.

My trips to Salt Cay have been many over the years. These two trips will stand out in my memory. The first trip in January was filled with nostalgia as I remembered the way Salt Cay was pre Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The second trip in April was all and more than I expected…….the resilience of the people as they picked up the pieces and got on with what life had dealt them.

Still a long ways to go but I’LL BE BACK for your special brand of sunshine.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Times of the Islands

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Times of the Island……….a beautiful island magazine that’s published four times a year.

Times of the Islands current issue for Winter 2015/16 is on the stands now and I’m so excited and proud of my cover photo! Taken on a stunningly beautiful day from the top of Jim Hill. It was one of those days filled with reflections and calm flat waters that you dream about and try to capture the beauty. I know I did!!

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Taken on the same day, a fishing boat heads off to French Cay and passing the Five Cays in the background.

This issue had several of my photos as you browse through reading some great articles. I was surprised to find my photo of bonefishing with Darin Bain taken on another clear bonefishing day on the back side of Middle Caicos.

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Bonefishing with Darin off Middle Caicos…no land in sight just a perfect, top class bonefishing day.

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Joe Cermele and his beautiful bride on his honeymoon trip to Provo. What else would you do but fish???

Joe Cermele of Field and Stream wrote an article for Times of the Islands and I arranged for him to go out with Darin on this day so I could take photographs for my bonefishing portfolio. The article is called “If You Love Me, Let Me Fish……..A newly wed’s quest for Provo bonefish.” Here’s the exert  from this moment when I had gone into the water to catch some shots of the boat.

“Are those all bonefish?,” I ask Darin in disbelief of what I’m seeing. He grins and tells me I’m not going crazy. I cast directly into the center of what must be 200 gray ghosts swimming in unison like choreographed jets in an air show. I hook one instantly and the entire school follows its struggling brother. Cameras flash as I land the fish and quickly return it to the turquoise water. The school hasn’t moved far. For the next 40 minutes, bone after bone attacks my fly in what I can only describe as the antithesis of everything I know about the species. Bonefish are sly, wary, and cunning fighters. These fish would strike a hotdog if I presented it to them, and they have no qualms about swimming right up to the boat. Christen even lands a few after I hook them up. “

 

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Times of the Islands winter issue has a great article on the TSPCA……….all volunteer run. Here are the judges at the annual dog show.

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The TCSPCA has a remarkable and dedicated group of volunteers………they are all amazing people.

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My favourite little donkey taken on Salt Cay

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He was just the cutest little guy

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A flock of flamingos on Salt Cay out at North Creek

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Such beautiful flamingos taken on a trip to Salt Cay

Times of the Islands is a publication worth taking home with you. If you’d like to read the magazine from cover to cover, the link is below.

http://www.timespub.tc/pdfpub/Winter%202015-2016%20Times%20of%20the%20Islands.html

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

I Love Salt Cay

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Morning sunrise over the salt pans on our first day.

Excitement and anticipation on a return weekend trip to Salt Cay. Up early and out the door to catch the sunrise and not wanting to waste a minute of the day. How I love the peaceful tranquility at that time of day.

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The Turks & Caicos heather, Limonium bahamense was blooming this time and I took lots of photos of this pretty plant.

The Turks and Caicos Island heather, thrives in the saline conditions of the salt flats. It is found growing along the retaining walls of Salt Cay’s salt ponds. It is now the islands’ national flower.

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Came across a Snowy Egret dancing in the salt ponds looking for food and managed to catch a great photo with reflections.

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My favourite little lane with charming rock walls runs right past Mt Pleasant guest house where we stayed.

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Through the wood louvers of the White House looking towards Dunscombe Point.

No trip to Salt Cay is complete without seeing the White House and this trip was very special. We met owner Ian Dunn who took time out to show us through this splendid old mansion complete with stories of his ancestors. I’m definitely going to do a separate blog on this magnificent building that’s part of Salt Cay’s history.

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There’s nothing better than having lunch with this view………the gazebo at the Brown House.

The Brown House was built in 1860, fully restored and is now a beautiful waterfront residence for holidaying visitors to Salt Cay. Thanks to Candy Herwin for an island lunch with friends and of course a chance to take more photos of this heritage house.

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Mount Pleasant guest cottage where we stayed with a roof top wooden walkway to the balcony of the main house. Love the blue shutters.

We were fortunate to be able to stay in the fully renovated guest cottage at Mount Pleasant with hosts Jo and George Oates. Salt Cay accommodation with character …… simply perfect for our all too short vacation getaway.

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The north shore beach looking towards Grand Turk……….if you look closely, you can see a cruise ship.

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Ruins of the Windmills Plantation…..love to take photos here.

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Zoomed in shot of Grand Turk and cruise ship.

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Beautiful stretch of beach but a bit too rough for swimming.

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An old salt rakers cottage.

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A visit to Porter’s Island Thyme is a must for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The chicken breast stuffed with bacon, baby spinach and mozzarella cheese was absolutely delicious with home made ice cream to follow.

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Early Sunday morning and my little friends were heading to gran’s house. They were going to help bake cookies they told me!

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Love this red shuttered house next to the church.

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Foot prints in the sand just up from Debbie’s Coral Reef Bar and Grill restaurant.

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Great place for sunsets, drinks and a bite to eat.

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Looking towards Dean’s Dock…….it was pretty rough out there.

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Sheedy’s cannon up on the bluff was a lovely walk early on Sunday morning.

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Falling in love with a donkey that looked ready to have a baby at any time.

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Pirate’s Hideaway……..another great place to stay in Salt Cay.

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Loving the colours…….turquoise dwelling with donkey.

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Newly repaired roof of the Bermudian kitchen at Government House.

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Inside the old Bermudian kitchen with some lovely old antiques.

Inside the Bermudian Kitchen a lot of work has been done since I was last here taking photos. Old antique artifacts and utensils from Salt Cay have been found and or donated. Candy Herwin writes  “…..like Jose Jones old handmade carpenters saw and box of tools…one of the ladies old singer machines with Ms. Mellys measuring tape …remember the old cloth ones….decade old cooking pots from Mary Robinson kitchen….ancient locks and one of my favorites an old steam iron in a homemade stand…Later Ms. Rosie Glinton said it was used for placing on top of frying fish to stop them curling…Well I never.”

 

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Malaika and sea glass gathering.

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Salt Cay is a treasure trove of sea glass lying on the beaches.

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Excitement in the form of water delivery on Salt Cay.

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Our last day and bright sunshine and slightly calmer seas

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Boats and dive boats with the sea wall.

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Walking, bicycles and golf buggies are the main modes of transportation.

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Our last morning and YES…………we saw the humpback whales. What a magnificent sight.

Our last morning and a snap decision made literally in 5 minutes. The seas had died down a bit and we thought we just had to go. Salt Cay Divers and a 100% success rate so far this season. We went for it and WOW, we were so glad we did. Tough with the boat rockin’ and rollin’ to take photos but all worth it as I managed to get two reasonable “tail” shots.

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Leaving Salt Cay and flying over Grand Turk with a cruise ship docked.

And so, another wonderful few days away from the hustle and bustle of Provo. Salt Cay is a treasure of an island full of history, relaxation, love the donkeys wandering along the salt ponds and streets, the stacked rock old walls, the north beach in all its splendor and the many historic buildings.

I can’t wait to come back again and again.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turks and Caicos Birds Eye View

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Flying over Harbour Club Villas and Marina….a beautiful 6 villa vacation rental complex on the south side of Providenciales

 

Over the years, I’ve snapped several photos while flying to our sister islands or Miami. There’s nothing more wonderful than seeing our amazing turquoise and blue waters from the air and islands and cays strung out like small jewels ……… it’s truly breathtaking! Here’s a selection for you to enjoy and I’ve started it off with Harbour Club Villas and Marina which has been our little resort in the sun and built over 15 years ago. The first and only vacation rental estate on the beautiful and more tranquil south side of Providenciales.

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View of Cooper Jack Marina and Five Cays Bay (top) with the canal system feeding into Turtle Lake.

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Turtle Lake bonefishing flat is just down the road from our villas

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Five Cays bay is a beautiful ocean flat where bonefishing guests at Harbour Club Villas always make a stop for some wading and fishing.

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Five Cays Bay just around the corner from Harbour Club Villas and Marina

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Harbour Club Villas and Marina and Caicos Marina development as we fly past and over the start of Five Cays bay. Juba salina in the background.

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Two huge villas (one of which is Prince’s) on the marina and each has it’s own beach. Before development, we used to wander in the shallows and send our guests down to this scenic spot.

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The colours and cays of Chalk Sound are so spectacular and distinctive….beautiful.

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Chalk Sound with Sapodilla and Taylor Bays looking towards the South West tip of the island.

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Beautiful homes line the shores of Chalk Sound… ,imagine waking up to this every morning!!

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Turtle Cove Marina is a short five minute drive from the villas at Harbour Club and this aerial shows the entrance and Babalua Beach in the foreground.

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Turtle Cove Marina with Smith’s Reef , the coral reefs and deep blue ocean.

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I think this is coming into South Caicos and wow, the colours are amazing.

 

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The Big South…………South Caicos full of historical buildings and large developments on going.

 

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Stunning view of South Caicos with one of the large developments of East Winds Resort.

 

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The tip of South Caicos looking towards East Caicos.

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Uninhabited East Caicos was pretty colourful on this fly past.

 

 

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The beautiful island of Salt Cay is a little jewel of a place….love the history.

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Salt Cay in the far distance as we fly onto Grand Turk.

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Grand Turk island is the seat of government of the TCI.

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Cruise Ship port in Grand Turk…….an amazing view as we head back home to Harbour Club Villas on Providenciales.

 

 

And so the end of my whirlwind journey and tour of our beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands from a bird’s eye view. What stands out the most is the colour of our amazing waters from the air. It’s even better though when seen from on the ground and on the beaches. We’re waiting for you to visit so give us a call at Harbour Club Villas and book your vacation with us on Provo in the fabulous Turks and Caicos Islands.

See you soon,

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Pirates Hideaway Salt Cay

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Our limousine awaits outside Pirates Hideaway, our island home for a few days.

Our trip to Salt Cay was just simply too short…………I had met with Candy Herwin on Provo and she had given me all the information on this little jewel of an island. I had been there in 2003 and just can’t believe it took me this long to return.  Candy has converted an old salt raker’s house into a charming , four bedroom, two bathroom house called Pirates Hideaway. I loved it and for three days, it was our home. Our limo was a neat little red golf buggy just perfect for beatling around in.

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Replica salt wagon stands outside our home for three nights

Salt Wagons like the replica above were used for loading piles of raked salt and drawn by the donkeys.

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This fella was adept at opening the gate.

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Morning coffee, a quick text and away we go to explore the island.

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Spacious kitchen and living room at Pirates Hideaway

 

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Champagne birthday celebration.

 

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Captain’s Quarters master bedroom where I stayed.

 

A lot of love, care and attention has been put into this quaint salt raker’s house which has a warm, inviting feel to it. Add the history and limitless knowledge of Salt Cay that Candy Herwin has and this makes it a unique home away from home for visitors to experience and enjoy. She has so many stories to tell and is always searching out the history of these islands. She has taken upon herself to interview and talk to the islands old timers to record and preserve their reminiscences and stories of when they were young. Photos too……….she has such a collection.

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Loved the breezes flowing through and billowing the curtains.

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Love the shark bathroom and the wooden slat windows.

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Great pirate murals throughout Pirates Hideaway.

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I’m not sure why I love these wooden slats so much……reminds me of a bygone time when things were much simpler.

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Love this shot of the old wooden gate and Pirates Hideaway

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On one of my walks in the early morning hours

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Good to see that these old stone walls are still standing

 

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Saying goodbye to Salt Cay……..so sad to leave.

 

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A beautiful little island surrounded by a turquoise sea.

All good things must come to an end…….that is until next time. Believe me, there will be a next time and very soon.

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Salt Cay Weekend

Flying in to Salt Cay with Caicos Express on a clear day just great for photos.

I just love Salt Cay and returning there after 10 years made me wonder what took me so long!  It is truly a stunningly beautiful, friendly and charming gem of a place. A girl friend’s birthday celebration and three whole days of golf buggying around this little island was a perfect getaway.

Deane's Dock as our pilot brings us in for a smooth landing.

Closer view of the repaired break water at Deane's Dock

 

Salt Cay's little airport has remained the same for all these years.

 

Pirate's Hideaway was our home away from home

A replica of the donkey drawn carts that hauled the salt, stand in front of Candy Herwin’s treasure of a cottage called Pirate’s Hideaway where we stayed for the three nights. Candy is a wealth of knowledge on Salt Cay but unfortunately she wasn’t going to be on island during our stay. Nonetheless we met, she told me everything I needed to know along with giving me her wonderful map of Salt Cay. She’s currently on Provo where she had lined up meetings with two elderly ladies to record their stories. She uses a video recorder and has been helping the residents of the islands to preserve their culture and heritage so that these stories can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Candy Herwin's map "A History Tour of Salt Cay".

The only way to see Salt Cay..........our little golf cart took us all over the island

Our first donkeys...we were a bit leery of them but realised quickly that all they wanted was food or water.

 

This lovely mansion was being worked on. A new front patio overlooking the ocean and repairs to the seawall

Colourful gates and charming houses, old stone walls and even a stop sign or two.

I just love these old walls and sandy lanes.

This little baby donkey was adorable as he stood outside the gate to our place.

Looking across the salt pans towards the Brown House and St. John's Church.

Sunrise through the gates of St. John's church

 

North Creek in the early morning had such muted colours.

 

We found so much sea glass as we walked the beaches of Salt Cay.

 

We visited with sweet Miss Amie over her garden fence.

 

This beautiful little cove was our first late lunch stop, beer, snacks and a snorkel.

We stopped for a few provisions.

Dinners were at Pat's Place........stew peas to die for and Pat explains twice fried plantains. Delicious fry fish and chicken curry.

Pa Poley (Mr. Holton Dickenson) was the best tour guide ever! Thank you!

 

Captivating North Beach.........not another soul there. Birthday champagne on the beach!

Colourful doorway frames a black cat

Did you know that the donkeys on Salt Cay are good at opening gates?

I simply have to stop for now. Hoping this has given you a taste of Salt Cay and all its’ people (93 I’m told), places, stunning beaches, and history too. Noticeably absent are some of the historical parts of this little island. This I have left for another day. After all I only took some 3400 photos.

 

I love Salt Cay and will return again very soon.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Turks and Caicos Islands National Dress

Sweet smiling island girls in their national dress

Sweet smiling island girls in their national dress

I love this photo………the girls are soooo cute with such beautiful smiles and dressed in their national costume. Up until 2002, we did not have a national dress representative of all the islands of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our island ancestors wore basic and practical clothing reflecting a simple and humble lifestyle. An idea was born and developed by David Bowen with tremendous help from a group of dedicated people.

These handsome young boys were eager to smile for the camera

These handsome young boys were eager to smile for the camera

Colours were selected for each island: Red for Grand Turk representing the red/pink  fruit of the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus; White for Salt Cay and the colour of salt; Orange for South and East Caicos showing off the colours of the spiny lobster and fish as well as the fishing industry in South Caicos; Tan for Middle Caicos and the natural colour of the island’s thatch that covered most of the early homes and roofs and today the colour represents the crafts of basket weaving, straw hats and brooms; Green for North Caicos and Parrot Cay where fruit trees and others flourish in the fertile soil along with Wades Green Plantation where cotton grew and flourished in days gone by; Turquoise for Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos where the turquoise water surrounds us and contributes to bringing us our newest resource of tourism.

These young people perform folk songs in their national dress of white cotton with coloured bands representing each island.

These young people perform folk songs in their national dress of white cotton with coloured bands representing each island.

Six colours were chosen for the main islands of the Turks and Caicos and two more for symbols of our national pride.  Pink for the conch shell and our flamingos and Yellow, the colour of the sun shining down on our beautiful islands and cays and also the sun is a major factor in bringing us all our tourist visitors.

These girls and boys performed in their national dress at the Carifta Games held in Provo in 2007.

These girls and boys performed in their national dress at the Carifta Games held in Provo in 2007.

Each person proudly displays and wears their individual island colour …..the girls wear scarves and sashes in their islands’ corresponding colour and the boys have hat bands in the colour of their island home .

I found this information so very interesting and I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed looking everything up.

When you are here in Provo make sure to find out if there are any cultural events or performances taking place.

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Whale Watching

Humpbacked Whale has flippers that are heavily scalloped and that are often a third of its total body length.

The Humpback Whale has flippers that are heavily scalloped and that are often a third of its total body length.

Once again, I have to thank Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for letting me use these incredible shots of the humpback whale they dove with in late January. These wonderful creatures can grow in length from 40 to 60 feet (12 to 15 meters) and can live from 70 or 80 years. The humpback whale is generally a blackish colour with a white area covering the throat grooves. They are playful and can throw themselves completely out of the water which is called “breaching”.  Salt Cay is truly the Whale capital of the islands from January to March every year as this is where the Atlantic Humpbacks migrate to the Silver Banks to calve and mate.

Impressive view of a Humpbacked Whale........head on down to the Turks and Caicos now and see them for yourselves
Impressive view of a Humpback Whale……..head on down to the Turks and Caicos now and see them for yourselves

Now’s the time to see whales in our beautiful waters. Book that trip soon and have an experience of a life time seeing these magnificent creatures.

Marta