Humpback Whales in the Turks and Caicos

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

Nose to nose with a humpback whale

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

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

A mama whale watches her inquisitive calf in the waters by Salt Cay

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

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 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.

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

Sighting of humpback whales in Salt Cay with lots of tail slapping

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

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

Humpback whale and calf in the waters of Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Little calf with mother watchfully taking everything in

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

A whale lying on it’s side raises a long pectoral fin into the air and slams it back to the surface with a loud splash.

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 our son Mike and Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for some of these wonderful photos.

Scuba diving with humpback whales on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands

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 drifted 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.”

Humpback whales and scuba diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands

What a magnificent creature this is

Diving and spotting humpback whales on Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

A diver is dwarfed beside a humpback whale

Whale watching and spotting humpback whales on Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

Close up of a whale while snorkeling by Salt Cay

Diving and spotting humpback whales on Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

If you’re dreaming of seeing whales, the time to come to the Turks and Caicos Islands is February through March

Diving and spotting humpback whales on Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

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 two 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

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

Kids like fishing too!!

Wayne and his kids fishing off the docks at Harbour Club Villas

Wayne and his kids fishing off the docks at Harbour Club Villas

Wayne Hall of Ocean Vibes dive operation took some time out to show his boys how to fish. They set up on our dock at Harbour Club Villas where Wayne moors his boat. He’s originally from Grand Turk and is the only Turks and Caicos native to own and operate a dive operation on Providenciales.

I got one, I got one!!!

I got one, I got one!!!

The kids were so excited when they started to catch fish. Dad helped to release them into a bucket so that they could take a good look at them.

Wayne takes the hook out as the kids watch

Wayne takes the hook out as the kids watch

Next time you want a great scuba diving adventure in the Turks and Caicos Islands, we’ll put you in touch with Wayne and Ocean Vibes.

Marta

 

http://www.diving.tc

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

Flamingos Part 2

Greater Flamingos in the salt ponds of Grand Turk

Greater Flamingos in the salt ponds of Grand Turk

On an all too short visit to Grand Turk, a girl friend and I spent at least an hour getting these shots of the Flamingos in the town salina. They didn’t seem too worried about us and just went about their business of searching for food.

The West Indian Flamingo is part of the crest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and stand on either side of the shield.

The West Indian Flamingo is part of the crest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and stand on either side of the shield.

The flamingo’s long legs and neck make them look quite awkward but it enables them to inhabit deeper water than other wading birds. Their specialized upside down beaks contain rows of bristles (lamellae) through which they strain the water for minute organisms which they can swallow without raising their heads.

There were quite a few flamingos wading the salt ponds on this particular day.

There were quite a few flamingos wading the salt ponds on this particular day.

The Town Salina in Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, is surrounded by people, houses and roads. Still, this doesn’t disturb the flamingos which like to feed there.  The flamingos are often joined by pelicans and herons.

Birdwatching is a favourite occupation here in our islands. If you are a bird watcher or birder, come see all the different varieties of birds found in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Shopping Turks and Caicos

Our shopping trip was pleasantly interrupted by two beautiful little girls who posed for me by the great mural at Ports of Call

Our shopping trip was pleasantly interrupted by two beautiful little girls who posed for me by the great mural at Ports of Call

Today was the day I took Sam and Marilyn shopping as we visited my favourite stores with such a variety of gifts just made for everyone. We stopped at the colourful Haitien market with stalls full of metal painted art. It was a day of turtles as Sam bought a turtle wall piece and then Marilyn found a beautiful turtle box in another shop.

Hard to pass up all the vibrant colours of metal art work......from geckos to fish, turtles to sunmasks

Hard to pass up all the vibrant colours of metal art work......from geckos to fish, turtles to sunmasks

Ports of Call was another stop where we made sure to drop in at Mama’s Gift Shop….Mama wasn’t there today but Chalice as always was full of smiles and happy to see us. On your next Provo visit, tell the ladies Marta at Harbour Club sent you! Sam, whose real name is Sandy bought the new children’s book Where is Simon, Sandy? for her grandkids. It is based on an actual event from the Turks and Caicos Islands and is set on Grand Turk.

Check out the great selection at our shopping areas in The Salt Mills and Ports of Call

Check out the great selection at our shopping areas in The Salt Mills and Ports of Call

The SaltMills is full of quality shops especially Anna’s Gallery which is a must with the most exquisite original paintings on silk. You’ll often find the artist, Anna Bourne painting her latest silk work of tropical fish, turtles, frogs or sea horses. Other artists’ works are also on display.

Happy shopping everyone!

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com