Snorkel at Smith’s Reef

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Mike, GoPro in hand and ready for some snorkeling at Smith’s Reef

Smith’s Reef is an amazing area for snorkeling and not too far off shore. You need to be aware that it is right beside the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina. A word of caution …. take note of the channel markers for incoming and outgoing water craft and stay out of the channel itself. You will see such a variety of sea life such as turtles, eagle rays, sting rays, an abundance of fish and corals.

Here’s how to find Smiths Reef at the end of Coconut Road

Visit TCI has a good map showing the location and how to find the reef. 

Smith's Reef from the air

Drone shot of Smith’s Reef showing the beautiful coral head.

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A map of the reef showing the 22′ channel where often you’ll see rays.

Snorkel with turtles and all kinds of fish at Smith’s Reef

Heading out with a go pro to get some classic underwater shots.

Snorkeling with go pro ready.

Go pro ready for action

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Another beautiful Provo day just made for some snorkeling.

Just a few words before you set out to enjoy and explore our reefs.

Please do not touch or stand on anything as coral is a living animal and be sure not to brush anything with your flippers, equipment or gear.

Remember:

  • Don’t step on coral. …
  • Don’t touch or chase marine life. …
  • Don’t stir the sediment. …
  • Don’t take marine life – dead or alive.
  • Please use reef safe sunscreen

Clear and calm….what a day on the reef

A turtle pops his head up…what a great photo Mike!

Do not cover yourself heavily with sunscreen before snorkeling and of course biodegradable lotions are available and better yet, buy a rash guard.

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A Green Sea Turtle poses for photos beside a Purple Sea Whip.

A beautiful hawkbill turtle is curious

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A Spotted Eagle Ray passing through.

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Love the reflections in the water.

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A Porcupine Fish showing spines swims amongst the coral.

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A six foot nurse shark rests on the sandy bottom.

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Big and docile just resting on the bottom ready for a photo shoot.

Snorkel with hawksbill turtle at Smith's Reef

A stunning hawksbill turtle cruises on by

Snorkeling Smith's Reef on Providenciales

Mike spots a Queen Angelfish

A turtle pops his head up with Mike snorkeling with his go pro

Wandering the shore line at Smith’s Reef is always full of discoveries, lovely rock pools and all kinds of shells and marine life.

Tidal pools along the shore line at Smith's Reef

Rock pools are fascinating especially when the tide is out.

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And meanwhile along the shore, a rock pool find of a Helmet Shell.

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Such beauty surrounds us and take a look at the exquisite markings on this shell.

A crab scurries along the rocks

A crab scurries along the rocks

Chitons attached to the rocks

Look for Chitons attached to the rocks

Chitons also known as Coat of Mail shells or Sea Cradles are a marine mollusc found along the rocks at Smith’s Reef and elsewhere.

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See the eyes peeking out of the shell of this baby conch and the claw-like operculum with which they move across the ocean floor.

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Back to the reef and this beauty…..a Honeycomb Cowfish apparently quite rare.

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Love those eagle rays as they gracefully glide through the waters.

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Mike says this green turtle took a keen interest in the camera.

Smith's Reef on Providenciales is the best for snorkeling

Smith’s Reef on Providenciales is the best for snorkeling

And here’s me just enjoying every part of the day here at Smith’s Reef.

All the amazing underwater photos are taken by Mike so I thank him for letting me use them for my blog.

Enjoy the reefs everyone but please take care as you snorkel to preserve and protect the coral and sea life.

Snorkel responsibly and have fun.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Blue Hills

Blue Hills with its Caicos sloops is a fun place to explore.

Blue Hills is hands down, the most quaint and colourful part of Providenciales. Take an hour or two and meander along the beach road where you’ll find small eating establishments, many churches and cemeteries right on the ocean.

Blue Hills pier

The pier in Blue Hills is a scenic spot for photographs

 

Caicos Sloops are being built on the shore.

Some say that Blue Hills was the former name for our island of Providenciales and named for the blueish tinge of the hills and ridges as sloops neared the island from the sea. Life centered around the sea, sloop building , fishing and conking. Sloops would sail out towards West Caicos and French Cay to collect conch which would be dried and then traded with neighboring islands for materials and other food products.

Beach has coral formations close to the shore

Blue Hills on Providenciales in theTurks and Caicos Islands

Looking down the beach towards the Blue Hills pier.

 

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Chasing the birds on the beach in Blue Hills.

 

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Beautiful conch shells are sold down on the beach.

 

This handsome pelican was perched on one of the pillars on the pier at Blue Hills

 

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Harbour Club Villa guests and others such as this paddleboarder drop in for a conch lunch at one of the eateries in Blue Hills

 

Da Conch Shack is a beautiful ocean side eatery

 

Delicious conch salad, fritters and rum punch too

Our guests at Harbour Club Villas and Marina are often seen having lunch or dinner down in Blue Hills as it is a quaint and charming part of Providenciales not to be missed. The road rambles along the shore line and was the first paved road on the island. Work started on Front Road in 1956 at a time when there was no heavy machinery. Much of the work was done by local residents and by hand and took some ten years to complete.

See you soon enjoying the local flavours, sights and sounds of Blue Hills.

Marta

www.harbourclubvillas.com

Babalua Beach Day

Babalua Beach is one of those wonderful little beaches a bit hidden and out of the way.

Babalua Beach is simply a lovely spot for lazing in the water, snorkeling around the rocks or the reef just off shore, pelican watching, and exciting for the kids too. It is on the other side of the Turtle Cove Marina boat channel.

A toes in the sand and clear water day

The water is always crystal clear as you wiggle your toes in the sand and the shallows as the sun creates sparkling prisms on the water.

Dive boat returning from diving Provo’s spectacular reefs.
Snorkeling in the shallows around the rocks
Always fun to see all the colourful fish.
The rocks are home to numerous little crabs.
A pretty blue crab scuttles along the rocks….hard to catch in a photo.
Kids love to explore as they climb onto and around the rocks.
What a spot to photograph our national bird, the Brown Pelican.

Babalua is full of activity. I managed to get up real close to the pelicans and the resulting photos were spectacular. The Caribbean brown pelican, has a wingspan of around 5 to 8 feet and a weight of 6 to 12 pounds. Endless entertainment as they dive bomb into the water and scoop up fish in their large bills, which can hold up to 3 pounds. Their bills are a natural sieve that will drain out all of the excess water.

A swooping pelican comes in for a landing.
Feasting on some small fish.
The rocks create a shallow calm area to enjoy the water.
A treasure found while snorkeling….that’s a sea urchin test.

 

A snorkeler takes a close look at a beautiful King Helmet shell

A snorkeler takes a close look at a beautiful King Helmet shell

 Eve finds and takes a closer look at a spectacular King Helmet shell while snorkeling off Babalua beach a while ago. They have a thick, glossy “shield” on the inside of the aperture on the bottom of the shell. This can be carved into cameos, and so they are sometimes called “cameo shells.

The King Helmet is a species of very large sea snail with a solid heavy shell.

The King Helmet is a species of very large sea snail with a solid heavy shell.

Keep a watch for these striking shells as you snorkel. The waters are brilliantly clear and hopefully you will enjoy seeing a variety including the Queen Conch.

 

And here’s a monster turtle cruising the shallows. It was the biggest one I’ve seen to date.
Providenciales is blessed with the most extraordinary beaches.
We’d love to have you enjoy our “Beautiful by Nature” islands.

Take some time to travel around Providenciales and while away a few hours at our more hidden beaches that are tucked away. Here at our villas…….Harbour Club Villas and Marina, we can give you ideas as to where you might go. We’ve been on Provo for over 20 years and know all the best spots. Hope to see you soon!

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Half Moon Bay

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What a treat……..I’m thinking this had to be JoJo wanting to play with the boat.

What an amazingly beautiful day as guests headed out on an afternoon excursion on the turquoise waters …… look at the colours! We were just off Leeward Going Through when look who joined us? I’m pretty sure that it was JoJo the dolphin come to play. He stayed with us for a bit and then we were off headed for some snorkeling at the reef, iguanas, conch salad, Half Moon Bay and followed by some fun tubing  and water slide. Provo has many excellent boating, cruising and water fun excursions to offer as the one we were on. For more information, just contact us and we can make some suggestions.

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Our sensational waters………a turquoise like you’ve never seen before. WOW!

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Turks and Caicos rum punch coming up.

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Waves breaking on the reef as we prepare to do some snorkeling.

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Beautiful corals and a variety of fish as we snorkel beyond the cut.

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Love those silver palms precariously perched at the far end of Half Moon Bay

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The far end of the beach at Half Moon Bay is so beautiful to photograph….an idyllic spot.

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Found an Oyster Catcher sunning himself on the rocks. Not at all disturbed by the camera!

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A walk along the beach and such glorious colours

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Such an impressive looking iguana. The Rock Iguana Cyclura Carinata has had to be re introduced to less populated cays

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Conch shell on the beach. A delicious “fresh from the sea” conch salad was made and enjoyed by all.

Book your excursions and enjoy being on the water in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our beaches are spectacular and you can enjoy a cruise, diving for conch, taste some “as fresh as you can get it”conch salad, stop for some snorkeling on the reef, see iguanas and simply let the world float by as you finally relax on “island time”.

You too may be lucky and have JoJo the dolphin join in the fun.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Sandbar at Bonefish Point

A beautiful walk from the little beach by Osprey Rock all the way to Bonefish Point

A high light of any trip out to South West Bluff is the beautiful walk from the beach at Osprey Rock down to Bonefish Point.

Osprey Rock in the distance as we wade through the shallows

A mangrove is salt tolerant and look at the roots.

Miles of beach with only us walking along the shoreline.

Bone fisherman stalking the flats for the elusive bonefish

A Haitien sloop washed up along the shore

Sad to say, we often see these wrecked Haitien sloops carrying probably 100 or more people to what they think will be a better life. Many are caught and repatriated.

Pin cushion sea stars love the sandbar. We found many of them.

That’s an amazing flat but make sure you have your fishing license with you if you plan to fish

Turquoise waters and brilliant white powdery sand

Mr Crabby shows his fighting form.

In search of starfish at the sandbar

A picturesque, dream of a day at Bonefish Point

A perfect afternoon to wade into the water at Bonefish Point

On another rather cloudy day, a storm changed the colours to a soft pastel combination of hues.

These great kids hammed it up for the camera in the shallows of the sandbar.

These great kids hammed it up for the camera in the shallows of the sandbar.

Some local kids were fishing  with one fishing rod and a hand line but I’m not sure that they caught anything other than disturbing a blue crab, a cushion starfish and a conch.

A blue crab wasn't too impressed with facing the camera but he was let go after his modeling debut.

A blue crab wasn’t too impressed with facing the camera but he was let go after his modeling debut.

The boys were having fun finding starfish and a conch while their Dad or uncle continued sitting and fishing.

The boys were having fun finding starfish and a conch.

Life is always interesting around the sandbar and on this day I lucked out, smiling kids, someone fishing, finding a small blue crab, a bright orange cushion starfish, a conch and of course, the muted colours of the ocean at low tide and passing storm clouds. Wow! What a spectacular and lovely day.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

A Trip Down Turtle Tail

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A lone flamingo feeds in the Juba salina just a short ways from Harbour Club Villas

I decided on taking one of our fishing guests down Turtle Tail to see for myself where he could access some flats in order to do some bonefishing.  Must say, this area is still as beautiful as ever but with many newly constructed houses going up.

I haven’t seen the flamingos for quite an age and was excited to see this, lone beauty.

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I couldn’t get him to stop feeding and to lift his head up……….too busy “vacuuming” through the silty bottom.

 

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My beach also known locally as Dog Beach was just awesome with all those turquoise colours

 

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Looking towards Jim Hill and the new villas being built beside Bajacu

 

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Bonefishing flat with some of the Five Little Cays in the distance

 

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Old conch shells piled up on shore

 

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Now this has some potential for some DIY bonefishing

 

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Jet skiers were out on this beautiful day

 

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Rocky southern shoreline with secret pathway down to the water’s edge

 

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Private gazebos overlooking stunning turquoise waters

 

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Mangroves down Turtle Tail with some sweet bonefishing spots

 

Harbour Club Villas and Marina on a bonefishing lake in Providenciales

 

Looking across Flamingo Lake towards the villas at Harbour Club and a lone fisherman

Flamingo Lake and a perfect afternoon for some bonefishing

Five Cays Bay and Bugaloos

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I don’t think the view can get any better than this one

This spectacular view of the bay at Five Cays greets you as you find a seat at Bugaloos Conch Crawl. It truly is a remarkable and unforgettable place as you sit peacefully looking out at the shallow waters of the bay waiting for drinks and mouth watering, tasty conch dishes.

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Sitting and soaking in the beauty while sipping on a beer.

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Trees grow through holes carved in the wooden tables and provide shade from the hot sun.

Come, sit and stay awhile as you gaze out over the ocean. Watch the little waves come rippling in and sand bars forming as the tide goes out. Order conch any which way you want it….conch salad, fritters or cracked, fish and lobster too.

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Our lunch arrives and we order another ice cold beer.

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Bringing a load of conch from the pens out in the water.

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I waded on out to see the conch being “knocked”.

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Two beautiful conch shells which will be cleaned and then sold.

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Two eyes and a mouth in between and there are males and females, I’m shown and told by a local expert.

 

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The operculum or claw of the conch…..this is how they move.

 

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The conch pistol is touted to be an aphrodisiac…………try it on your lunch or dinner stop at Bugaloos.

 

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This guy would do anything for conch!!

 

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Mounds of conch as the conch gets “knocked”.

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Sweet little miss with a conch shell.

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Beautiful pink conch shells ready for purchase.

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Visit Bugaloos in Five Cays………….the conch tastes great!

Hope to see you at Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl when you head to Providenciales for your next holiday.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

Honeymoon Conch Salad

Yummy.......... fresh conch salad for lunch at Harbour Club Villas.

Honeymooners Chantel and Rick enjoyed their conch salad today for lunch in the gazebo by the pool at Harbour Club Villas.

I was invited for a bowl of conch salad and it was delicious with a little zip to it.

Chantel prepared a delicious, fresh conch salad from green and red peppers, juicy tomatoes, conch of course, cilantro, onions, freshly squeezed limes and some of their own, favorite special spices.

 

A nice glass of chilled white wine goes great with a "fresh from the sea" conch salad

And to top it off, a glass of chilled white wine goes great with conch salad. I know our honeymoon couple, Chantel and Rick will more than likely enjoy some more conch salad appetizers this evening but they’ll be drinking some Dom Perrignon as sadly, this is their last evening at Harbour Club Villas and on our tropical island paradise.

If you are thinking of a honeymoon vacation, the Turks and Caicos Islands can’t be beat…..sunshine, stunning beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. Our honeymoon couple can attest to that as they enjoyed three days of great scuba diving. Call us or email and we’ll arrange everything for you to make things easy.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conch Festival Part 2

Some beautiful conch pieces, bowls, lamps and shells were for sale under the tent at the Conch Festival in Blue Hills yesterday.

Some beautiful conch pieces, bowls, lamps and shells were for sale under the tent at the Conch Festival in Blue Hills yesterday.

These young ladies were eager to get their photo taken on the beach during the festivities.

These young ladies were eager to get their photo taken on the beach during the festivities.

Several bands played on the stage at the festival. Here's a gentleman playing the ripsaw.

Several bands played on the stage at the festival. Here's a gentleman playing the ripsaw.

Pop the balloon relay as one little boy upturns the chair in his eagerness to sit on the balloon and pop it.

Pop the balloon relay as one little boy upturns the chair in his eagerness to sit on the balloon and pop it.

Aspiring young models show off their moves!

Aspiring young models show off their moves!

The sun sets and a wonderful day of fun at the Conch Festival 2010 comes to a close.

The sun sets and a wonderful day of fun at the Conch Festival 2010 comes to a close.

See you next year………..I’ll be there!

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Conch Festival 2010

Samples of delicious conch salad were on offer at the Conch Festival this afternoon in Blue Hills.

Samples of delicious conch salad were on offer at the Conch Festival this afternoon in Blue Hills.

We had such a great afternoon of fun, laughter, meeting friends, music, singing and dancing and  watching the numerous competitions from tug o’ war to conch blowing.

The multi talented David Bowen was MC for the event and he showed everyone how to produce sound from a conch shell.

The multi talented David Bowen was MC for the event and he showed everyone how to produce sound from a conch shell.

A competitor in the conch blowing contest dressed in traditional Turks and Caicos Island national costume.

A competitor in the conch blowing contest dressed in traditional Turks and Caicos Island national costume.

The happy winner of the conch blowing competition

The happy winner of the conch blowing competition

The kids were all having such a fun time in the tug o' war.

The kids were all having such a fun time in the tug o' war.

Mother nature treated us to a wondrous rainbow sunset..the sky was a blaze of orange and pink with a beautiful rainbow to top it all off.

Mother nature treated us to a wondrous rainbow sunset..the sky was a blaze of orange and pink with a beautiful rainbow to top it all off.

More photos to come tomorrow.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com