Archive for the ‘Snorkeling’ Category
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
The Queen Angelfish is one of the most beautiful and colourful fish found in the warm waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Such amazing colours….electric blue speckled with a bright canary yellow body, yellow tail , fins and a face that has blue highlights around the eyes and mouth. The Queen Angelfish stands out in a crowd because of all that colour but this too works perfectly so that this fish can hide and blend in with the surrounding vibrance of the coral reefs in our area.
Queen Angelfish have a speckled, blue ringed spot that looks like a crown
The royal title comes from this distinctive marking. It is a blue circle on the top of its head, known as the “crown” that gives this fish its name.
This shy fish feeds on the sponges, algae and soft corals of the reef.
They are quite large for reef-dwellers and can grow up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) in length. The Queen Angel has a rounded head and small beak-like mouth. They have these long upper and lower fins that stream dramatically behind them. Although I love the Queen Angelfish best, The French Angelfish is also among the most beautiful of all the reef fishes.
The French Angelfish.....it's scales have bright yellow edges, making a vibrant pattern against its dark blue body.
A big thankyou to our Harbour Club guests Brian Gatt and Connie McEgan for their spectacular photos of the French Angelfish. I don’t dive (only snorkel) so I have to rely on others for underwater photos. The Queen Angel photos were taken by our son Mike on some of his regular visits to Provo.
The French Angelfish has a light blue face, gray/white mouth, and yellow highlights on its eyes, gill plates, and fins.
I’m sure you’ll see these exotic fish as you snorkel at Smith’s Reef and the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens. For those that scuba dive, our coral reefs and walls are some of the best in the world. Come to the Turks and Caicos Islands for your next dive vacation and stay with us at Harbour Club Villas. Dive boats leave our Marina every day and if you don’t dive, snorkeling is great here too.
Marta
http://www.diving.tc
Tags: Bight Reef, coral reef, coral reefs, Diving, fish, fishes, French Angelfish, Harbour Club Villas, Harbour Club Villas and Marina, Queen Angelfish, reefs, Scuba Diving, Smith's Reef, snorkel, Snorkeling
Posted in Diving, Flora and Fauna, Marinas, Providenciales, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands, Underwater, fish | No Comments »
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
This cute snorkel gal was eager to head into the water for some snorkeling at the Bight Reef also known as the White House Reef at Coral Gardens
Tags: Bight Reef, snorkel, Snorkeling, White House Reef
Posted in Beaches, Providenciales, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Indescribable...........today was simply the most amazing day out at Malcolm Roads beach
Stunning colours today at Malcolm Roads beach where I took my sister Anna and friend Mike…………but really, it is always a photographer’s dream to take photos of the beach and water out here. Every time I head out to Malcolm Roads, I know the colours are going to be fantastic and today was no exception!
Small beach where once every few years, there's a natural bridge. It was all sanded in today.
I can’t emphasize enough that you do need a car to travel to these breathtaking beaches. You will be missing some of the most scenic areas of Provo if you don’t explore this area along with others. There are so many more out of the way beaches and Malcolm Roads is one of my ultimate favourites……….but then I do have many of them!
There's great snorkeling here too so don't forget to bring your snorkel equipment
The dive boats were all out there today as it was calm and perfect for diving.
So, all I can say is make a point of heading out to this spectacular and picturesque stretch of beach………..pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the snorkeling as well as a beach with very few people.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Tags: beach, Beaches, dive boats, Diving, Malcolm Roads, Malcolm Roads beach, snorkel, Snorkeling
Posted in Beaches, Diving, Providenciales, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
Our daughter Tina and potcake friends at Smith's Reef
We were out at Smith’s Reef when two potcakes came up to say hello to Tina. I snapped this photo as they sat on the beach on either side of her watching the snorkelers in the water. To the left of the photo, you can see the sandy roadway leading into the water where snorkelers can start exploring the snorkel trail.
Happy snorkeling!
Marta
http://www.diving.tc
Tags: Potcake, Potcakes, Smith's Reef, snorkel, snorkelers, Snorkeling
Posted in Animals, Beaches, Places to go, Potcakes, Providenciales, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands | No Comments »
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Mike floating about on Grace Bay beach at the Bay Bistro
I decided to take Mike to one of my favourite spots along the North shore and Grace Bay. It really is interesting how the beach changes from one end at the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina to the other end at Leeward. If you want to snorkel, the best spots are at Smith’s Reef and the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens (White House Reef). Mike took all his great photos of turtles at the Bight Reef. Here’s one from today……..he saw turtles, a sting ray, a huge barracuda, a lionfish (oh no!!!!) and lots of fish.
Mike snapped this photo of a Hawksbill Turtle at the Bight Reef
The best for just enjoying the water and swimming, just lazing around and for the softest sand is just in front of the Bay Bistro ( great food and tell Chef Clive, Marta sent you!) and Sibonne. We used to find all kinds of sand dollars there years ago but when things got built up they all disappeared. We spent hours here today just enjoying the water.
Nothing like having a cold Corona on the beach while enjoying the water
While Mike was out snorkeling at the Bight Reef, I saw a white eagret swoop over my head and land. He stayed for a while and I managed to get some great shots.
A white eagret stopped by to check things out.
To top off every fantastic day in the Turks and Caicos Islands…….. a sunset that was extraordinary. We were at a friends house overlooking our villas at Harbour Club and Flamingo Lake below us. The colours and the calm waters showed off the Five Cays so clearly.
Harbour Club Villas between Flamingo Lake and the ocean at Cooper Jack Bight
On your next visit to Providenciales, explore all our beaches as there’s many of them each one as spectacular as the next. See you there!
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Tags: Bay Bistro, eagret, Flamingo Lake, Grace Bay beach, Harbour Club Villas, hawksbill turtle, Smith's Reef, snorkel, Snorkeling, The Bight Reef, turtle, Turtles
Posted in Animals, Beaches, Birds, Birdwatching, Flora and Fauna, Providenciales, Restaurants, Snorkeling, Sunsets, Turks and Caicos Islands, Turtles | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Beautiful and colourful but a disastrous predator eating juvenile fish on Turks and Caicos Islands reefs.
Lionfish are also known as Turkey fish, Dragon fish or scorpion fish and they are now a serious threat to our coral reefs and surrounding waters here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. If left to their own devices, lionfish could multiply in number into the millions eating up all marine life on the reef and then move into shallower waters where they will find conch and lobster. They are an extremely invasive species.
A snuba gal comes face to face with a Lionfish and Jodi from Snuba TCI snapped this great photo.
In June of 2009, Jodi and Snuba TCI donated $1200.00 worth of Lionfish catching gear….nets, gloves and collecting bags and gave it to the DECR on Provo. Jodi has caught at least 18 Lionfish on the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens also known as the White House Reef. I believe the first Lionfish sighted way back in 2006 was in this area. Today, all the dive operators are taking up the battle to catch any Lionfish they see out at the dive sites.
Lionfish have up to 18 needle like dorsal fins which contain venom purely for defensive purposes.
Lionfish are not poisonous but their spines are venomous and can cause a nasty sting to humans. They rely on lightening quick reflexes and camouflage to catch their prey. They are a perfectly safe and delicious food fish once the fins have been removed. What remains is a tasty filet that’s as good as grouper according to some. The DECR has launched a 12 month long lionfish tournament which will award $3,000.00 to the first fisherman to record 3,000 lionfish catches.
Lionfish will hopefully be added to the menu at many of our islands' restaurants.
Here’s what you can do to help: Ask for lionfish at your favourite restaurants. Ask Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers or Jodi to show you how to catch them (other island dive operators can show you too). Join REEF and give a donation towards their research or just by collecting data on lionfish when you dive.
Thanks once again to Jodi of Snuba TCI and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for such great photos of Lionfish.
Marta
http://www.diving.tc
Tags: Bight Reef, Conch, Coral Gardens, coral reefs, Flamingo Divers, Lionfish, lobster, reefs, Snuba, Snuba TCI, Snuba with Jodi, The White House Reef
Posted in Conch, Diving, Flora and Fauna, Providenciales, Restaurants, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands, Underwater, fish | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Ania snorkels to try and find the cannons lying in shallow water.
In 1798 the work on Ft St George was begun. A detachment of 2oo men was sent from Jamaica and they brought with them cannon and other equipment. The unit was from the 67th Royal Hampshire Regiment and when supplies failed to arrive from Nassau, these men experienced real hardship. They had to depend on fish and locally grown corn and as a result some 30 were lost through illness and death.
A marker lies buried in the sand on Ft St George Cay
Ensign Neil Campbell was the commander and he persisted in erecting the fort on St. George’s Cay, guns were mounted and barracks and storeroom finished.
Two cannons lie in a few feet of water and are covered with marine growth
It is thought that there are five or six cannons lying in the water in an arc pointing out to sea. Whenwe were there, we saw two that were pretty much buried in the sand and overgrown with marine growth. It is possible that the cannons were originally mounted on land and that erosion and undermining of the land over the past 200 years has caused the cannons to fall into the sea.
Closer view of one of the cannons in the waters off Ft St George
Many years ago when we first came to take a look at the cannons, there were several snorkelers out in the waters. One of them excitedly found something lying in the sand. It was a silver coin. We always wondered what other treasures might be lying there covered by the sand and even how many other artifacts have been found and taken away from the islands. Let’s hope that somehow, sometime this will be a protected area and that it will become an heritage site/ historic park for future generations to enjoy.
Marta
http://www.diving.tc
Tags: cannon, cannons, Ft George Cay, Ft. St. George, Ft. St. George Cay, snorkel, Snorkeling, snorkels
Posted in Places to go, Providenciales, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos History, Turks and Caicos Islands, Underwater, What to do | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Ready to jump in for a snorkel out close to the reef off Fort St George Cay
The water was amazingly clear and calm as Barry and Ania get ready to jump in for a snorkel. We were moored a little ways out from Fort St George Cay.
The water was quite shallow even though we were a ways from the shore.
Barry shows us a huge Sea Biscuit.
The sandy bottom was littered with large sea biscuits. We then made our way closer in to the shore at Fort St George
to see if we could find the canons that are laying in shallow water. We did find them but that’s for my next post.
There are several great snorkeling spots here on Provo. Happy snorkeling!
Marta
Tags: Fort George Cay, Fort St George, reef, reefs, sea biscuit, sea biscuits, snorkel, Snorkeling
Posted in Flora and Fauna, Places to go, Providenciales, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands, Underwater | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Here's the Beluga moored off shore at Half Moon Bay last weekend
Captain Tim Ainley and the Beluga were moored off shore at Half Moon Bay. The Beluga is a 36 foot (10.97) catamaran sailing boat, very unique and distinctive looking and built in 1980 in Canada. It now does sailing charters out of Provo. As I took photos I saw Capt. Tim’s trusty companion Schooner taking a swim for shore.
Schooner swims for shore...........you can just make him out. He's the black speck close to the rock.
Evidently, Schooner had had enough of being on board and wanted to cool off while the others snorkeled………….yes, apparently they sighted JoJo. How lucky can you be???
Schooner takes a rest on the rocks after his long swim.
I’m not sure if you can see but there’s a speck off to the right of the Beluga and I think that’s JoJo. I zoomed in and cropped the photo and it does look like a dolphin.
Here's a close up of the Beluga and to the right of the person in the water almost at the edge of the photo is JoJo.
Schooner gets ready to swim back to the Beluga
There are several sailing charters available from Providenciales so just let me know and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Marta
Tags: dolphin, Dolphins, JoJo, JoJo the dolphin, sail, Sailing, sailing excursions, The Beluga
Posted in Animals, Beaches, Dolphins, Providenciales, Sailing, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Wow........flat calm at the Bight Reef also known as the White House Reef.
Provo has two great snorkel areas close to the shore line……….The Bight Reef or the White House Reef at Coral Gardens and Smith’s Reef just outside the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina. Usually you’ll see turtles, lots of fish such as parrot fish, angel fish, blue tangs and sometimes spotted eagle rays along with beautiful coral formations.
Look at the clarity of the water as Alexis prepares to head out snorkeling
We have some of the best snorkeling ever here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Come and see us soon and enjoy snorkeling on our reefs.
Happy snorkeling,
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Tags: blue tangs, Coral Gardens, parrot fish, rays, Smith's Reef, snorkel, Snorkeling, spotted eagle rays, The Bight Reef, The White House Reef, turtle, Turtle Cove Marina, Turtles
Posted in Animals, Beaches, Flora and Fauna, Marinas, Places to go, Providenciales, Snorkeling, Turks and Caicos Islands, Turtles | No Comments »