Humpback Whales in the Turks and Caicos

Posted on March 5, 2024 by marta

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

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

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.

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

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

Mother and her calf swimming alongside

Snorkelers slip quietly into the water to swim with the whales

A whale sounds as Eva snaps a photo

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

Such a beautiful sight to see.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

I Love Salt Cay

Posted on February 19, 2015 by marta

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Zoomed in shot of Grand Turk and cruise ship.

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

An old salt rakers cottage.

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.

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

Love this red shuttered house next to the church.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Loving the colours…….turquoise dwelling with donkey.

Newly repaired roof of the Bermudian kitchen at Government House.

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.”

Malaika and sea glass gathering.

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

Excitement in the form of water delivery on Salt Cay.

Our last day and bright sunshine and slightly calmer seas

Boats and dive boats with the sea wall.

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

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.

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

Whale Shark

Posted on May 27, 2011 by marta

This is an incredible shot Mickey! Gives you some perspective on sizes.

First of all, my thanks to Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for allowing me to share these amazing and spectacular photos with you.

The whale shark was spotted in shallow water as Flamingo Divers headed towards their dive site. They slipped into the water and snorkeled with this magnificent creature.

: Wow………what a sight! A whale shark in the Sandbore Channel.

Jayne tells us “I’ve seen one about 6 years ago – a fleeting glance as it passed over head. Mickey’s never seen one before. This one was great as we got to snorkel with it in shallow water, and it swam circles around and through our group! Loved it!

That's "little" Mickey swimming along to get up close to the whale shark. Thanks Paul for this great shot!

Look how tiny Mickey is as he swims along to get up close to the whale shark. Thanks Dave for this great shot!

The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea with an average length of about 26ft . It’s actually not a whale but a shark and it is quite different than most other sharks in the way that it eats. It has a very large mouth in front, a big square head and distinctive coloring. They have little eyes, big gills, six ridges along their backs and pale white dots evenly spread about the body with a white belly.

Face to face with the gentle giant of the seas.

Even though it is so huge, the whale shark does not pose significant danger to humans. They are docile fish and sometimes will allow swimmers to hitch a ride (not recommended as these are wild animals). Whale sharks are actually quite gentle, can play with divers and thus you can swim with this giant fish without risk. Keep out of the way of the shark’s large tail fin though!

Close up view of feeding time.

Our wedding couple along with friends have been diving with Mickey and Jayne at Flamingo Divers for a full two weeks now. They were hoping to see a whale shark. No whale shark but huge amounts of other sharks on almost every dive. Our bride and groom did take time out for their wedding though! (see my previous post)

We hope you’ll join Mickey and Jayne and Flamingo Divers as they guide you through some spectacular dive sites and the reefs of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Grab your dive buddy and book your dive adventure today…..Call or email Flamingo Divers at Toll Free: 1 800-204-9282 or greatdiving@flamingodivers.com You can also contact me to arrange all your diving needs too.

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

Scuba Diving is great!

Posted on March 5, 2010 by marta

Caicos Adventures catamaran dive boat heads into our marina after a spectacular dive day. Remember that it's whale watching time in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Humpback Whale

Posted on February 19, 2009 by marta

Magnificent creature..........Diving with a humbacked whale

Magnificent creature..........Diving with a humback whale

We had three guests that went out diving today with Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers. Our guests were treated to an amazing dive when a humpback whale was sighted out at West Caicos. They quietly slid into the water and stayed together while observing this magnificent creature. Zach thought it was at least 50 feet as it was much larger than the bottom of the Flamingo’s boat. A perfect day of diving! Diving the reefs and walls of the Turks and Caicos is a wonderful experience………….visibility is excellent with an abundance of marine life.

Hope we see you soon when you head our way on your next dive trip.

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

Whale Watching

Posted on February 10, 2009 by marta

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 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

http://www.diving.tc

Humpback Whale

Posted on February 9, 2009 by marta

What a glorious sight........a humpbacked whale. Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers and their group swam with this humback whale for the entire dive.

What a glorious sight........a humpback whale. Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers and their group swam with this humpback whale for the entire dive.

For those of you that have dreamed of seeing whales, now is the time to head down to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Every year from late January through April, the North Atlantic Humpback Whales migrate to the Silver Banks which is a mating and nursery area north of the Dominican Republic. Our islands are in the middle of this annual migratory route and the Humpback Whales can be spotted and heard “singing” all over the Turks and Caicos…………from West Caicos, Salt Cay, Grand Turk and even off the Malcolm Roads beach where I actually saw a mother and calf several years ago………my first and only sighting of a whale!

Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers spent asome time up close and personal with a Humpbacked Whale on a recent dive trip.

Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers spent some time up close and personal with a Humpback Whale on a recent dive trip.

Jayne writes: “We had a humpback show up on our dive on Jan 20th – stayed with us the entire dive, even followed me to my safety stop and did it with me! Then it came back to our divers on the 2nd dive. It was amazing. I’ve attached a couple of pics….(I have 196 of them so won’t send them all!!!!!)”

Thanks Mickey and Jayne for the great photos.

Book your dive trip now and you too will hopefully see the Humpback Whales migrating. Call me or email me at Harbour Club Villas and we’ll organize everything for you and or put you in touch with the diving experts.

See you soon……remember that if you want a chance at seeing whales, now is the prime time!

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

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Turks and Caicos Vacation, Travel, Fishing, and Diving

Category Archives: Whales

Humpback Whales in the Turks and Caicos

I Love Salt Cay

Whale Shark

Scuba Diving is great!

Humpback Whale

Whale Watching

Humpback Whale