Category Archives: Flora and Fauna

Humpback Whale

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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

 

Shells

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Zebra Nerites are beautiful snails that you can find in rocky tidepools under full sun in the in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Zebra Nerites are beautiful snails that you can find in rocky tidepools under full sun in the Turks and Caicos Islands

When you are out exploring the North West Point area of Providenciales, look for these neat snails in the rock pools along the shoreline. They are found among intertidal rocks and are a small white shell with black zebra-like stripes.

Close up of these zebra striped shells

Close up of these zebra striped shells

 

Marta
http://www.diving.tc

Dive Boats at Malcolm Roads

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A storm at sea intensifies the turquoise colours of the ocean

A storm at sea intensifies the turquoise colours of the ocean

It doesn’t matter what the weather is like at Malcolm Roads, the colours are always spectacular for photo taking. A passing storm and clouds turned the sea into brilliant shades of blue and turquoise. Dive boats were anchored out at the dive sites and in the foreground, two magnificent Cactus Trees framed my photo.

The Cactus Tree is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamas

The Cactus Tree or Consolea nashii, ( locally called horse pear) is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamas.

The Cactus Trees found at Malcolm Roads can reach hights of 12 feet and have a woody trunk. Flowers bloom throughout the year and are a rich red in colour with yellow stamens.

Bright red flowers of the Cactus Tree

Bright red flowers of the Cactus Tree

This particular species is found exclusively in the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as the Bahamas.

Visit the spectacular beach at Malcolm Roads and watch for these wonderful Cactus Trees.

Cheers,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Wild Cotton

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The Sea Island Cotton flower is a beautiful pale yellow at first and grows wild on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Wild Cotton flower is a beautiful pale yellow or white at first and grows wild on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.

From a very pale yellow, the cotton flower turns into a pretty pink

From a very pale yellow, the cotton flower turns into a pretty pink

 

British Loyalists who were taking refuge from the American revolution set up Cotton and Sisal Plantations in the Turks and Caicos Islands. These were worked by imported slaves with the Cotton and Sisal being sold in London and New York. The cotton plantations were doomed as the competition was fierce and the soil was thin and not very fertile. After a hurricane in 1813, the cotton plantations were to perish. 

After the blossom falls the Sea Island Cotton forms a tiny fruit called a boll.

After the blossom falls the Wild Cotton forms a tiny fruit called a boll.

The cotton boll bursts open when ripe to expose the packed seeds that are surrounded by the cotton fiber.

The cotton boll bursts open when ripe to expose the packed seeds that are surrounded by the cotton fiber.

 

The dominant plantations in the Caicos Islands were those growing Cotton and apparently, cotton needed one slave for every 5 acres compared to one slave per acre on sugar plantations.  Many of the plantation owners left the Islands because of the hurricane of 1813 and also the pest infestations. Many of the slaves were left behind.  Apparently by 1820 many of the plantations had been abandoned but we do know that Wade’s Green (North Caicos) was still in use. It is also likely that Wade Stubb’s other interests at Cheshire Hall and Haulover were still in operation. The Turks and Caicos Islands have a short and limited History in the cotton industry.

All the cotton photos are taken of the plants growing at Harbour Club Villas ……… Yes, you too can grow them or come and see us in the islands as it grows wild here in different spots.  

Cotton flowers and pods ready to burst forth with cotton fibres

Cotton flowers and pods ready to burst forth with cotton fibres

 

My cotton plants are loaded with cotton bolls right now and I'm sure to see more cotton plants sprouting up all over Harbour Club Villas
My cotton plants are loaded with cotton bolls right now and I’m sure to see more cotton plants sprouting up all over Harbour Club Villas

Enjoy the photos as this plant is quite showy when flowering as well as when full of cotton. The local birds here use this cotton when making their nests.

Cheers,
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Curly Tailed Lizard

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A Curly Tailed Lizard eyes me from his perch on top of an old anchor

A Curly Tailed Lizard eyes me from his perch on top of an old anchor

 This Curly Tailed Lizard is only found in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Although it is fairly common in the islands, this particular species is found nowhere else in the world.

This little Turks and Caicos Curly Tailed Lizard species is only found here.

This little Turks and Caicos Curly Tailed Lizard species is only found here.

It is identified by yellow and black stripes along his back and is the second largest lizard after the Rock Iguana.  Each major island has a Curly Tailed lizard that has slightly different colouration and or patterns. Leiocephalus psammodromusa is its proper name and it is a ground dweller.

Keep your eyes open for these lizards on your next trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

More Hermit crabs

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More Hermit Crabs? But this one today was soooooo neat!

More Hermit Crabs? But this one today was soooooo neat!

You may think that I’ve gone crazy for crabs but I couldn’t resist taking photos of this hermit crab. Barry found this little guy on his way to the pool. I got him to pose for the camera because as hermit crabs go…….this one was really colourful with his great shell.

Hermit Crab up close and personal!

Hermit Crab up close and personal!

 For all you crab lovers out there………..enjoy these photos.

Cheers,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

One more photo of this Hermit Crab

One more photo of this Hermit Crab

Turk’s Head Cactus

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This Turk's Head Cactus with both flowers and pink fruit grows wild in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This Turk's Head Cactus with both flowers and pink fruit grows wild in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Turk’s Head Cactus is one of the national emblems of the Turks and Caicos Islands where it loves the dry climate and thrives in exposed areas. It is named after the distinctive reddish cap that sits on top of the green cactus and looks like a Turkish fez (cap).

Turk's Head Cactus blooms throughout the year in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Turk's Head Cactus blooms throughout the year in the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turk’s Head Cactus produces small spikey looking pink flowers and as they die, they form the fruit which grows inside the white spongey cap. The rosey pink fruit contains the seeds and are much loved by our lizards and birds, iguanas too.  The locals also will eat them as they apparently are sweet and juicy. I haven’t tasted one yet but will do so one of these days.

Turk's Head Cactus with pretty pink flowers
Turk’s Head Cactus with pretty pink flowers

I’ve had some success in growing Turk’s Head Cactus and have lots started

at Harbour Club Villas. They take forever to grow though!!!!
Cheers,
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Small cay

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What a view! Over looking our anchored boat with Five Cays in the background.

What a view! Over looking our anchored boat with Five Cays in the background.

Today we pulled up and anchored off this little uninhabited cay………….just us and the local iguana population. They were really skittish but we saw quite a few which scuttled away as soon as they saw us. Over the years, iguanas have been introduced to some of the offshore cays as a protective measure.  What a great view from the island with the settlement of Five Cays off in the distance. Weather was perfect and as you can see from the photo, the water was different shades of turquoise.
Come see for yourselves……….plan a vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hope to see you soon!
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Encyclia orchid

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Orchids peaking through the Palmettos

Orchids peaking through the Palmettos

I thought these orchids deserved another photo just on their own. They are so beautiful. As you travel along Provo’s roads, have a look along the roadside and in the bush. You’ll see these orchids stretching up to the skies.

Cheers,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Orchid and Praying Mantis

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orchid and praying mantis

What a find.......a praying mantis on one of our wild orchids

I was trying to get some good photos of one of our island’s orchids and came across a praying mantis that was hiding in the petals. This orchid is found almost everywhere at this time of year and is known as Encyclia altissima (formerly known as Encyclia hodgeana). When in bloom, the flower sepals are greenish-yellow with brownish-red striping and the petals are yellowish-red with accents of purple. We have at least four different species that are found here and there’s pretty much one of them flowering for every season of the year.

Great camouflage..........It looked like a green twig until it moved!

Great camouflage..........It looked like a green twig until it moved!

The praying mantis is named for its front legs which are bent and held together at an angle that looks like it is praying.   These insects are quite the predator. They have triangular heads which can turn 180 degrees to search their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them. Anyway, I was fascinated and spent a while taking photos.

Marta

www.harbourclubvillas.com