A beautiful double rainbow appears over Flamingo Lake and the roofs of Harbour Club Villas.
Enjoy the photo.
Marta
Rainbow over Flamingo Lake
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Category Archives: Turks and Caicos Islands
Flamingo Lake Reflections
Flamingo Lake was at its stunning best today .... flat calm with a mirror image reflection.
I glanced out at the lake late this afternoon and the reflections in the calm waters took my breath away. I grabbed my camera and didn’t even have a chance to tell Barry where I was going. The ripples and the colours kept changing as the sun started to sink over the hill to the right of our villas at Harbour Club.
The sun started to set and tinged everything with an orangey glow
As I walked along the road the water was churning………….”nervous water” as the fishermen call it. The bonefish were tailing and rippling up the calm on Flamingo Lake.
The bonefish were tailing and rippling the surface of Flamingo Lake
In the foreground of the photo you can see all the circles and ripples created by tailing bonefish.
I zoomed in on this photo which does show a definite bonefish shape.
For all you bonefishing enthusiasts out there, fishing would have been great this evening. Our guests at Harbour Club Villas can just walk across the road and into the lake. We see bonefish tailing all the time and you can watch from your villa windows.
Bonefishing is great in the lakes by Harbour Club as well as the flats. Come on down and join us.
Tight lines!!
Marta
Lionfish in the Turks and Caicos Islands
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
Tiki Hut Halloween
A pretty lady bug and a scarey witch with skeleton hands.
When Doug Camozzi puts on a Halloween party, it’s the only place to be especially since Michael Jackson and Elvis were sighted. The parking lot by the Tiki Hut was full of bumble bees, pirates, fairies, monsters, princesses and others too numerous to mention. Even Dorothy (aka Chevette) was there and took a break to sit on Scarecrow’s knee!
Michael was joined by some of his scary friends.
Dorothy and pumpkin Scarecrow made a lovely couple
I’ve never seen so many colourful, imaginative costumes and so many people were dressed up from 10 week old baby fairies to toga clad Caesars and we all thought “Nicky Nicolette” had simply the most gorgeous legs! Corey Forbes and friend provided Caribbean music, there were face painters decorating kids’ faces, the jumping castles for the kids along with an assortment of games and of course delicious food……..a grand buffet or burgers and fries served up by the great Tiki Hut staff . Drinks were over flowing too!
This gory and gastly duo were enough to scare everyone away
It's a family fun affair for kids of all ages big and little too.
Lil' Miss Glamour gal with her splendid hat was a hit.
These two little munchkins were so adorable and cute
Even little babies got into the fun of the night.......she's so precious!
This couple dressed in Roman togas ate grapes and waved cooling fans
Contrary to rumours, Nicolette and Jungle Man/Tarzan did not arrive at the party together
No we're not the three Musketeers!!!
It's Doug under that costume and he sure knows how to throw the best parties.
Well guys, if you weren’t at the Tiki Hut this evening you missed out on all the fun! Thanks Doug and all the Tiki Hut helpers. We’re going to be there for sure next year and I can’t wait. I have so many more photos but can’t post them all. Be sure to head down to the Tiki Hut in Turtle Cove for lunch or dinner………great specials of the day, great food and even greater friendly staff and service.
See you there!
Marta
Island Halloween
HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!! Tonight’s the night that the little gremlins will be out and about. Head down to the Tiki Hut for the island’s biggest and oldest Halloween party.
Our daughter (she's 29 now) dressed up as a scarey witch.
Ania says “Admit that he is the cutest thing ever Dad….. Well, let’s be honest, he’s not as cute as me but he comes a close second!!!! See our Grand-puppy below!!!!
Kona skunk is just bored with the whole affair.
Aren't I cute!!!!
And one more photo of Kona……………..
Look at me.............too cute hey Barry??
Barry’s comment was “That girl has too much time on her hands sending dress up photos of her dog.”
Have a great Halloween.
Marta
Coconuts
Our godson Olique picks his first coconut that he wants to have a taste of.
It amazes me at how many of our guests at Harbour Club Villas have never tasted fresh coconut right off the tree. Back home, they are used to seeing a small brown nut with really hard white coconut inside and very little milk.
Barry uses his machete to cut away the fibrous husk surrounding the coconut.
We had Olique over one day and Barry picked the coconut he wanted from off one of our coconut palms. One of our guests who was Korean, I believe, showed Barry how to cut away the fibrous husk to reveal the top end of the nut. He used to just hack into it and use his drill to make holes in the nut so we could drink the milk through a straw. Of course some rum needs to be added and a ” fresh from the tree” drink resulted. Wow, what a person won’t do to get a taste of fresh coconut milk!
Olique has his first taste of coconut milk............hmm.....not too sure about it!
I remember when living in Castries, St Lucia, my mother used to head to the market in the early mornings to “fight over” fresh green and young coconuts. These were the not fully formed ones with a delicious jelly inside and lots of milk. Still to this day, I love those young coconuts with jelly inside.
I think I like eating coconut now.
Coconut palms do not grow here naturally but were brought and introduced to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I’m not sure about the tall ones in Blue Hills as they might have been washed ashore at some point and just ended up sprouting.
Marta
Sunset at Low Tide
- I just love the subtle tones of another south side sunset over one of the Five Little Cays
A few clouds and a blaze of orange are reflected in the silty sand covered with crab hole mounds some of which were under inches of water from an outgoing tide.
Marta
Conch Season Opens
Conch season opened several days ago.
I didn’t know we had a conch season here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I found out yesterday that Conch season opened Oct 15th and will run until July 15. Conch has played an integral part in the islands’ history. The Taino and Lucayan indians subsisted on conch and the Bermudians and American Loyalists also fished for conch for their food as this was a cheap food source rich in protein. Conch from the Turks and Caicos Islands was actively traded with Haiti on board Caicos-built sloops. Millions of conch were dried and shipped reaching a peak in 1943 when 3.9 million conchs were exported
Conch assembly line on the beach in Blue Hills
Using a small hammer with a pointed head, the conch is “knocked” with a hole between the second and third row of nodes on the shell’s spire and this provides access to the tendon that holds the animal in its shell. The animal can then be pulled out by its claw which is removed with a fileting knife along with some tough skin and knobs.
The conch is "knocked" and the animal removed from the shell. The translucent "rod" can be seen against the pink of the shell.
The long, translucent and gelatinous rod know locally as “the pistol” or nature’s own Viagra is pulled out. This is quickly eaten as it is purported to be an aphrodisiac.
To many, this is the best part of the conch!!
On a really good day, about 1,000 conch can be harvested. In recent years a quota for export has been set at 1.6 million pounds which does not include the shells. Some of the discarded shells are used by local crafts persons to create some lovely looking gifts for our visitors to take back home for family and friends.
Conch shells lined up and ready for sale in Blue Hills.
Enjoy a selection of conch dishes when you are in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Are you brave enough to eat “the pistol”?????
Marta
Late Summer Storm
Soft, gentle pastel colours as a late summer storm passes out at sea
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
Saw and photographed this colourful and lovely looking butterfly the other day
This is a Gulf Fritillary and it is one of the most frequently seen butterflies in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Not only is it beautiful with its rich orange with black markings but on the underside, it is even more spectacular.
Intricate patterns on the underside of the butterfly's wings.
This butterfly is also known as the Passion butterfly as the caterpillars feed on the many passionflower vines found here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The side view shows the patterned wing which has silvery spots.
Colourful head markings on a Gult Fritillary
Close up of the beautiful markings found on the underside of the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
We encourage you to keep your eyes open so that you can spot these butterflies as you travel about our islands. The Turks and Caicos has some 40 species of butterflies that have been recorded.
Look out for those butterflies!!
Marta