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Category Archives: Turks and Caicos Islands
Reddish Egret
This beautiful Reddish Egret struck a beautiful pose for me.
The Reddish Egret is probably the most typical heron in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This one was seen in Flamingo Lake perched on a tree branch in the water. These birds have a pinkish base to their beaks, a a beautifully reddish neck.
Something must have caught his eye.
They wade in search of small fish in the shallows of the lake
Green Turtles Released
One of the turtles waiting to swim free in the waters at the Bight Reef
What a tremendous afternoon it was today. We were all enthralled and so happy to watch the release of six, two year old green turtles. These turtles were all born in the Turks and Caicos Islands and brought to the Providenciales Conch farm to be raised until capable of surviving in the ocean. The bigger the turtles the better chance for survival. Once grown it is hoped that they will return to nest here in the Turks and Caicos. Today was the day as the six turtles headed into the waters at the Bight Reef by Coral Gardens.
Carefully carrying his precious cargo of green turtles.
Malaika is a little unsure as she takes a closer look at the turtles
Lots of kids came to watch and these two little ones were so excited.
Such beautiful markings on this little two year old green turtle.
This little guy poked his head out to get a better look at everything.
There are very few nesting turtles in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the green turtle is a threatened species. Apparently fishing for turtles in many parts of the world is not allowed but often they are caught by local fisherman and eaten by residents. In the Turks and Caicos Islands you cannot take a nesting turtle or catch one that is less than 20″ in diameter.
Eiglys Trejo holds Frack, one of the turtles she helped feed and care for at the Conch Farm.
These little guys were flapping their "flippers" ready for their first big swim in the waters by the Bight Reef.
The big moment as everyone watches them make their way into the ocean.
Free at last....a heart warming sight!
Scooting down the sand towards the water.
Into the water we all go.
As soon as they got to the water, it wasn't too long before they swam away and over towards the reef.
Hoping to see these turtles again as they grow and hopefully return to nest here.
So wonderful to see them swimming free.
Everyone was smiling and happy to see these little guys return to their natural habitat. I’m so glad I got to experience this moment but I’m still hoping that one day I will see hatchlings making for the water.
I’m still smiling as I write this.
Today was a wonderful day on Providenciales.
Marta
Flamingos on Flamingo Lake
Such fun watching these beautiful birds.....Oh the colours are magnificent!
A call from a friend that the flamingoes were fairly close to the road sent me rushing down to take some photos. They were just past the narrows on Flamingo Lake and up the road from our villas at Harbour Club Villas. I was fascinated and took photos for over an hour. They seemed to all be sleeping and it’s not a myth – flamingos actually DO stand on one leg. It appears to be a comfortable resting position. Occasionally they would rouse, scratch themselves such as the one above and then go back into their one legged position.
Resting on one leg is the preferred position for sleep.
My favourite photo of three preening flamingos
Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on what they eat. Flamingos eat algae, crustaceans, small fish and brine shrimp when they’re available most of which contain pigments called carotenoids. These ones were sporting some amazingly brilliant red, hot pink, coral and orange plumage.
A flock or "flamboyant" of Caribbean flamingos performing a water ballet!
Tall, wading birds with webbed feet. Flamingos have elongated, slender necks and legs that are longer, relative to body size, than any other bird.
The West Indian flamingo has a beak with a black tip, pink to red/orange middle, and pale yellow base near the eye. The upper bill is often lighter in colour.
Such beautiful birds and I was lucky to be able to watch and photograph them.
These two had a brief altercation as they faced each other with outstretched necks and sometimes with growling vocalizations.
Look at the leg positioning! How do they balance like that?
Preening and ruffling their feathers.
How lucky we are to be able to have the opportunity to observe and enjoy these gloriously colourful birds in their natural habitat. Hope to see all you birdwatchers and birders here on Providenciales. Happy bird hunting and here’s hoping you’ll get to see our flamingos.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Conch Festival
The annual conch festival in Blue Hills was a hit with young and old..what a fun time.
Here’s a selection of my photos taken at the 9th Annual conch Festival held in Blue Hills over the weekend. Unfortunately due to an afternoon check in, we were late getting down there but managed to see both the conch blowing as well as the conch “knocking” competitions. Cash prizes were awarded to the person blowing a conch for the longest time and for the most conch “knocked” in a limited time. Drinks were flowing freely, all kinds of food available, conch dishes of all kinds and of course, the main event
This lady blew a mean conch!
And our captivating emcee for the conch-etition was David Bowen
Winner of the conch blowing competition
And the winner is.........................
No stopping this young gal from dancing the night away.
Competitors "knocking" conch in a limited time frame.
Lookin' cool........love your glasses.
And the winner and Grand Champion is..........The Bay Bistro.
And one of the highlights of the evening was We Funk, the Junkanoo band. Everyone was dancing as the band swept them along with bells and whistles, drums and horns. Wow, this was the part of the festivities that I wait for and enjoy the most.
Colourful costumes.
Spectacular end to a wonderful Conch day with We Funk
Dancing in the street at the conch festival in Blue Hills
What a fun day or at least for us, a few hours. We’ll be there next year so if you’re looking to vacation in November, find out the dates for the Conch Festival.
See you in Blue Hills.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Parasailing on Grace Bay
On the way up just off Coral Gardens on Grace Bay
A beautiful day on Grace Bay, the sun was shining, the waters were calm and it was a picture perfect day for a surprise birthday sky high trip. Thanks to Mike for all these great photos.
Toes, boat and ocean give you an idea of high up Mike was flying.
Panoramic view looking towards the DECR building towards Harbour Club Villas on the south shore.
The little blue and white dots are the Provo Sailing Club kids who were all out on their Pico’s just off the Bight Children’s Park. You can see Flamingo Lake and Juba Salina and Bajacu, the house on the hill right by Harbour Club Villas.
Aerial view of Flamingo Lake with Harbour Club Villas.
Grace Bay beach view looking towards the east.
Higher and higher, Mike was way up there.
We have the third largest barrier reef in the world.
Mike’s photo of the reef shows you the deep blue ocean on one side that’s over a thousand feet deep. The lighter turquoise blue is about ten to twenty feet deep and dotted with numerous coral heads that rise to within a few inches of the surface. The reef fringing the Turks and Caicos Islands is the world’s 3rd largest barrier reef. On Providenciales (Provo) the reef protects the North shore and breaks the incoming surf. This creates the calm, turquoise water that fringe our white sand beaches. No surf on this day just a breathtaking bird’s eye view!
Put parasailing on your "must do" list !
Hey! Can you make out that black speck on the sand about a half inch from the first building on the right? Well it’s ME. I had Mike’s phone and was snapping photos of him going up.
Happy landings after an amazing parasail.
Parasailing is one activity to plan for when enjoying the beaches along Grace Bay. The parasail boats pull in at various places along the beach to drop off and pick up guests.
Happy parasailing everyone!
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Justyna and Ken’s Beach Wedding
Beautiful bride gets ready for her big day
Stressful days dealing with Hurricane Sandy and getting out of New York turned to SUNSHINE, SMILES and LAUGHTER as everyone arrived on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The wedding day was just a little bit cloudy with a gentle breeze just perfect for the Grace Bay beach wedding. The villas at Harbour Club hosted the bride and groom and a selection of family and friends from New York, Poland and Texas. Here’s a selection of my photographs so that everyone not here can enjoy seeing Justyna and Ken get married. Congratulations you two!
Justyna and her bridesmaids get ready to head over to Grace Bay beach.
YEAH.......Mom and Dad made it with a few delays all the way from Poland
I've got a wedding to go to !
The Bay Bistro was a stunning venue for the reception
Ken awaits his beautiful bride.........a little bit anxious Ken???
The flower girl and ring bearer were fantastic.
Here comes our stunning bride.
A beach ceremony in the late afternoon.
Can you tell how happy they are?
Let the party begin!
Oops....more photos before we can party.
The happy couple surrounded by family and friends
She's so cute .......... picking up rose petals off the sand.
Micah's not sure what to think on this one!!
Smiling bride as the sun slowly sets
We're married at last...let's get these photos over and done with.
This has to be one of my favourite photos............Beautiful Justyna
A kiss for my wife!
This has a lovely gentle feel to it...........congrats you two!
Everyone needs a "running on the beach" wedding shot!
Jumping too!
Love is in the air!
Time for a well deserved drink.........a wedding toast to a beautiful couple.
Happiness on the beach.
Justyna and Ken on the dance floor.
Time to cut the wedding cake.
The most amazing and creative wedding planner!
On the deck at the Bay Bistro.
Thanks to Justyna and Ken for inviting us to enjoy their special day. We wish them Love, Happiness and much Laughter in their lives together.
Thank you for choosing Harbour Club Villas and Marina as your home away from home.
For those of you thinking of a wedding in the Turks and Caicos Islands………….give Marta a call.
CONGRATULATION’s
GRATULUJEMY Życzymy wam wszystkiego, co najlepsze!
Marta and Barry
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
The storm’s over
The calm after the storm, late afternoon sunshine streaks across the ocean.
The wind is still strongly blowing but the sun was out all day. Thankfully Sandy has moved away and we were left with just a little debris cleaning. This afternoon the sun peaked out between the clouds creating wonderful silvery streaks across the bay at Harbour Club Villas. Another day in paradise.
Marta
Sunset Swim
Sunset cocktails and beer at Coral Gardens beach after a long, hot day.
Headed off to the beach late in the afternoon a few days ago. It has been hot and no breeze for the last little while. The beach at Coral Gardens was picture perfect, water was phenomenal and the drinks were also very good.
Sea grass washed up on the beach at Coral Gardens
Late afternoon sun rays creating beautiful hilights
Shooting into the sunset gives such a lovely effect.
Wonderful swimming can be enjoyed on Grace Bay. Don’t forget to take in the great snorkeling at the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens too.
Marta
South Caicos Weekend
Getting ready to board the ferry for the Big South
A ladies weekend getaway to South Caicos some 40 miles away from Providenciales started with an hour and a half ferry ride with TCI Ferry Service/Caribbean Cruisin’ from Walkin Marina. South Caicos is the only island we hadn’t visited as yet. It is actually one of the smallest islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands and consists of 8.5 square miles. South Caicos is also known as The Big South, East Harbour and The Rock and it boasts excellent scuba diving, deep sea fishing and bone fishing, birdlife, history and fresh seafood. We were there to take it all in and of course, to take lots of photos.
South Caicos up ahead as the ferry smoothly skimmed over the calm seas.
The little harbour town of Cockburn Harbour or East Harbour was once a thriving and active commercial community and became a major role player in the Salt Industry. Today it makes it’s living from fishing, conch and lobster.
South Caicos Ocean Beach Resort on Tucker Hill is our first stop.
We had made arrangements to stay at the only hotel, Ocean Beach and Resort, which is on a ridge overlooking the ocean and Long Cay. The photo shows the hotel, the old light house and the Commissioner’s House. Once we checked in, dropped our suitcases off in the room, we set off to explore before the sun went down.
Love these old buildings and this one must have been pretty grand in its day.
To the west of the hotel, you have the remains of the old light house and then The Commissioner’s House. This is an 18th century colonial building from the salt industry days. From what I can find out it was originally the District Commissioner’s home and later was turned into Miss Mae’s B&B. Miss Mae became too old to care for it and passed it on to her son who was unable to keep it up. I’m reading that this is where Queen Elizabeth stayed during her visit to South in 1966. Note the stone Bermudan kitchen on the left. This grand old house has been left to deteriorate and suffered damage from hurricane Francis in 2004 and more recently, Ike and Hanna. How I would love to have seen this grand old house in its’ hey day.
View from the porch
A bygone era, ghosts of what used to be. A lovely covered porch area at the front of the house.
We continued to walk towards the town of Cockburn and enjoyed the colours of the setting sun.
Looking back towards the hotel and lighthouse
The remnants of the Customs and Excise building along the road we were walking.
We had a group of horses wandering along the roadside and one was shredding and eating cardboard? Not sure what that's all about.
Here he is.....must have been super hungry.
Queen Elizabeth 11 Parade established in 1966 for the Queen's visit.
Sunset colours through an archway by the old Salt Works..........I think this was part of the building at one time.
Not altogether sure what this was but am assuming it has something to do with hoisting salt off the boats and onto the dock by the old salt works.
Fishing boat in the harbour on Saturday morning
Woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful day. We couldn’t wait to get going with our exploring. We had decided to head up towards the north and come back to the salt pans and search out the old windmills but ended up doing this first. I was fortunate enough to photograph an old one in Salt Cay years ago that was still intact with its sails. We soon found out that there isn’t one that has withstood the ravages of time.
I didn't know what this was but later found out that this is the new South Caicos Airport buildings and Fire Station.
The salt industry thrived on South Caicos from 1850 to 1960 and the salt was produced and collected in vast salinas. They say that South Caicos produced more salt than Grand Turk and Salt Cay put together. Sea water was fed into the salt pans and then then baked dry in the scorching sun. The salt rakers raked the salt crystals into small piles which were then carted to salt sheds for storage. The salt was packed into bags and transported by small salt lighters to larger ships out at anchor.
Several skeletons of the old windmills still stand on the salt pans.
Rock walls containing small salt ponds or salt pans
South Caicos has natural, shallow depressions called salinas that fill up with salt water directly from the sea or percolate up from underlying rock. The Bermudans bordered the salt pans or ponds with rocks and created ponds that were linked to the sea by canals and sluice gates. The old windmills controlled the water flow.
The locals call this the Boiling Hole
The Boiling Hole is across from the ball park. It is where an underground source of hot water connected to the ocean by a subterranean passage feeds salt water into the ponds. The salt water ebbs and flows into a large basin and the quantity was regulated by a system of trap doors. Note the large flock of flamingos out in the pond. there’s more to come on the flamingos later on.
A beautiful red saltwort growing out in the salt pans
Stunning bonefishing flats on our way towards the northern tip of the island
At the northernmost tip of South Caicos stands the old US Coast Guard Station. It was built on South Caicos in the 1950s for the purposes of navigation and space missions. It was a Loran station, used in the global navigation system that preceded GPS.
South Caicos is full of contrasts and from some of the historic and old sights we stepped into and toured some of the new……………..major developments of deluxe villas, condominiums and hotel rooms. We met Glenn, the development supervisor for Sailrock, by accident when I flagged him down asking for directions. Sailrock is focusing on selling home sites on 775 acres of untouched land on South Caicos’ 2 1/2 mile long, slender northern peninsula.
Here we are looking at the fantastic coastline where Sailrock will have beautiful villas as part of their development
This complex of buildings is absolutely huge and I was shocked by its' immense size.....I'm trying to find out how many rooms
I had to put a second photo in because I was shocked at the size of this development.
Beautiful and upscale East Bay Resort with beautiful rooms and windows for magnificent ocean views
This wonderful lady was enjoying a swim with all her "grands"
Flamingos and Highland House on the ridge in the background.
Highland House sits on 250 acres called Highland Estates and has been abandonned by the owners. This is a typical Bermudian structure and gives visitors a good example of what South Caicos was once like.
St. Thomas Anglican Church has been on South Caicos for 210 years, though it was rebuilt after Hurricane Ike in September of 2008.
Quaint little shop and Rose was sitting outside and let me take a photo.
Sunday morning ...the morning light was so beautiful as I had my morning coffee.
Eva was still sleeping and I headed out along the headland where I found a patch of Turk's Head cacti. I have never seen such a glorious sight and took many photos
The old Jursteiner Home overlooking Cockburn Harbour was converted into the Admiral’s Arms Inn. It is now a US-based School for Field Studies and a marine biology center
Old house in the town as we wandered the streets taking photos
This has to be my favourite building on South Caicos.
It’s really amazing what you can find out from the internet. I discovered that this fine old house was once the home of Jim and Betty Cooper who were pioneer missionaries in 1961. Jim built the Calvary Baptist Church in South Caicos from the ground up. Unfortunately, I don’t recall seeing this church. Apparently he added the overhang part as an extra room for his son. I also read that this used to be the old police station. I wish it were possible to retore some of these fine old buildings.
Sunday morning and this adorable little miss was on her way to church with her mother.
Colourful welcome sign out by the airport
Graceful flamingos out in the salt ponds
One last hour of relaxation before heading for the ferry and Provo
A wonderful trip comes to an end. So many highlights and my only regret is that we couldn’t have stayed just a little longer.
South Caicos we’ll be back one day.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com