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.
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.
Soft, gentle pastel colours as a late summer storm passes out at sea
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
I managed to get some photos of an American Kestrel as it perched on a palm frond behind one of our villas.
It was so great to see what I thought was a hawk behind one of our villas at Harbour Club today. I ran back to our villa and grabbed my camera. On looking it up, I found out that American Kestrels are also known as Sparrow Hawks but they are not true hawks but are a member of the Falcon family of birds. They resemble the Peregrine Falcon which is a distant cousin.
I'm not sure if this one is a female or a male Kestrel
These birds are a common sight here in the Turks and Caicos Islands and are year round breeding residents. There was two of them and I’m now thinking that the one above was the female and one below is the male.
If this is the male Kestrel, he didn't stick around for me to get a better photo.
I’m sure these birds are attracted by our large population of lizards here at the villas and this makes for good hunting grounds.
Marta
This beautiful pink tipped sea anemone looked like it was growing out of an old conch shell.
Another great day spent with friends on the water. As we waded to our little cay with the iguanas, I came across a pink tipped sea anemone. It appeared to be growing out of an old conch shell encrusted with marine life.
We saw many iguanas on the little cay and they were probably introduced some years ago.
Three pelicans all in a row were feasting on a large school of little fish
Look at the huge stretch of this pelican's gullet.
I love the way they skip along the water trying to get enough lift to launch into flight.
And finally, front row seats for the best view in the world and a grande finale to the day. The sun sets over Turtle Rock, and we head back to Harbour Club’s Marina.
We watched the sun go down from the waters of Taylor Bay.
The turquoise waters of Leeward are always ready for another photo and especially when I can persuade our kids to pose for me!
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
Ready to jump in for a snorkel out close to the reef off 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.
Fresh from the sea, a delicious conch salad made just for you!
Conch is a staple here in the Turks and Caicos Islands and something you should try when you are here on holiday. It takes many shapes and forms……a Ceviche type conch salad, conch fritters, cracked conch, conch fingers, curried conch, and conch chowder. Here’s the recipe for a delectable conch salad Turks and Caicos style. Yum, it is so good!!
2lbs Conch meat, diced 1c rice vinegar, ½ c red vinegar, 4 ea limes juiced, zest from 1, 2 ea red onion, diced fine, 1 ea yellow bell pepper, 1 ea red bell pepper, 1ea green bell pepper, 4ea garlic cloves, crushed to paste, 2T sugar, salt and black pepper to taste, 6-8 sprigs cilantro chopped stems and all. Hot sauce to taste. Split, pound and dice the conch meat and set aside. In a stainless steel bowl, place all remaining ingredients, mix well and let stand for 10 min. Pour mixture over the conch and mix well, and place in refrigerator for 45min before serving.
Conch salad with a chilled glass of your favourite white wine.
Stanford Handfield is the creator of these beautiful bowls made from conch and you can buy them locally along with other items that he makes. Many of our restaurants if not all have a variety of conch on their menus. Try some today!
Marta