Snorkel at Smith’s Reef

Posted on March 26, 2024 by marta

Mike, GoPro in hand and ready for some snorkeling at Smith’s Reef

Smith’s Reef is an amazing area for snorkeling and not too far off shore. You need to be aware that it is right beside the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina. A word of caution …. take note of the channel markers for incoming and outgoing water craft and stay out of the channel itself. You will see such a variety of sea life such as turtles, eagle rays, sting rays, an abundance of fish and corals.

Here’s how to find Smiths Reef at the end of Coconut Road

Visit TCI has a good map showing the location and how to find the reef.

Drone shot of Smith’s Reef showing the beautiful coral head.

A map of the reef showing the 22′ channel where often you’ll see rays.

Snorkel with turtles and all kinds of fish at Smith’s Reef

Heading out with a go pro to get some classic underwater shots.

Go pro ready for action

Another beautiful Provo day just made for some snorkeling.

Just a few words before you set out to enjoy and explore our reefs.

Please do not touch or stand on anything as coral is a living animal and be sure not to brush anything with your flippers, equipment or gear.

Remember:

Don’t step on coral. …
Don’t touch or chase marine life. …
Don’t stir the sediment. …
Don’t take marine life – dead or alive.
Please use reef safe sunscreen

Clear and calm….what a day on the reef

A turtle pops his head up…what a great photo Mike!

Do not cover yourself heavily with sunscreen before snorkeling and of course biodegradable lotions are available and better yet, buy a rash guard.

A Green Sea Turtle poses for photos beside a Purple Sea Whip.

A beautiful hawkbill turtle is curious

A Spotted Eagle Ray passing through.

Love the reflections in the water.

A Porcupine Fish showing spines swims amongst the coral.

A six foot nurse shark rests on the sandy bottom.

Big and docile just resting on the bottom ready for a photo shoot.

Snorkel with hawksbill turtle at Smith's Reef

A stunning hawksbill turtle cruises on by

Snorkeling Smith's Reef on Providenciales

Mike spots a Queen Angelfish

A turtle pops his head up with Mike snorkeling with his go pro

Wandering the shore line at Smith’s Reef is always full of discoveries, lovely rock pools and all kinds of shells and marine life.

Tidal pools along the shore line at Smith's Reef

Rock pools are fascinating especially when the tide is out.

And meanwhile along the shore, a rock pool find of a Helmet Shell.

Such beauty surrounds us and take a look at the exquisite markings on this shell.

A crab scurries along the rocks

Look for Chitons attached to the rocks

Chitons also known as Coat of Mail shells or Sea Cradles are a marine mollusc found along the rocks at Smith’s Reef and elsewhere.

See the eyes peeking out of the shell of this baby conch and the claw-like operculum with which they move across the ocean floor.

Back to the reef and this beauty…..a Honeycomb Cowfish apparently quite rare.

Love those eagle rays as they gracefully glide through the waters.

Mike says this green turtle took a keen interest in the camera.

Smith’s Reef on Providenciales is the best for snorkeling

And here’s me just enjoying every part of the day here at Smith’s Reef.

All the amazing underwater photos are taken by Mike so I thank him for letting me use them for my blog.

Enjoy the reefs everyone but please take care as you snorkel to preserve and protect the coral and sea life.

Snorkel responsibly and have fun.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turks and Caicos Islands….Open for Business

Posted on March 30, 2018 by marta

Harbour Club Villas and Marina has a new look with new, white metal roofs…….Yes we are open for business after Hurricane Irma.

Yes, we can now say that we survived a Category 5 Hurricane!

It has been a chaotic and traumatic time for all of us here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We were hit hard with damages especially to all the roofs. Our red tiled roofs are no longer, ripped off by the horrific force of the winds and left in piles after Hurricane Irma.

Now some 50 days after, we have new white metal roofs and clean up is almost complete. The Turks and Caicos Islands are open for business and better than ever…….restaurants are opening, dive boats are back in the water, snorkeling is great and we’ve seen so many turtles and our bonefishermen are back in the lake and on the flats, excursions and more.

Red tiles are no longer but fresh looking, white roofs

Grace Bay Beach at the Bight Reef is as beautiful as ever so book your vacations now. This was taken a few days ago

Our beaches are all as stunning as ever with the prettiest sparkling water you’ll ever see. All my photos have been taken recently and quite honestly, if you want beaches that have few people on them, now’s the time to come. We are waiting for you so head down for some fun in the sun and on the beach.

Our first flower appears after the wrath and devastation of Irma and it was so beautiful to see.

A rippling effect as the sunlight plays on the waters of Grace Bay

Young flamingos were sighted in Flamingo Lake close by the villas at Harbour Club

A spectacular sunset over Flamingo Lake

Stark silhouette of leafless trees that were stripped by Hurricane Irma

Footprints in the sand along the edge of the water on Grace Bay

A little hummingbird sits on a rope left over from tying our trees together for strength against the hurricane……..so where do they go during hurricanes?

Not ready for scuba diving……call Jodi at Snuba TCI.

Peaceful and serene on the south side of Provo where our villas are located.

Dive operators are ready to take you out for some scuba diving.

There’s some great diving waiting for you…….four of the island’s dive operators leave from the marina at Harbour Club or close by: AquaTCI, Flamingo Divers, Provo Turtle Divers and Caicos Adventures. Give them and us a call for all your diving needs………grab your buddy and come on down.

Snorkeling Smith’s Reef after the hurricane…..so many juvenile hawksbill and green turtles were sighted.

The Bight Reef on a clear day recently…still debris lying on the bottom but thankfully the reef looks really good.

Sailing along Grace Bay with the Atabeyra just this past week

There’s many water based excursions you can choose and one of the best is sailing on the Atabeyra……….so relaxing, do a snorkel or a sunset cruise and watch that rum punch!!!

Here’s my version of “Fall” colours on Provo !

Bonefishing in Flamingo Lake and yes, we saw fishermen last week.

Provo Ponies is ready to take you for a leisurely ride on Long Bay beach

This could be you in one of these lounge chairs?

Those adorable potcakes…….so many of them waiting for good forever homes.

Forever shades of blue and turquoise.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are open for business after the hurricanes and we invite you to join us. We want to show you our special “beautiful by nature” islands and friendly welcoming people.

Hope to see you all very soon.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Queen Angelfish

Posted on June 3, 2010 by marta

The Queen Angelfish is one of the most beautiful and colourful fish found in the warm waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Such amazing colours….electric blue speckled with a bright canary yellow body, yellow tail , fins and a face that has blue highlights around the eyes and mouth. The Queen Angelfish stands out in a crowd because of all that colour but this too works perfectly so that this fish can hide and blend in with the surrounding vibrance of the coral reefs in our area.

Queen Angelfish have a speckled, blue ringed spot that loks like a crown

Queen Angelfish have a speckled, blue ringed spot that looks like a crown

The royal title comes from this distinctive marking. It is a blue circle on the top of its head, known as the “crown” that gives this fish its name.

This shy fish feeds on the sponges, algae and soft corals of the reef.

They are quite large for reef-dwellers and can grow up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) in length. The Queen Angel has a rounded head and small beak-like mouth. They have these long upper and lower fins that stream dramatically behind them. Although I love the Queen Angelfish best, The French Angelfish is also among the most beautiful of all the reef fishes.

The French Angelfish.....it's scales have bright yellow edges, making a vibrant pattern against its dark blue body.

A big thankyou to our Harbour Club guests Brian Gatt and Connie McEgan for their spectacular photos of the French Angelfish. I don’t dive (only snorkel) so I have to rely on others for underwater photos. The Queen Angel photos were taken by our son Mike on some of his regular visits to Provo.

The French Angelfish has a light blue face, gray/white mouth, and yellow highlights on its eyes, gill plates, and fins.

I’m sure you’ll see these exotic fish as you snorkel at Smith’s Reef and the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens. For those that scuba dive, our coral reefs and walls are some of the best in the world. Come to the Turks and Caicos Islands for your next dive vacation and stay with us at Harbour Club Villas. Dive boats leave our Marina every day and if you don’t dive, snorkeling is great here too.

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

Potcake friends

Posted on November 25, 2009 by marta

Our daughter Tina and potcake friends at Smith's Reef

We were out at Smith’s Reef when two potcakes came up to say hello to Tina. I snapped this photo as they sat on the beach on either side of her watching the snorkelers in the water. To the left of the photo, you can see the sandy roadway leading into the water where snorkelers can start exploring the snorkel trail.

Happy snorkeling!

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

Beaches and more beaches

Posted on November 22, 2009 by marta

Mike floating about on Grace Bay beach at the Bay Bistro

I decided to take Mike to one of my favourite spots along the North shore and Grace Bay. It really is interesting how the beach changes from one end at the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina to the other end at Leeward. If you want to snorkel, the best spots are at Smith’s Reef and the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens (White House Reef). Mike took all his great photos of turtles at the Bight Reef. Here’s one from today……..he saw turtles, a sting ray, a huge barracuda, a lionfish (oh no!!!!) and lots of fish.

Mike snapped this photo of a Hawksbill Turtle at the Bight Reef

The best for just enjoying the water and swimming, just lazing around and for the softest sand is just in front of the Bay Bistro ( great food and tell Chef Clive, Marta sent you!) and Sibonne. We used to find all kinds of sand dollars there years ago but when things got built up they all disappeared. We spent hours here today just enjoying the water.

Nothing like having a cold Corona on the beach while enjoying the water

While Mike was out snorkeling at the Bight Reef, I saw a white eagret swoop over my head and land. He stayed for a while and I managed to get some great shots.

A white eagret stopped by to check things out.

To top off every fantastic day in the Turks and Caicos Islands…….. a sunset that was extraordinary. We were at a friends house overlooking our villas at Harbour Club and Flamingo Lake below us. The colours and the calm waters showed off the Five Cays so clearly.

Harbour Club Villas between Flamingo Lake and the ocean at Cooper Jack Bight

On your next visit to Providenciales, explore all our beaches as there’s many of them each one as spectacular as the next. See you there!

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

The Bight Reef

Posted on October 6, 2009 by marta

Wow........flat calm at the Bight Reef also known as the White House Reef.

Provo has two great snorkel areas close to the shore line……….The Bight Reef or the White House Reef at Coral Gardens and Smith’s Reef just outside the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina. Usually you’ll see turtles, lots of fish such as parrot fish, angel fish, blue tangs and sometimes spotted eagle rays along with beautiful coral formations.

Look at the clarity of the water as Alexis prepares to head out snorkeling

We have some of the best snorkeling ever here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Come and see us soon and enjoy snorkeling on our reefs.

Happy snorkeling,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Smith’s Reef

Posted on March 12, 2009 by marta

Looking at Smith's Reef from the shoreline

A sandy path leads through the rocks and into the water. The snorkel trail is a series of reef balls that have tiles with information written on them and they begin in about 6 feet of water. About 20 yards off shore, there’s a small patch reef at about a 12 foot depth.

Here's a map of the snorkel trail at Smith's Reef

You'll see lots of fish, corals, sponges, eagle rays cruising on through as well as turtles

We hope you’ll enjoy snorkeling at Smith’s Reef on your next visit to Provo.

See you there!

Marta,

http://www.diving.tc

Smith’s Reef snorkeling

Posted on March 11, 2009 by marta

Here's a map of the area at Smith's Reef for all those that love to snorkel

Smith’s Reef is located just outside of the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina on Provo’s north shore. Acess is from along the beach and you will find signs marking the way.

As you walk along the beach you will come across this marker.

Smith’s Reef is a shallow patch reef relatively close to the shore so it is one of the best places for snorkeling and is one of a few options for shore diving. There is an underwater snorkel trail for you to follow with informative tiles attached to reef balls that have descriptions of fish and coral that are most commonly found here.

A snorkeler enters the sandy patch area before heading off to explore the underwater snorkel trail

If you are an avid snorkeler, you’ll love Smith’s Reef. It’s probably one of our best snorkeling areas.

Happy snorkeling!

Marta

http://www.diving.tc

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MyTurksAndCaicosBlog.com

Turks and Caicos Vacation, Travel, Fishing, and Diving

Tag Archives: Smith’s Reef

Snorkel at Smith’s Reef

Turks and Caicos Islands….Open for Business

Queen Angelfish

Potcake friends

Beaches and more beaches

The Bight Reef

Smith’s Reef

Smith’s Reef snorkeling