Snorkeler’s dream day at the Bight Reef

Posted on June 26, 2024 by marta

Swimming with a hawksbill turtle at the Bight Reef

Mike’s birthday today and so we took off to the Bight Reef for some snorkeling and just to laze around in the water. It was simply magnificent….a dream of an afternoon. Seas were calm and the sunlight rippled the water with prisms of colour. And swimming with turtles was the order of the day.

Ahh, the colours of the water and sky….just perfect!

Take time out to do some great snorkeling. A ton of fish to see as well as turtles, rays and more.

We do ask you to NOT touch the coral, fish or any sea creatures such as the turtles.

It’s important to use reef safe sunscreens too!

Do not touch the coral. Touching a coral can damage it or even kill it.

The Bight Reef consists of one main ridge of coral. It goes out to about 350 feet (107 m) out from the beach. The depth of the water at the outer edge is at about 15-20 feet (4.5-6 m).

Mike snorkels with little Jack and his first time out seeing lots of fish.

The Bight Reef is just off shore and is therefore a great place for kids to experience the fun and excitement of snorkeling. Tons of fish and usually lots of green turtles and hawksbills.

A green turtle grazing on turtle grass…..there’s a large patch to the left of the reef where you’ll generally spot them.

The reef from a drone and that’s Snuba TCI down below.

The reef is protected by a circle of orange buoys so please stay on the outside of those buoys.

Mike takes the plunge, puts on his fins and off he goes to explore the reef.

An eagle ray glides past….such beauty and grace

A pin cushion sea star that’s a beautiful orange. Please just look and enjoy!

Great snorkeling for everyone in the shallows as well as further out where the reef drops to about 15 feet. Please be cautious and and don’t allow your flippers or feet to touch the corals.

Little guys can have the time of their lives seeing underwater fish and life

Mom’s there too as she sights a beautiful green turtle.

Green turtles are frequently seen at the Bight Reef. However they are on the endangered list. They are only 2″ long at birth but can grow up to 5 ‘ in length and can weigh up to 700 pounds. Watch them as they feed on the sea grasses and periodically come up to the surface for air. That’s when you can take a real good look at these wonderful creatures.

A small turtle hides as snorkelers take a a closer look.

Hawksbill turtles are also endangered and they are one of the smaller turtles. An adult can weigh 100-200 lbs and grow up to to 2-3 feet in length. They were highly prized and hunted for their shells ….tortoiseshell combs, jewellery and decorative objects and therefore became almost extinct.

A hawksbill is named for its sharp, bird like beak

A school of blue tangs scoot on by with such a flash of colour.

A cruising Southern Sting ray puts in an appearance.

A nurse shark rests on the bottom of the ocean.

The Bight Reef on Grace Bay is such a beautiful spot

Enjoy Grace Bay beach and snorkeling at the Bight Reef when you come for your next island visit. Marta http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

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

Babalua Beach Day

Posted on March 16, 2020 by marta

Babalua Beach is one of those wonderful little beaches a bit hidden and out of the way.

Babalua Beach is simply a lovely spot for lazing in the water, snorkeling around the rocks or the reef just off shore, pelican watching, and exciting for the kids too. It is on the other side of the Turtle Cove Marina boat channel.

The water is always crystal clear as you wiggle your toes in the sand and the shallows as the sun creates sparkling prisms on the water.

Dive boat returning from diving Provo’s spectacular reefs.

Snorkeling in the shallows around the rocks

Always fun to see all the colourful fish.

The rocks are home to numerous little crabs.

A pretty blue crab scuttles along the rocks….hard to catch in a photo.

Kids love to explore as they climb onto and around the rocks.

What a spot to photograph our national bird, the Brown Pelican.

Babalua is full of activity. I managed to get up real close to the pelicans and the resulting photos were spectacular. The Caribbean brown pelican, has a wingspan of around 5 to 8 feet and a weight of 6 to 12 pounds. Endless entertainment as they dive bomb into the water and scoop up fish in their large bills, which can hold up to 3 pounds. Their bills are a natural sieve that will drain out all of the excess water.

A swooping pelican comes in for a landing.

The rocks create a shallow calm area to enjoy the water.

A treasure found while snorkeling….that’s a sea urchin test.

A snorkeler takes a close look at a beautiful King Helmet shell

Eve finds and takes a closer look at a spectacular King Helmet shell while snorkeling off Babalua beach a while ago. They have a thick, glossy “shield” on the inside of the aperture on the bottom of the shell. This can be carved into cameos, and so they are sometimes called “cameo shells.

The King Helmet is a species of very large sea snail with a solid heavy shell.

Keep a watch for these striking shells as you snorkel. The waters are brilliantly clear and hopefully you will enjoy seeing a variety including the Queen Conch.

And here’s a monster turtle cruising the shallows. It was the biggest one I’ve seen to date.

Providenciales is blessed with the most extraordinary beaches.

We’d love to have you enjoy our “Beautiful by Nature” islands.

Take some time to travel around Providenciales and while away a few hours at our more hidden beaches that are tucked away. Here at our villas…….Harbour Club Villas and Marina, we can give you ideas as to where you might go. We’ve been on Provo for over 20 years and know all the best spots. Hope to see you soon!

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

Snorkeling

Posted on January 28, 2011 by marta

The Bight Reef otherwise known as the White House Reef is one of our great snorkeling spots. Really close to the shore and being protected by a circle of buoys. Lots of great things to see as you follow the circle of buoys on the outside. Please don't go inside the circle as at low tide you are almost scraping the coral and therefore damaging it.

Book your vacation trip soon and come and enjoy snorkeling the clear waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Sunshine wishes,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turtle Rock

Posted on January 5, 2011 by marta

Snorkeling out at Turtle Rock this afternoon was fantastic........calm waters and oh so clear.

We anchored off Turtle Rock for a lazy afternoon………..we had lunch and drinks along with some good snorkeling. This unique rock formation looks like a turtle and is part way between South Dock and Osprey Rock on the south side of Providenciales.

Unusual rock sculptures jutting up out of the water.

The water was “cold” for those of us that have been on island for so long but nonetheless, I braved the water to get some close shots of these unusual rock formations at Turtle Rock.

Barry will do anything for a beer as he "hangs" around Turtle Rock.

I had to bribe Barry with extra beers to make him pose for the camera.

Lobster for dinner as we hailed a passing fishing boat.......four nice sized lobster tails.

A nice sized grouper along with a parrot fish were caught that day.

The snorkeling was amazing through a channel between the rocks and since it was low tide, we were in three or four feet of water.

Come snorkel with us here on Providenciales and in the other islands of the Turks and Caicos.

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

Snorkeling Gal

Posted on May 29, 2010 by marta

This cute snorkel gal was eager to head into the water for some snorkeling at the Bight Reef also known as the White House Reef at Coral Gardens

Malcolm Roads Beach

Posted on January 26, 2010 by marta

Indescribable...........today was simply the most amazing day out at Malcolm Roads beach

Stunning colours today at Malcolm Roads beach where I took my sister Anna and friend Mike…………but really, it is always a photographer’s dream to take photos of the beach and water out here. Every time I head out to Malcolm Roads, I know the colours are going to be fantastic and today was no exception!

Small beach where once every few years, there's a natural bridge. It was all sanded in today.

I can’t emphasize enough that you do need a car to travel to these breathtaking beaches. You will be missing some of the most scenic areas of Provo if you don’t explore this area along with others. There are so many more out of the way beaches and Malcolm Roads is one of my ultimate favourites……….but then I do have many of them!

There's great snorkeling here too so don't forget to bring your snorkel equipment

The dive boats were all out there today as it was calm and perfect for diving.

So, all I can say is make a point of heading out to this spectacular and picturesque stretch of beach………..pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the snorkeling as well as a beach with very few people.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

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

MyTurksAndCaicosBlog.com

Turks and Caicos Vacation, Travel, Fishing, and Diving

Tag Archives: snorkel

Snorkeler’s dream day at the Bight Reef

Snorkel at Smith’s Reef

Babalua Beach Day

Turks and Caicos Islands….Open for Business

Snorkeling

Turtle Rock

Queen Angelfish

Snorkeling Gal

Malcolm Roads Beach

Potcake friends