Resort Report

Learning more about “nature’s Roomba.” By Kelly Currington Sea cucumbers are an important part of the eco-system, yet many people know little about them, and some divers have never seen one of these amazing and beautiful creatures. Let’s take a look at these squishy, odd-looking “vacuums of the sea.” There are around 1,000 different species of sea cucumbers ...

The journey to build Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty. By Davidson Edens Louis ~ Illustrations Courtesy Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty The bravest souls who manage to impact our lives, contribute to human endeavors, and make serious social advancements have one thing in common. They are committed. Commitment turns implausible dreams to attainable realities, it breaks ...

The Frith family of Palm Grove, Grand Turk. Story and Illustrations By Jeff Dodge Today, the name Palm Grove designates a neighborhood on Grand Turk that’s just south of Cockburn Town. How many residents of this neighborhood know where the name Palm Grove originated or the history behind the name?  Palm Grove was the name that the Benjamin ...

The turtle story. By Oshin Whyte, Environmental Scientist, and Amadyne Agenor ~ Photos By Oshin Whyte East Caicos: it is one of the islands that most Turks & Caicos Islanders can point out on a map but have never travelled to or experienced — at least persons belonging to my generation. Those of us who are fortunate ...

Provo Golf Course celebrates 30 years! By Kathy Borsuk It’s hard to believe that the Provo Golf Club (now known as the Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club) turned 30 years old in November, 2022. When I arrived in the Islands, the course had just opened. I remember marveling at the miracle of turning a huge plot ...

The massive migration of birds brings many through the TCI. By Simon Busuttil, RSPB Turks & Caicos Operations Manager, Turks & Caicos Islands Iguana Partnership, Biosecurity Advisor In the Spring 2022 Times of Islands I wrote about some of the discoveries about birds being made and to be made in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Many were about ...

The importance of having urchins. By Alizee Zimmermann, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund With flickers of iridescent blue, elegant spines of obsidian black, five self-sharpening teeth (yes, you did read that right), and an ample appetite, the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) might just be the most interesting creature you didn’t know would fascinate you. A deep dive ...

The Flamingo tongue snail:  Predator and parasite By Corinne Pita (University of Michigan) and Julia de los Reyes (Yale University), The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos ~ Photos By Dr. C.E. O’Brien It’s easy to conjure images of predation: a lion pouncing on its prey, an owl hunting for mice, a spider entwining ...

DECR debuts two exciting new projects. By B Naqqi Manco,  Assistant Director of Research and Development, DECR When you love something, there’s always a fear. Parents fret about their children, homeowners worry about their fortresses, and collectors obsess over the security of their hoards. For those of us who love our work, that concern translates into anxiety ...

Human versus weather app – which is more accurate in the TCI? By Paul Wilkerson I have been forecasting the weather for the Turks & Caicos Islands for the better part of eight years now. The number one comment/question I get? “My app shows it raining the entire time I am there, will it really be a ...

The “tail” of the hutia. By Bill Keegan and Betsy Carlson We were sitting under a scrubby tree at the long-abandoned North Base at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). The Cubans were blaring a speech by Fidel Castro from their observation posts across the perimeter fence. It’s not clear whether any of the young Marines in ...

Local artist Richard McGhie By Kathy Borsuk ~ Illustrations By Richard McGhie Regular readers of Times of the Islands may recall the intriguing paintings of a 1798 pirate battle off the coast of West Caicos (Fall 2021) and the treasure-laden Spanish galleon Concepción before it sank in stormy seas (Spring 2022). Both images were realistic, detailed, accurate ...

Captain Edward Lightbourn Story & Images Courtesy Antoinette Lightbourn Butz Captain Edward Lightbourn was my great-great-great uncle. I researched this article through many documents found on Bermuda and the Turks & Caicos Islands, particularly from a letterbook in my possession and a set purchased by the Bermuda Archives in 2018. Background Edward Lightbourn was born in the Heron Bay ...

The origins of Junkanoo — Part 2 By Christopher Davis, Alex Kwofie, Angelique McKay and Michael P. Pateman In the Summer 2022 issue of the Astrolabe, the authors detailed various legends of the origins of Junkanoo from European influences and mimicry to the Ahanta General, Jan Kwaw from Pokesu (today’s Princess Town) in Southwestern Ghana. However, the ...

South Bank’s new “suspended private villa” experience. By Kathy Borsuk ~ Images Courtesy Windward Life in the Turks & Caicos Islands is meant to be savored with each of your senses. Overarching is the vast expanse of ocean blue, with as many different expressions as the face of a beloved friend. Beams of golden sunshine are occasionally ...