Natural History

  • America’s First Christmas January 1, 2021 For Columbus, the holiday did not bring “glad tidings!” By Bill Keegan, Betsy Carlson and Michael Pateman ‘Twas the night before Christmas Christmas Eve, 1492, sailing with a light wind, the Niña and Santa María exit the Mar de Santo Thomás. At 11:00 PM, standing one league off Punta Santa, there was little wind, the sea was “as ... Read more about this post
  • They’re Back! September 30, 2020 “Talking Taino” authors return with a new take on an old tale. By Bill Keegan, Betsy Carlson and Michael Pateman   Hopefully the announcement that we’re back won’t cause flashbacks to the Steven Spielberg film “Poltergeist” (Fox/MGM, 1982). We are back, and this time we packed a suitcase. Between 2003 and 2007, Bill and Betsy wrote 20 essays ... Read more about this post
  • Armadillos of the Sea March 19, 2020 Chitons possess a range of amazing qualities. By Brian Heagney, B.Sc Marine Biology ~ Photos By Marta Morton, www.harbourclubvillas.com   Tucked away in intertidal rock pools on the southwest point of Gibbs Cay in the Turks Islands, there are clusters of tiny dinosaurs called chitons. These ancient mariners are easily overlooked by the untrained eye, but they do ... Read more about this post
  • Big Thrills December 2, 2019 Meeting Humpback whales in Grand Turk By Brian Heagney, B.Sc Marine Biology ~ Photos by Sabine Frank & Brain Heagney The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) are made up of a number of islands and cays divided into two distinct groups . . . somewhat obviously, the Turks Islands and the Caicos Islands. These are separated by ... Read more about this post
  • Nature’s Fireworks! January 5, 2017 Lightning facts and photos. By Paul Kubecka ~ Photos By Michael Bishop Most of the photos you see in Times of the Islands depict sunny skies and cottony clouds floating over gem-colored seas and ivory beaches. But even paradise is not always perfect, especially during the summer and early fall months when atmospheric conditions are favorable to ... Read more about this post
  • The End of the Chain July 3, 2015 Great Sand Cay beckons this explorer. Story & Photos By John Galleymore My exploration and adventure-seeking expeditions have taken me to just about every land mass in the Turks & Caicos Islands, and I am often asked, “What’s the furthest you’ve ever been?” In miles covered, that would be my recent South Caicos to Providenciales walk, but ... Read more about this post
  • Help Wanted: Sharks December 15, 2014 Conservation for the future of sharks in danger. By Tina Randall, BSc. Environmental Biology & Jackie Walker, Masters Conservation Biology, BSc. Marine Biology He surfaces from the deep, his black shadow resembling a creature in the night. His fin skims the surface. The lifeguard blows his whistle and with that everybody is out of the water: SHARK! ... Read more about this post
  • Until We Meet Again September 18, 2014 A fond farewell to “Treasures of the Sea.” By Suzanne Gerber ~ Photos By Barbara Shively Some things you just never get tired of, no matter how many times you’ve been there or done them. Spending time topside and especially, underwater, in the Turks & Caicos Islands are tops on Barbara Shively’s and my list. For the past ... Read more about this post
  • Weaponry and Revenge! June 26, 2014 TCI’s wasps fight back. Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist There is no sound quite the same as the scream emitted from someone stung by a wasp. Little else can induce a person to toss all pretenses of decorum in favor of flailing arms and hooting wails. Wasp-affected screams are often followed by uncharacteristic ... Read more about this post
  • Color My World January 19, 2013 Understanding what happens to light underwater brings new appreciation. By Suzanne Gerber ~ Photography and Photo Captions By Barbara Shively If you’re lucky enough to be around any of the Turks & Caicos’ legendary coral reefs on a sunny day and peer down into crystal-clear turquoise waters, you might think you’ve stumbled upon the world’s largest natural ... Read more about this post
  • Grouper Groupies June 26, 2012 Why we love the Caribbean’s famous native fish. By Suzanne Gerber ~ Photos By Barbara Shively Granted, the grouper is not most creatively named fish in the world. The origin of this well-known and friendly type of sea bass comes from the Portuguese word for, of all things, fish (garoupa). But before you write that off as ... Read more about this post
  • The People Who Discovered Columbus Version 2.0 March 2, 2012 By Dr. Peter T. Sinelli and Dr. William Keegan “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein In our last contribution to Times of the Islands, we described the “conventional wisdom” concerning the colonization of the Caribbean Islands—namely, that the Island Arawaks efficiently island-hopped their ... Read more about this post
  • How Clean Thou Art January 14, 2012 If cleanliness is next to godliness, then fish must be downright saintly. By Suzanne Gerber ~ Photos and Captions By Barbara Shively Doesn’t living 24/7 in the ocean keep fish clean, you ask? Not exactly. While they don’t need to hit the showers like we do after two sets of tennis, they still need to have their ... Read more about this post
  • The People Who Discovered Columbus Version 1.0 October 19, 2011 By Dr. Peter Sinelli and Dr. William Keegan ~ Original Artwork by Theodore Morris For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong. H. L. Mencken During our travels virtually everyone we meet has heard of the Arawaks and the Caribs. James Michener’s hugely popular novel established these as the Caribbean’s native peoples ... Read more about this post
  • Crunch ‘n’ Munch June 6, 2011 Besides transforming their appearance, parrotfish turn reef into sandy beach. By Suzanne Gerber ~ Photos & Captions By Barbara Shively It doesn’t matter whether you call them perroquetfeu, loro colorado, Budião-Vermelh, sparysoma szmaragdowa, or parrotfish, these beautiful creatures are among the most beloved in the underwater menagerie. Nor does it matter whether you speak French, Spanish, ... Read more about this post

What's Inside The Latest Edition?

On the Cover

Gary James at Provo Pictures (www.provopictures.com) used a drone to photograph this bird’s-eye view of Dragon Cay off Middle Caicos. It perfectly captures the myriad of colors and textures that make God’s works of art in nature so captivating.

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