Resort Report

Is a “Silicon Island” in the making? By Ben Stubenberg Can a small island nation renowned as a premier vacation destination for its spectacular beaches and turquoise water also become a world class hub for tech innovation—a “Silicon Island?” At first glance that seems improbable. After all, high end tourism drives TCI’s vibrant economy, not high tech. ...

Preserving island culture in the 21st century. By Abigail Parnell If you have ever attended the Turks & Caicos’ Island Fish Fry (now held in The Bight on Thursday evenings) or post-Christmas Maskanoo event, you’ve probably reveled in the irresistible rhythm of the drums, whistles, horns, and cow bells of Junkanoo. This festival of intoxicating sound and ...

The effects of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease on TCI reefs. By Heidi Hertler, John Debuysser, Autumn Zwiernik, Katie Tanner, Alyssa Landi, Hayley Newman and Morgan Rose, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse and ecologically productive ecosystems on the planet. They are aesthetically ...

Gene bank pilot nursery started. By Don Stark and Alizee Zimmermann, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) arrived in the Turks & Caicos Islands in 2019. This Caribbean and Tropical Atlantic-wide disease has devasted reefs throughout the region. It has affected over 30 species of stony corals — the big reef building ...

The fabric of our lives. By Bill Keegan and Betsy Carlson Competition had grown fierce. A burgeoning fitness industry in the 1980s had embraced man-made fabrics to the point where DuPont Corporation could not meet demand for its trademarked product — Spandex. In response, Cotton Incorporated recognized the need to remind consumers that cotton products are soft, ...

Looking back at life on the Islands “back in the day.” By Shelagh Barrington Shelagh Barrington is Kathi Barrington’s older sister. Kathi was editor of Times of the Islands from 1990 to 1993. On a recent visit to Providenciales, she had occasion to reminisce on those early golden days in the sun.  Today . . . It’s time for ...

In-the-field botanist also fields questions. By Jody Rathgeb ~ Naqqi Photos By Tom Rathgeb Let’s say you’re outside, poking around the yard, and you encounter a bug you’ve never seen before. It’s sort of spidery, but with hairy pinchers and some long things that might be antennae. What is it? What do you do? Well, you might ...

The history of salt production in the Turks & Caicos Islands (Part II). Story & Postcard Images Courtesy Jeff Dodge Salt was the most important industry on the Turks & Caicos Islands for almost 300 years. Salt was of critical importance, not only for culinary purposes, but to preserve meat and fish. Since salt production involved so ...

The origins of Junkanoo – Part 1 By Christopher Davis, Alex Kwofie, Angelique McKay, and Michael P. Pateman Junkanoo is the premier national cultural celebration in The Bahamas. It is primarily celebrated on Christmas/Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with smaller celebrations on Labour Day, Independence Day, and Emancipation Day. Junkanoo is also used for the opening ...

Endangered rays are a piece of TCI’s living history. By Sydney O’Brien, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos The waters of the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) are picturesquely colored in different shades of blue, green, and turquoise. and abundantly filled with life. The whitespotted eagle ray, known by the ...

TCI hosts inaugural Climate Change Summit. By Amy Avenant, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, DECR and Oshin Whyte, Executive Officer and Environment Policy Lead, Governor’s Office Climate Change. These two words have gained traction in popular consciousness since the release of the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report released in 1988. The IPCC is currently in its Sixth ...

The first-ever, human-powered circumnavigation of the TCI chain. Story & Photos By John Galleymore ~ Aerial Photos By Merinda Duff It’s weird how an off-the-cuff comment can plant a seed in your brain that can alter your life dramatically. Back in 2015, I had just finished a solo walk through the Turks & Caicos Islands from South ...

The real backstory of “Cool Runnings.” By Ben Stubenberg “Life is a struggle. Anything worth doing in life is a struggle.  And anytime you enter a struggle, you are going to suffer.  People think suffering is something to be avoided.  No! Suffering is reality.”  — Tal Stokes On a windy February morning in 1988, the captain of the first Jamaican bobsled team ...

Exploring the origins and interactions of the ancient Lucayans with ancient DNA. By Kendra Sirak, Bill Keegan, Betsy Carlson, and Michael Pateman About ten years ago, Tellis Bethel, retired commodore of the Bahamas Defense Force, started a campaign to name the waters surrounding The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) the “Lucayan Sea.” Covering 180,000 square miles ...

Tropical season could spell trouble. By Paul Wilkerson The predictions are in, and it appears that the hurricane season for 2022 will likely result in above normal activity for the Tropical Atlantic. Thankfully, the overall odds of a storm impacting the Turks & Caicos Islands is relatively low based on historical data. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to ...