Resort Report

A hidden history in the “bush” of North Caicos. Photo essay by Tom Rathgeb ~ Text by Jody Rathgeb The beauty of the Turks & Caicos Islands isn’t always about turquoise water and white sand. There is also beauty to be found in the “bush” and in the echoes of the past. On North Caicos, crumbling and overgrown ...

The five-star marine restaurant and spa. By Hope Milo, Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia ~Edited by C.E. O’Brien, Ph.D., both from The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos, Turks & Caicos Islands Coral reefs are well known for their abundance and biodiversity, teeming as they are with multitudes of organisms hovering over heads of ...

Reef balls offer one way to protect coral reefs. Story & Photos By Rachel Craft On a recent trip to the Turks & Caicos Islands—my first visit, and hopefully not my last—I discovered that half of the Islands’ beauty lies underwater. I swam with hawksbill turtles at Smith’s Reef, spotted moray eels at Bight Reef, and nearly ...

Monitoring the presence, distribution, and behaviour of humpback whales. By Katharine Hart MSc., Cathy Bacon MSc., Turks & Caicos Islands Whale Project, and Amy Avenant, TCI Department of Environment & Coastal Resources ~ Photos by Katharine Hart, Deep Blue Charters, under SRP #2021-12-29-26 The Turks & Caicos Islands Whale Project (TCIWP) is a collaborative project between TCI’s Department of ...

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 ...