Times of the Islands Summer 2015

Great Sand Cay is a tiny island nearly ten miles from
Salt Cay. It literally is the last land mass in the Turks &
Caicos chain. Next stop is the Dominican Republic some
one hundred miles across the Silver Banks. Getting here
is no easy feat, but well worth it, and I was fortunate
enough recently to be able to enjoy some time on its
deserted shores.
Base camp will be Salt Cay. An easy thirty minute
flight from Providenciales brings you to this enchanting
little island, steeped in history and oozing charm. Its historic
salinas, wild donkeys, friendly people, and easy way
of life explain why Salt Cay is fast becoming a “must see”
for many a TCI vacationer.
The cessation of the salt industry in the 1960s should
have been the death knell for Salt Cay. Yet although many
have left over the years, the community’s hardworking
spirit means that the residents (about 60 souls) have
adapted to serve the tourists who now frequent the
island.
Whale watching is a very popular activity. I was enjoying
the magnificent humpbacks that migrate through the
Turks Island Passage every winter when I was first introduced
to Great Sand Cay. I was on a boat operated by Salt
Cay Divers. We stopped for just an hour and I vowed to
return one day to explore Great Sand Cay in more detail.
The Crystal Seas Adventures boat is both stylish and functional.
This time around I chartered a boat from Crystal Seas
Adventures. Its proprietors made time from their busy
whale watching and fishing schedule to drop me at Sand
Cay for a magical trip.
It’s an early start and the sun has barely risen above
tiny Dean’s Dock on Salt Cay as I load my supplies of
food, water, and equipment into the boat and we set off
for the forty-five minute trip across an ocean that lies like
glass in front of us.
The “crowds” can’t diminish the beauty of the large bay at Great Sand Cay.
The author viewed this lovely sunset from Tower Hill, on which stands the rusted remains of
an old lighthouse, now the perfect perch for an osprey nest.
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