Times of the Islands Winter 2016/17

TIMES 

OF THE 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2016 /17 NO. 117 

ISLANDS 

EUREKA! 

TCI Treasure Hunting 

FISHERY IN PERIL 

Protecting the Conch 

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L A ID -BAC K LU X E

contents 

Departments 

10 From the Editor 

15 Life and Times 

Veteran educator Marjorie Basden 

By Dr. Carlton Mills 

18 A Call to Action 

The Future of Conch 

By Kathleen Wood 

56 Real Estate 

Changing Faces: The Evolving Population of 

North and Middle Caicos 

By Sara J. Kaufman 

80 Crossing Africa Update 

Cape Town to Mozambique 

By Mario Rigby ~ Compiled by Claire Parrish 

84 Shape Up 

Eye on Diabetes 

By Tamika Handfield 

86 Physical Fitness for Our Youth 

By Adina Ciurar 

85 Faces & Places 

In the Pink 

By Claire Parrish 

Photos By Paradise Photography 

87 Poker Run 2016 

Photos Courtesy TCI Boat Club 

88 About the Islands/TCI Map 

93 Where to Stay 

95 Dining Out 

98 Classified Ads/Subscription Form 

Features 

34 Lady Pirates of the TCI 

By Ben Stubenberg 

44 Trash, Trinkets, Jewelry and Treasure 

Story & Photos By John Galleymore 

50 Nature’s Fireworks 

By Paul Kubecka ~ Photos By Michael Bishop 

TIMES 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2016/17 NO. 117 

On the Cover 

This lovely beachscape was taken in North Caicos 

between Pumpkin Bluff and Three Mary Cays. Master 

Photographer Christine Morden did some off-roading 

down unmarked dirt paths to find this unique view. (She 

almost missed the shuttle back to Provo waiting for the 

right cloud pattern to get the photo.) 

Christine Morden is owner of Paradise Photography, 

which was voted Business of the Year in 2015 by the 

Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association. For 

more of her team’s amazing work, page through this 

issue and visit www.myparadisephoto.com. 

18 

Green Pages 

26 Round ‘Em Up 

By Don Stark 

30 Under the Mistletoe 

Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco 

Astrolabe 

68 The Journey 

By Dr. Donald H. Keith 

76 Heading into Battle 

By Pat Saxton 

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM 

6 www.timespub.tc

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from the editor 


Marta Morton found this unusual “sculpture” on the beach at Leeward in Providenciales. Unfortunately, Hurricane Matthew came along in 

early October with pounding high waves and washed it away. Does anyone know the artist who created this? 

Doing Treasure 

When I was a child, my sister and I used to do “treasure” after we had an argument. This peace treaty involved 

giving each other one of our most precious belongings in a sign of love and forgiveness. 

The concept of treasure recurs in this issue. Most obviously in John Galleymore’s latest adventure story—describing 

his longtime hobby of detecting and both the “long lost” and “just lost” items he has retrieved. Ben Stubenberg 

writes a lusty saga of the lives of two female pirates who spent time in the Islands, interweaving the tale with social 

commentary on these revolutionary women’s role in society. 

Kathleen Wood warns of the potential loss of a TCI national treasure—conch. This tasty mollusk with the pearly 

pink shell is in danger of being overfished; she presents a strategy to protect this from happening. Dr. Carlton Mills 

describes the life and times of a national treasure of the human kind—92 year old Marjorie Basden, a veteran educator 

from South Caicos who influenced the lives of many of TCI’s most outstanding citizens. In the Astrolabe, Dr. 

Donald Keith describes the evolution of the Turks & Caicos National Museum over the last 25 years, an institution that 

is a virtual trove of TCI history, culture and artifacts. Finally, Sara Kaufman describes the treasure that is the newly 

growing resident population of her beloved Middle and North Caicos; a blended community that has in common a 

love of peace and tranquility. 

And isn’t that what we treasure the most? I pray you find it here in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Kathy Borsuk, Editor 

timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 946-4788 

10 www.timespub.tc

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TIMES 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Kathy Borsuk 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

ADVERTISING MANAGER 

Claire Parrish 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Kathy Borsuk, Adina Ciurar, John Galleymore, 

Tamika Handfield, Sara J. Kaufman, Dr. Donald H. Keith, 

Paul Kubecka, Dr. Carlton Mills, B Naqqi Manco, Claire 

Parrish, Mario Rigby, Pat Saxton, Don Stark, 

Ben Stubenberg, Candianne Williams, Kathleen Wood. 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Carl Been, Michael Bishop, Melanie Clifton-Harvey, 

Richard Coberly, Dennis Denton, Destination 360, 

John Galleymore, iStock Photo, Dr. Donald H. Keith, 

B Naqqi Manco, Christine Morden–Paradise Photography, 

Marta Morton, Mario Rigby, Brian Riggs, Eric F. Salamanca, 

Pat Saxton, Martin Seim, Raymond St. Jacques Cushnie, 

David M. Stone, Turks & Caicos National Museum, 

TCI Boat Club, Candianne Williams, Kathleen Wood. 

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CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS 

Wavey Line Publishing 

PRINTING 

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Times of the Islands ISSN 1017-6853 is 

published quarterly by Times Publications Ltd. 

Copyright © 2017 by Times Publications Ltd. All rights reserved 

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14 www.timespub.tc

life and times 

The namesake of the Marjorie Basden High School still lives in South 

Caicos at the age of 92. 

Teach the Way They Should Go 

Veteran educator Mrs. Marjorie Basden. 

By Dr. Carlton Mills and Beverly Malcolm 

The Marjorie Basden High School in South Caicos is known throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands for its 

achievements in academics, student representation in national events, music, and sports. In fact, several 

of the nation’s highest ranking politicians (as of press time in November, 2016), including Deputy Premier 

Hon. Akierra Missick and Leader of the Opposition Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, graduated from 

its hallowed halls. 

The school’s namesake, Mrs. Marjorie Basden, at the stately age of 92, still lives in South Caicos. The 

following overview of her life reflects why her influence on the country’s education system has been so 

strong and long-lasting. 

Times of the Islands Winter 2016/17 15

Mrs. Marjorie Lightbourne-Basden was born in South 

Caicos on August 1, 1924. She attended preschools of the 

late Miss Mary Robinson and of the late Mrs. Euphemia 

Lockhart. At the age of seven, she entered the Government 

All Age Primary School, headed by the famous Principal 

Christian D. Powell. He had an outstanding reputation 

in the Islands in respect to education and discipline. 

Following his death, Mr. Kenneth Malcolm took over the 

headship of the school, but he was soon replaced by Mr. 

Arthur Tatem. 

Mr. Tatem quickly identified Marjorie’s talent and 

gave her the opportunity to sit First, Second and Third 

Preliminary Examinations. This required her having to 

travel to Grand Turk on the mailboat, Kathleen, to write 

her examinations, as this was the only Examination Center 

in the Islands at the time. She was successful in all three 

examinations. Her desire was to become a nurse, but this 

dream seemed a long way away. 

Like most students at the time, Marjorie developed 

a very close relationship with some of her classmates. 

These included Mr. Samuel Saunders, Mrs. Iris Stubbs 

(Tita), Mrs. Muriel Stubbs, Mrs. Jamima Seymour, Mrs. 

Gertrude Seymour, and Mrs. Della Basden-Fulford. This 

was an outstanding academic group, with a passion for 

Mathematics and Reading. Marjorie was one who was 

always called upon to assist her teacher. She probably 

didn’t realize that this was the preparation for an outstanding 

career in education. The kids also played games 

such as rounders and attended parties and Sunday School 

together. They were all followers of the Anglican faith. 

Teaching career 

In 1936, Marjorie and Mrs. Iris Stubbs became pupil teachers. 

They taught with passion, dignity and pride. The 

salary was the least of their worries. They were disciplinarians 

but also developed a good rapport with parents. 

They cared for their students and produced some of the 

best professionals in the Islands from South Caicos. 

Mrs. Basden was highly respected in the community. 

When students saw her on the street, they would 

stop doing whatever they were engaged in and pay her 

due respect. If she felt that they were idling, she would 

send them home. They had to obey her instructions. In 

the classroom, she was one of the “sweetest” and “loving” 

individuals a parent could entrust with their child. This did 

not prevent her from sparing the rod where necessary. 

She benefitted from numerous in-service training 

courses including First Aid, Shorthand and Bookkeeping. 

She retired in July 1980. 

Union 

On February 13, 1945, she married Mr. James Lightbourne. 

This union produced two children, Lincoln and Rosita. 

Following the birth of Rosita, her husband moved the family 

to Nassau, Bahamas in search of a better livelihood. 

Here, he was gainfully employed by the late Wallace Grove 

on Little Whale Cay. Marjorie became headmistress of the 

little school where the Grove’s children were enrolled. 

She also taught Sunday School and held evening classes 

where she taught the Three R’s along with needlework 

and embroidery. 

After some time, the Groves decided to relocate to 

Grand Bahama. Marjorie’s husband thought it best she 

return to South Caicos and said he would soon follow. 

This did not happen until forty years later. 

Marjorie did return to South Caicos and continued her 

life. She eventually got divorced and married Mr. Cornelius 

Basden. This union produced Beverley who has also followed 

in her mother’s footsteps as a teacher. Marjorie 

always reminds her that “teachers are born, not made.” 

Life’s challenges 

Marjorie Basden’s life was not without challenges. Early in 

her life, her mother left South Caicos and moved to Grand 

Turk to seek employment, leaving Marjorie in the care 

of her grandmother. However, because of their maternal 

bond, her mother soon sent for Marjorie. This bond was 

soon to be broken. Her mother fell ill and decided to send 

Marjorie back to South Caicos while she went to Salt Cay 

to be cared for. Unfortunately, she never recovered. 

Soon Marjorie’s beloved grandmother died, leaving 

her in the care of her grandmother’s sister, Susan 

Wilson-Williams. Her aunt’s husband Nathaniel (Uncle 

Nun) planned to send her to pursue her nursing career in 

Jamaica. However, disaster struck once again. In 1945, he 

passed away, shattering her dream. 

Achievements 

Mrs. Marjorie Basden has been the recipient of several 

awards. She was one of the first recipients of an award 

from the Native Men’s Fellowship in Providenciales. In 

1993, she received the Badge of Honour from Her Majesty 

The Queen, Elizabeth ll for her number of years as an educator. 

In 1990, the Pierson High School was re-named in 

her honour as Marjorie Basden High School. She was also 

honoured by the school in November 2015 at their annual 

Anniversary Service. On October 10, 2016, she received 

the Long Service Award as teacher by TCI’s National 

Honours and Awards Committee. 

16 www.timespub.tc

Community involvement 

Despite being the second oldest resident of South 

Caicos, Mrs. Basden continues to be active. She served 

as an Invigilator for the Grade Six Achievement Test 

(GSAT). She also invigilated the Pitmans Examinations, 

General Certificate in Education (GCE) and the Caribbean 

Examinations Council (CXC). 

She still writes character references for individuals as 

well as providing historical information to persons about 

family ties and the Islands. She is regarded as the family 

matriarch and is often resorted to for advice and guidance. 

She loves preparing meals and reminds those who 

cook of the proper way to go about it, as in her words, she 

loves “good” food. 

Despite not having the opportunity to benefit from 

formal training at the time, Mrs. Basden can be described 

as an outstanding teacher. She is living proof of her philosophy 

that “teachers are born.” When one looks around 

and see the quality of students that have passed through 

her hands and what little or no resources she had to work 

with, it is evident that she possessed that special gift. 

Marjorie Basden’s name is synonymous with education. 

She will go down in the history books as one of the greatest 

teachers South Caicos has ever produced. a 

Carlton Mills was born in South Caicos where he obtained 

his early education. He graduated from Excelsior 

Community College where he pursued a Certificate 

in Education. He also obtained a Certificate in Public 

Administration, Social Work and his Bachelors Degree in 

History and Sociology. He holds a Diploma in Education 

from the University of London, and a Masters Degree in 

Education from the University of Bristol and a Doctorate 

in Education from the University of Sheffield. 

Dr. Mills served as principal of the Marjorie Basden 

High School (1990–92), being the first Turks & Caicos 

Islander to hold that position. He also served as principal 

of the Raymond Gardiner High School (1992–97) and deputy 

principal of the TCI Community College (1997–2007). 

In 2007 he was appointed Minister of Education, Youth, 

Sports and Culture. In 2015 he became Principal of the 

Long Bay High School. He and his wife Debby-Lee Mills 

own and operate their own school, Mills Institute. 

Dr. Mills is author of A History of the Turks and 

Caicos Islands. He has presented numerous papers at 

conferences in the Caribbean and the UK in addition to 

publications. 

Times of the Islands Winter 2016/17 17

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM

a call to action 

Opposite page: The queen conch’s cultural and economic significance to the Turks & Caicos Islands is huge. 

Above: This peek into the conch’s shell reveals the live animal, with “foot” and eye stalks clearly visible. 


The Future of Conch 

Saving TCI’s iconic fishery. 

By Kathleen Wood 

Imagine the Turks & Caicos Islands without steamed conch, stewed conch, grilled conch, cracked conch, 

conch salad, conch fritters, conch and rice or conch chowder. The queen conch (Strombus gigas) has been 

the mainstay of the TCI diet since Lucayan Indians first inhabited these shores more than 1,000 years 

ago. Since the latter part of the 19th century, when robust trade with Haiti and the Dominican Republic 

began, conch has also been one of the leading contributors to TCI’s economy. Conch is one of the country’s 

few export commodities, and it is a critical component of local watersports, native crafts and the 

restaurant industry, contributing millions of dollars annually to people’s livelihoods. The conch’s cultural 

and economic significance is exemplified in the pink-lined, spiral shell gracing the TCI flag. Conch is TCI’s 

iconic fisheries species. Envisioning TCI without conch seems unimaginable, but that is what may happen 

if steps aren’t taken soon to ensure its survival. 


KATHLEEN WOOD 

For most of its history, the Turks & Caicos has 

enjoyed one of the most robust conch fisheries in the 

Caribbean. Most years, the country was the leading supplier 

of conch to the United States, but everything started 

to change in 2009, when the quantity of conch harvested 

in TCI plummeted by more than 50% from historic levels. 

Although the situation has improved slightly since then, 

catch continues to hover persistently around 50% of previous 

years’ levels. Furthermore, the conch that are being 

landed are becoming smaller and smaller with successive 

years, indicating that adult conch are becoming more 

scarce. 

Initially, the decline in conch stocks was thought to be 

a result of the double strike of hurricanes Ike and Hannah 

in 2008. These devastating storms caused hundreds of 

millions of dollars in damages to property in TCI, particularly 

around Grand Turk, Salt Cay and South Caicos. 

TCI has had severe hurricanes in the past, however, and 

conch stock never collapsed previously as a consequence. 

The hurricanes alone cannot account for the problem. 

If that were the case, stocks should have rebounded by 

now, as young produced by surviving conch would have 

repopulated the fishery within four to five years after the 

passing of the storms. Seven years have now passed since 

the initial collapse, and we must look to other causes and 

develop innovative solutions to ensure that TCI’s iconic 

conch do not disappear into the archives of history. 

Legal protection and existing conservation 

To save TCI’s conch fishery, it is logical to assume that 

legislative changes will need to be made. The laws 

already in place have simply not been effective in sustainably 

managing the fishery. The Fisheries Protection 

Ordinance regulates conch fishing in TCI. Currently, the 

primary laws include the following: 

• A closed season between July 15 and October 15 each 

year, when conch meat cannot be exported, but can still 

be fished and consumed locally. 

• A ban on fishing conch with a shell length smaller than 

seven inches or a total meat weight of less than eight 

ounces, once the digestive gland has been removed. 

• A ban on artificial breathing devices (scuba and hookah) 

to harvest conch or any other seafood product, protecting 

deep water stocks. 

• A proposal is also in place to implement a restriction on 

the weight of fileted or cleaned conch, but this has not 

yet been ratified into law. 

Internationally, conch is considered an endangered 

species under the Convention on Trade in Endangered 

Species (CITES). CITES requires that the fishing and international 

sale of conch does not cause any detriment to 

the species. In other words, in order for TCI to be allowed 

to export conch to CITES member foreign markets, such 

as the United States (TCI’s largest and most significant 

export market), TCI must demonstrate that the fishery is 

sustainably managed. In order to fulfil this obligation, TCI 

has historically established an export quota, in addition 

to the above regulations. The export quota is based on 

figures derived for the maximum quantity of conch that 

can be harvested sustainably each year [known as maximum 

sustained yield (MSY)]. 

The complicated life history of conch 

The above precautions are dated and have not gone far 

enough to protect TCI’s conch. Current fisheries science 

recognizes that an ecosystem approach to management 

(e.g. taking into consideration the animal’s habitat 

requirements, life history and other “big picture” realities) 

results in significantly improved sustainability outcomes. 

Such an approach would certainly help TCI’s conch, 

which have complicated life histories and special habitat 

requirements. 

They are grazing animals, dining on the algae and 

other microflora and fauna that grow on seagrasses and 

on shallow sand and rocky bottom. Because the conch’s 

habitat is dependent on plants, which require light for 

photosynthesis, conch are generally restricted to marine 

habitats of less than 30 meters in depth, where sufficient 

sunlight can penetrate the water column. The destruction 

of seagrass beds and other shallow marine habitats is 

therefore highly detrimental to conch. One of the most 

important ways to help the conch fishery is to ensure that 

critical conch habitats are protected, particularly those 

areas that are important for spawning and those that provide 

shelter and foraging for vulnerable juveniles. 

A conch habitat is usually less than 30 meters deep, where sunlight 

can penetrate the water column. 

20 www.timespub.tc

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DESTINATION 360 

Depending on environmental variables, the size of queen conch at maturity varies widely; shell thickness is a more accurate indicator. 

TCI’s local lore suggests that historically the conch 

fishery has been protected from overharvesting due to 

the presence of deep water stocks, which are too deep to 

reach by freediving. Regrettably, such lore contradicts the 

latest scientific observations, which indicate that conch 

do not inhabit deep water in large concentrations due 

to an unavailability of food. Furthermore, genetic testing 

in Florida and the Bahamas has shown that conch larvae 

do not travel over large distances, meaning that conch 

populations are highly localized, and once depleted, are 

unlikely to be replenished via conch from other areas. 

We have already observed this phenomenon in TCI. 

Fishers once fished for conch in shallow water, using a 

looking glass and a hook. Shallow conch were eventually 

fished out, forcing fishers into deeper areas. Fishers 

then moved from using the looking glass to freediving 

with a mask and fins. Conch have never returned to shallow 

areas, suitable for looking glass and hook fishing, 

in large enough quantities to make them commercially 

viable. Much of the conch accessible through freediving 

have now also been fished out, and some fishers are 

now asking to be allowed to use scuba gear to be able to 

access conch at depths greater than 20 meters. 

Individual conch reach their maximum size before 

sexual maturity, which usually takes place between 

four and five years of age. Thereafter, growth is limited 

to an increase in shell thickness (A. Stoner, Mueller, 

Brown-Peterson, Davis, & Booker, 2012). Depending on 

environmental variables, the size of queen conch at maturity 

varies widely; therefore, size is not a good indicator 

of maturity. Because of this, TCI’s size restrictions are 

relatively meaningless from a management point of view. 

In order to ensure that legislation matches the conch’s 

natural history, a shell-thickness regulation should also 

be in place, ensuring that conch have the opportunity to 

reach sexual maturity and spawn before being harvested. 

Research has determined that the shell thickness at sexual 

maturity is at least 15 millimetres for females, and 10 

millimetres for males (Mueller & Stoner, 2013; A. Stoner 

et al., 2012). 

Conch also reproduce sexually with internal fertilization 

(just like we do). Unlike us, however, conch are 

extremely slow moving, so large densities of animals 

are required in order for successful reproduction to take 

place. Otherwise, they simply can’t find each other in 

order to mate. A number of studies in Key West and the 

Bahamas suggest that ideally, 100 adults per hectare may 

be necessary to ensure successful reproduction (Glazer, 

2001; Allan W Stoner, Davis, & Booker, 2012; A. W. Stoner 

& Ray, 2000). This fact may explain why when conch 

22 www.timespub.tc

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stocks have collapsed, they have been slow to come back, 

if they ever do. Florida’s conch fishery collapsed in 1975, 

due to overfishing, and it has still not recovered. 

Protecting dense populations of mature adult conch 

is therefore essential to ensuring that the fishery remains 

viable. Historically, fisherfolk have targeted spawning 

aggregations (areas where members of the same species 

gather in large numbers for the purposes of reproduction) 

for harvest because large quantities of conch can 

be easily harvested at the same time at such locations. 

Unfortunately, this practice is particularly detrimental 

because it removes the animals from the ecosystem at 

precisely the time they are reproducing and restocking 

the population. After successive years of such practices, 

spawning aggregations become fished out and are then 

no longer viable for the replenishment of the fishery. 

Conch begin to spawn in early spring, when water 

temperatures start to get warm. Most spawning takes 

place between March and August, similarly to the 

Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), TCI’s other 

main fishery. Unfortunately, this means that any meaningful 

closed season for conch (or a time of the year when 

fishing is not allowed in order to allow a species adequate 

time for reproduction) would be approximately at 

the same time as TCI’s closed season for lobster. Closing 

the two leading fisheries in TCI at the same time would 

undoubtedly cause hardship for fishers, unless an alternative, 

viable fishery, based on another species, can be 

developed. Deepwater and pelagic fish stocks are good 

candidates for such development. 

Towards a sustainable future 

Time is of the essence to restore and sustainably manage 

TCI’s conch fishery. First, an accurate estimate of 

existing populations must be determined. In 2013, 

the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs 

[(DEMA) now the Department of Environment and Coastal 

Resources (DECR)] began conducting a population survey 

of queen conch. Preliminary results indicated that overall 

densities of adult conch in TCI may be as low as 14 per 

hectare, far below densities required for successful reproduction. 

If ongoing study confirms this, then a complete 

closure of the fishery will be required for a period of four 

to five years. Such a closure will allow existing juvenile 

conch to reach sexual maturity, increasing the densities 

of adult conch required for reproduction at spawning 

sites. The fishery should not be reopened until such densities 

are achieved. 


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Once appropriate densities have been restored, shell 

length and weight regulations should be replaced with 

regulations stipulating a minimum shell thickness of 15 

millimetres. To enforce this, conch will need to be landed 

whole and in the shell. Such a regulation will also reduce 

the number of conch fished, as fishers are limited by the 

amount of weight they can carry on their boats. A closed 

season that matches the conchs’ spawning cycle, from 

March through August, should also be instituted. This 

season should be completely closed, with bans both on 

export and local consumption. Finally, the fishery cannot 

survive if the conch’s habitats are degraded or lost; 

therefore, all spawning and juvenile habitats should be 

established as protected areas and protected from fishing 

pressure and environmental degradation. Implementing 

the measures would successfully maintain the amount of 

conch that can be sustainably harvested indefinitely. Such 

measures have been found to be more effective in managing 

fisheries than traditional MSY and quota strategies, 

but they must be implemented before conch densities 

become too low to allow for recovery. 

TCI’s historic conch fishery is now at a crossroads. 

Humans have the tools to restore the fishery and ensure 

its longevity and abundance into the future. Let’s hope 

that our children learn about TCI setting a positive example 

for the entire Caribbean region. a 

Sources cited 

Glazer, R. (2001). Queen Conch Stock restoration. 

Florida Marine Research Institute South Florida Regional 

Laboratory. Marathon, FL. 7p. 

Mueller, K. W., & Stoner, A. W. (2013). Proxy Measures 

for Queen Conch (Strombus gigas linné, 1758) Age and 

Maturity: Relationships Between Shell Lip Thickness and 

Operculum Dimensions. Journal of Shellfish Research, 

32(3), 739-744. doi:10.2983/035.032.0316 

Stoner, A., Mueller, K., Brown-Peterson, N., Davis, M., & 

Booker, C. (2012). Maturation and age in queen conch 

(Strombus gigas): Urgent need for changes in harvest criteria. 

Fisheries Research, 131-133, 76-84. 

Stoner, A. W., Davis, M. H., & Booker, C. J. (2012). Negative 

Consequences of Allee Effect are Compounded by Fishing 

Pressure: Comparison of Queen Conch Reproduction in 

Fishing Grounds and a Marine Protected Area. Bulletin of 

Marine Science, 88(1), 89-104. 

Stoner, A. W., & Ray, M. (2000). Evidence for Allee effects 

in an over-harvested marine gastropod; density-dependent 

mating and egg production. Marine Ecology Progress 

Series, 202, 297-302. 

24 www.timespub.tc

Visit 

THE CAICOS CONCH FARM 

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CONCH & FISH 

Monday - Friday: 9am - 4pm 

Saturday: 9am - 2.30pm 

Closed: Sundays 

Adults $12.00 

Children $10.00 

Leeward Highway, Leeward, Providenciales 

Phone: (649) 946-5330

green pages 

newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources 

head office: church folly, grand turk, tel 649 946 2801 • fax 649 946 1895 

• astwood street, south caicos, tel 649 946 3306 • fax 946 3710 

• national environmental centre, lower bight road, providenciales 

parks division, tel 649 941 5122 • fax 649 946 4793 

fisheries division, tel 649 946 4017 • fax 649 946 4793 

email environment@gov.tc or dema.tci@gmail.com • web www.environment.tc 

DAVID M. STONE 

Although beautiful to the sight, the invasive lionfish threatens the livelihood of TCI fishermen and the health of the coral reefs. 

Round ‘em Up! 

TCI’s First Annual Lionfish Festival and Derby. 

Story & Photos By Don Stark, Chairman, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund 

Lionfish are a non-native (invasive) fish species found not only in the Turks & Caicos, but throughout the 

tropical Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Although there are many theories, it is believed 

that the invasion started in the early 1990s when a small number of lionfish, from personal aquaria, were 

released into the waters off the Florida coast. We now have a massive problem throughout the region. 

26 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources 

How did lionfish spread so far and so quickly? Females 

can lay up to 30,000 eggs every few days. Lionfish are 

pelagic breeders, which means their eggs, once fertilized, 

float to the surface and drift with the currents for several 

days before hatching, at which time the newborn lionfish 

fry settle onto the reef or in the mangroves to eat, grow 

and reproduce. They also have no natural predators in 

the region, which allows them to expand their population 

unabated. They have followed the currents to infest from 

the northeast coast of the US down to the north coast 

of Brazil and as far west as the Yucatan peninsula and 

Central America’s Caribbean and Gulf coasts. 

Lionfish are beautiful fish to observe. Their long, 

feather-like dorsal and pectoral fins flutter in the water 

as they move slowly over the reef—lovely, but deadly. 

Lionfish are generalist carnivores (meaning they eat whatever 

type of creature that happens to be convenient). 

They eat frequently and devour everything from other 

fish to lobsters, shrimp, mollusks and crabs. They can 

consume a fish that is nearly one-half times their own 

length and researchers from the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration have found lionfish with as 

many as 25–30 fish in their stomach at one time. One 

research report found that the lionfish diet in the tropical 

Atlantic consisted primarily of goatfish, grunts, wrasses, 

parrotfish and jacks. Crustaceans (i.e., lobsters) were also 

an important part of the lionfish diet. 

Because of their increasing numbers and their voracious 

appetites, lionfish in the Turks & Caicos Islands 

threaten the livelihood of all of our fishermen as well as 

the general health of the protective coral reefs surrounding 

these islands. 

The threat to the fishing industry from lionfish is that 

their indiscriminant feeding, rapid breeding and lack of 

natural predators make them the virtual apex predator on 

the reefs. As their population continues to increase, it will 

likely have a negative impact on commercially attractive 

marine species such as lobster, grouper and snapper. 

The threat to the reefs is caused by the fact that one 

of the lionfish’s favorite meals is parrotfish. Along with 

other species of fish, parrotfish help maintain healthy 

reefs by eating algae that would otherwise overgrow on 

coral and smother it. Without parrotfish, reefs are not 

likely to survive. If the reefs die, so does tourism in these 

islands as scuba divers, snorkelers and fishermen will go 

elsewhere to spend their vacation dollars. 

On Grand Turk and South Caicos, a total of 190 lionfish were caught 

in the derby. 

So what can we do? The good news is that lionfish 

meat is quite tasty. It is a mild-flavored, flaky white 

fish that can be prepared in a variety of ways just like 

any other fish—from ceviche to blackened filets to fish 

fingers. Contrary to popular belief, the flesh is not poisonous 

and only requires careful handling until the 

pectoral, anal and dorsal fins are removed. The spines in 

these fins contain a venom which can cause a great deal 

of pain, swelling and in extreme cases, nausea, vomiting 

and more severe symptoms. But there is no venom in the 

flesh of the fish and, in fact, if the fish is cooked whole 

with fins on, the venom in the fin spines is inactivated by 

heat and becomes harmless. 

In an effort to increase awareness of the problems 

posed by lionfish and to encourage local fishers to catch 

CARL BEEN 



CARL BEEN 

CARL BEEN 

ERIC F. SALAMANCA 

lionfish, the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF) worked with 

the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources 

(DECR) and the Department of Culture and Heritage to 

organize the 1st Annual TCI Lionfish Festival. The festival, 

held on October 29, 2016 on Providenciales and on 

November 5, 2016 on Grand Turk and South Caicos, was 

kicked off early in the day with a lionfish derby. 

Five teams from Provo, seven from Grand Turk and 

three from South Caicos participated in the two derbies. 

Lionfish derbies are organized culling events—teams of 

up to four people go out and catch as many lionfish as 

they can and bring them to the judging station at the 

festival. Then, every lionfish brought in is measured and 

counted. The teams bringing in the biggest, the smallest 

(based on length) and the most lionfish were awarded 

cash prizes and trophies. Second and third place finishers 

received a smaller cash prize and a plaque. Over 

$3,500 in cash and prizes were awarded at each of the 

two derbies. On Provo, a total of 85 lionfish were caught; 

on Grand Turk and South Caicos, 190 fish were caught. 

Winners in each category for the two derbies are shown 

in the table on the opposite page. 

But the lionfish derbies were only the kick-off event. 

As the boats were coming into the docks for judging, 

the public was treated to live music, a rake and scrape 

competition, lionfish cooking demonstrations by several 

local restaurateurs, games for the kids, scientific demonstrations 

about lionfish and many other activities. 

The objective of the festival was to raise awareness of 

the lionfish problem, introduce people to the tasty nature 

of lionfish and to encourage restaurants to ask their local 

fishers to start supplying them with lionfish on a regular 

basis. Science has shown that frequent culling of lionfish 

can control the population and protect the other commercially 

important fish stocks. So, we want to eat our way 

out of the lionfish problem! a 


From top: DECR Director Dr. John Claydon and Conservation Officer 

Roddy McLeod dissect fish for the attendees to see stomach contents. 

TCRF Chairman Don Stark measures the lionfish as they come in. 

Director of Culture Ludwina Fulford and DECR Education Officer Amy 

Avenant honor the winners of the children’s coloring contest. 

Amanyara Chef Erik Frommer prepares lionfish dishes for attendees 

to sample. 

We extend special thanks to our sponsors who helped 

make the festival a success. They include: Amanyara, 

Graceway Supermarkets, Turks Head Brewery, the Turks 

& Caicos Islands Tourist Board, Turtle Cove Marina, 

Unicorn Bookstore, the School for Field Studies and REEF. 

org. 

28 www.timespub.tc


Providenciales Derby Winners 

Most Caught: 

1st Place: Simple Men–41 fish 

2nd Place: Team Turtle–29 fish 

3rd Place: Instuition–8 fish 

Largest Fish (length)/Smallest Fish (length): 

1st Place: Team Turtle–390 mm/Simple Men–115 mm* 

2nd Place: Simple Men–320 mm/Instuition–115 mm* 

3rd Place: Instuition–282 mm/Lion Kings–152 mm 

*Tie breaker is the earliest arrival time at the dock 

Grand Turk/South Caicos Derby Winners 

Most Caught: 

1st Place: Buss Lips (Grand Turk)–87 fish 

2nd Place: D&G (South Caicos)–38 fish 

3rd Place: Juice Kings (Grand Turk)–24 fish 

Largest Fish (length)/Smallest Fish (length): 

1st: Grand Turk Diving–398 mm/Buss Lips–95 mm 

2nd: Oliver Been (GT)–387 mm/GT Diving–110 mm 

3rd: Buss Lips–381 mm/D&G (South Caicos)–115 mm 


CARL BEEN 

From top: Grand Turk derby winners display their awards with TCRF 

Chairman Don Stark at center. 

Team Simple Men (Mike Fox, Matt Slattery, Tom Mowbry, Mia Toose) 

celebrate with TCI Minister for Tourism Portia Stubbs-Smith. 



The red and black berries of mistletoe plants from South Caicos have confirmed their identity as Dendropemon elegans, formerly considered 

a species endemic to mountains on Hispaniola. On South Caicos it mainly parasitizes black-bead Pithecellobium dulce. 

Under the Mistletoe . . . 

This unusual plant is not as “romantic” as it would seem. 

Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist 

“Ugh, it’s like evaporating rubber cement,” I lamented, scraping the mucilaginous liquid off my fingers 

onto the twig of a pink poui tree, “No wonder I could never get it to work before—I was doing it wrong all 

these years.” Botanist Marcos Caraballo was teaching me how to plant the sticky seeds of mistletoe—specifically 

Caribbean smooth mistletoe Dendropemon purpureus. Found only on islands in the Caribbean 

basin, this species is widespread but only common in small localities, one of those being in the Northwest 

Point area of Providenciales. 

30 www.timespub.tc


Most people associate mistletoe with winter and 

Christmas time, hanging sprigs of it, real or artificial, in 

doorways to instigate the tradition of kissing under it. 

This tradition dates back so far that its beginnings are 

lost to history, but there was formerly a tradition that 

after each kiss, one berry was removed until none were 

left, at which point the kissing stopped. Tradition also 

dictates that it is bad luck to refuse a kiss under mistletoe. 

But mistletoe in the Turks & Caicos Islands? At least 

three species of this strange group of plants make their 

homes here, taking advantage not only of the tropical 

climate and abundant migratory bird seed dispersers, but 

also of the diversity of host plants. 

Mistletoes are parasites. They do not grow in the 

ground as most plants do. They grow on the branches 

of other trees and shrubs—but unlike the orchids and 

air plants which are epiphytes (which merely use other 

trees as a perch and take nothing from them), mistletoes 

worm their roots through the bark of their host 

trees and shrubs and help themselves to the liquids they 

find inside. Absorbing these liquids, most mistletoes use 

them to help make their own food. Typically, mistletoes 

have green leaves and chlorophyll, and so photosynthesize 

to produce sugar. 

All three of our known species in TCI live in this 

way. There are other species that only make their own 

food early in life, including a parasite on pine trees in 

Hispaniola’s mountains and one on cacti in Peruvian deserts 

which live their lives entirely inside their hosts, only 

spearing outside to flower and fruit and bearing no leaves 

or green stems of their own. Some species overtake and 

can even weaken their host plant to the point of death. 

The benefit of this to the mistletoe is unknown, since it 

also dies with the host—but it may be that such heavy 

infestations on one tree are entirely accidental and not 

deliberate. 

Our TCI species may weaken a tree, as is suggested 

by the generic name of smooth mistletoe—Dendropemon 

arises from dendro (tree) and pemon (injurious). They are 

more common among the three to five families of plants 

(genetic evidence suggests they all evolved separately) 

that make up the mistletoe group: they do not tend to 

be injurious enough to kill the host; they just grow as a 

small, shrubby cluster of rubbery foliage that looks like a 

misplaced branch of another tree. 

From top: The fully black berries on most TCI mistletoes identifies 

them as the common Caribbean smooth mistletoe Dendropemon purpureus. 

The fruit colour is variable throughout its Caribbean range, 

and it may end up being split into several species by botanists. 

A shrub in a tree—this Caribbean smooth mistletoe Dendropemon 

purpureus is parasitizing a five-fingers Tabebuia bahamensis in 

North Caicos. 

Like the talons of a raptor, the roots of this Caribbean smooth mistletoe 

Dendropemon purpureus grip and penetrate its host plant, 

drawing out water and nutrients. 



From left: Three days after planting on a branch, this Dendropemon elegans seedling is hungrily seeking to attach its haustoria to its host tree. 

A Dendropemon elegans seedling planted in a conservation nursery sprouts its first true leaves. 

Not far from its mother plant, a seedling of Caribbean smooth mistletoe Dendropemon purpureus sheds its seed coat and begins photosynthesizing 

to garner strength as it penetrates the bark of its host tree. 

These small rubbery shrubs can be difficult to spot. 

Often, they tend to grow toward the centre of their host’s 

crown and are concealed amongst the host tree’s own 

leafy branches. For this reason, they are easily overlooked 

until a drought forces trees to drop their leaves, 

or until one walks directly into a droopy specimen on 

a low-hanging branch. That is precisely how I encountered 

the mahogany mistletoe Phoradendron rubrum in 

2001, previously unknown from TCI. Hiking south from 

the runway in Middle Caicos through a wholly unpleasant 

habitat of razor-edge eroded limestone interrupted with 

sinkholes full of sawgrass, red mangrove, and mosquitoes 

with higher ground dominated by poisonwood and 

spiny plants, as I ducked under a West Indian mahogany 

branch, I was brushed in the face by what felt like a plastic 

ornamental aquarium plant. Not recognising the long, 

curved leaves, I followed them up to stems that ended in a 

bulbous base firmly attached to the mahogany tree itself. 

Since that time, this species has been found in another 

location in North Caicos, but it is not particularly common 

anywhere and it only parasitizes West Indian mahogany. 

A related species, the angled mistletoe Phoradendron trinervium, 

is recorded from TCI from just two host species 

(Phoradendron species seem picky) but has not yet been 

rediscovered since it was catalogued decades ago, and 

our botanical researchers continue to search for it. 

Far more common and generalist in their tastes are 

the Dendropemon species. We have at least two, including 

the common smooth mistletoe, which can be seen in 

Northwest Point National Park at the end of the sand road 

among the seven year apple Casasia clusiifolia bushes 

and among other species of trees along the road, as 

well as along the North Caicos road to the Middle Caicos 

causeway. This species has dull blue-black berries most 

of the year. 

Another species, yet unconfirmed, is common in 

small areas of South Caicos, where it parasitizes a variety 

of low shrubs. Its distinctive half red, half black barrel-shaped 

berries have led mistletoe researcher Marcos 

Caraballo to believe that they may form a disjunct population 

of Dendropemon elegans, a species otherwise known 

only from the Dominican Republic. Caraballo explained 

that the habitats couldn’t be more different though—the 

Hispaniolan population parasitizes plants in cloud forest, 

not dry salty scrub. Ongoing research into the genetics 

should reveal what is happening in this interesting genus. 

The plants in this genus are small, usually under a 

foot in height, and their rough stems cam be seen gripping 

their hosts’ branches where the roots then penetrate 

the bark. The effect can resemble the claws of a raptor 

digging deep into a branch. Under the host tree’s bark, 

specialised root structures called haustoria tap into the 

tree’s vascular tissue, drawing out water and nutrients. 

Since our mistletoes make their own food from these 

resources, they are properly only hemiparasites, but they 

cannot exist without a host. 

But how do they get into their host in the first place? 

The process of mistletoe reproduction is a strange one 

that requires help from assistants supplied by nature. 

The berries of mistletoe are brightly coloured (ours are 

32 www.timespub.tc


red, black, or yellow) to attract birds. Under that colourful 

skin, a very thin layer of pulp surrounds a hard, oval seed 

covered in a white membrane made of a substance called 

viscin. When birds eat mistletoe berries, they digest the 

skin and pulp and expose the viscin, which acquires a 

texture similar to thickening white school glue. The seed 

sticks to anything it touches, and this causes the bird an 

embarrassing problem. While birds are usually free to liberally 

void their hindguts any time they wish, the viscous 

mistletoe seed just won’t let go. It adheres tenaciously to 

the bird’s bottom, and the bird must land on a branch, 

scrape the seed off with wiping motions, and often scoot 

around the branch or use its foot to break the long, gooey 

strands of viscin that stretch to keep the seed attached. 

This way, the seed becomes attached to a tree branch, 

and the liquid strands of viscin begin to harden and glue 

the seed fast to the branch. The seed has been planted. 

If the bird chose the right tree and a living branch, the 

seed will begin its journey to plant-hood almost immediately. 

Stimulated by sunlight, one end of the seed begins 

to open, and a gooey green blob creeps out. Within a day 

or two, gravity, shadows, and sunlight patterns guide the 

blob toward the branch to which the seed is glued, and 

the green blob sticks itself to the tree’s bark like a tiny 

suction cup. Meanwhile, the first pair of leaves begins to 

grow from the seed, and the tiny mistletoe plant begins 

its life as a properly autotrophic being, making its own 

food from sunlight and stored resources from the seed. 

Over the next few months, the plantlet absorbs rainwater 

while its base pushes against the bark of the host 

tree in search of a weak spot. Eventually, it will penetrate 

the bark, stabbing into the host plant’s vascular tissue. 

The plantlet is picky—it needs to be on a branch of a 

favourable host species, which is protected from drying 

winds and interfering leaves, but exposed to full sunlight. 

Without the perfect balance of conditions, it will die, and 

most seeds never make it to adulthood. Those that do 

grow slowly, reaching their adult size over several years. 

Successful wild seedlings are lucky, but mistletoe 

seeds are notoriously difficult to grow in horticulture as 

well. We had tried and failed a number of times in the 

Native Plant Nursery, following outdated instructions not 

entirely intended for the species we have here. However 

in December 2014, mistletoe specialist Marcos Caraballo 

from Penn State University demonstrated the correct way. 

Keeping the viscin fully intact while extracting the seed 

Caribbean smooth mistletoe Dendropemon purpureus has small, 

unremarkable flowers and while mostly green in TCI, they can be 

white or tinged with red as well. 

from the fruit required a firm but gentle hand, and the 

fruit had to be opened from the correct end so as not to 

damage the bud plate. Gently liquefying the viscin with 

a brief massage to simulate the actions of a bird’s gut, 

we aggravated the substance into a magnificently sticky 

mess that stuck the seeds to our fingers. Scraping the 

seeds onto the branches of a pink poui tree (a tree known 

to be accepted as a host by numerous mistletoe species) 

we wound the stretching, rubbery strands of natural glue 

around the seed and branch, watching it solidify and glue 

the plant in place. “I feel like Spiderman, shooting web out 

of my hands, but making a mess of things,” I remarked, 

only marginally confident that this would work. 

But work it did, and within a week, the seeds had 

germinated and most had plugged themselves into the 

bark. I received another batch of seeds from the unknown 

South Caicos species, which I followed the same protocol 

to plant and which also worked well. My pink poui tree 

may never forgive me; it is now festooned with mistletoe 

plantlets that are growing slowly but surely as they invade 

their sacrificial host. I saved a number of the seeds for 

planting in the National Museum’s Botanical and Cultural 

Garden on Grand Turk, and excitedly explained to my 

mother the complicated natural process of how the seeds 

are planted by birds with the sticky viscin gluing them to 

branches. As I was on my way out to plant the seeds, she 

eyed me critically. “You have another way to plant those, 

right? Because those trees are kind of small and I don’t 

think they’ll support you . . .” I am happy to report the 

seeds were planted the scientific way. a 


feature 

Opposite page: Pirate imagery has been woven into our imaginations from childhood. 

Above: The female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read lived a real life more astonishing than any fictional tale. 

Lady Pirates of the TCI 

The astonishing story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. 

By Ben Stubenberg ~ Photos By iStock.com 

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a swashbuckling pirate in the Caribbean, living life wild and free on the high 

seas with the tantalising prospect of getting rich with treasure? The romantic imagery has been woven 

into our collective imaginations from childhood, starting with Captain Hook and Peter Pan and on to the 

popular movie series, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” But these fictional tales of adventure and derring-do 

don’t come close to the true exploits of the most compelling and unlikely pirates of all: Anne Bonny and 

Mary Read. 


If you are in the Turks & Caicos Islands right now, you 

may be standing on the same white sand beaches and 

looking out over the same turquoise waters where legend 

has it the notorious female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary 

Read did 300 years ago during the Golden Age of Piracy 

(1713–1725). Here in this string of stunning cays and 

islands, Anne and Mary and their fellow pirates cruised, 

plotted, partied, fought, loved and probably procreated. 

“Pirate Cay,” now known by the gentler name of Parrot 

Cay, where today many celebrities keep their second 

homes, is reputed to be their base for raids and recuperation. 

The narrow channels, dense mangroves and hidden 

coves provided the perfect pirate’s lair. The treacherous, 

hull-ripping, barrier coral reef just offshore gave them one 

more layer of protection from any pursuers while they 

kept lookout for passing Spanish galleons and merchants’ 

vessels to attack. 

Who were these seafaring women that lived and 

thrived in a decidedly man’s world? And what was their 

relationship? Fortunately, accounts of the time and a 

pirate trial have given us exceptional insight that otherwise 

might never be known. While there are many versions 

of their short, compelling careers yet to be verified by 

historians, there are enough strands to weave together a 

portrait of two astonishing women ahead of their time. 

Anne Bonny 

Anne Bonny was born “on the wrong side of the blanket” in 

the town of Kinsale in County Cork, Ireland around 1698, 

the offspring of a lawyer, William Cormac, and the family 

maid, Mary Brennan. The scandalous affair erupted into a 

contentious divorce proceeding initiated by the scorned 

wife that may have resulted in a criminal conviction of 

Brennan. One account has Brennan and her daughter Anne 

sent to a penal colony in the Carolinas in the American 

colonies but soon joined by her lover Cormac, who was 

prepared to begin a new life with Mary and their baby 

daughter. It is known that Cormac started a rice plantation 

outside Charleston, a rapidly growing commercial city 

and the center of slave trade in the American South, and 

became quite successful and prominent. 

Anne’s mother died when she was 13 years old, 

leaving her father to raise her. By Anne’s teenage years, 

she had become a red-headed beauty, headstrong, and, 

reportedly, with a fiery temper. Cormac had no doubt 

hoped to find a proper suitor for marriage so that she 

could settle down into the life of a Southern belle. But 

Anne had other ideas, preferring the boisterous company 

of a less refined class, much to her father’s dismay. 

In 1718, at the age of 20, Anne did marry, but to 

a poor, feckless drifter and sailor (and possibly parttime 

pirate) named James Bonny, prompting Cormac to 

cut her off from any inheritance. Undaunted, Anne and 

James left Charleston for New Providence, now Nassau, in 

the Bahamas, then a rough- and-tumble town filled with 

unruly ex-pirates having what we might call today, “career 

transition adjustment issues.” 

Pirates had been useful to the European nations at 

war with each other. With so-called “Letters of Marque,” 

Great Britain and other nations turned pirates into privateers 

with free reign to attack enemy merchant vessels 

with impunity. The policy was essentially a military “force 

multiplier” tool, but difficult to control. 

The Peace of Utrecht agreement in 1713 brought 

an end to the conflicts between the alliance of Britain, 

Netherlands, and Austria on one side and France and 

Spain on the other. It also threw some 1,500 privateers 

out of “work,” turning them into freelance pirates loyal to 

no one. These untethered pirates began posing a serious 

threat to the emerging lucrative three-point trans-Atlantic 

trade between England, Africa and the colonies in the 

Americas. Rather than expend energy and treasure fighting 

pirates, a frustrated King George I decided in 1717 

to offer them an unconditional pardon if they would give 

up their cut-throat, menacing ways forever and follow 

the rule of British law. Many pirates took pardon but few 

found conventional, “honest” living to their liking and it 

was hardly lucrative. 

Anne thrived among the brawling, rambunctious misfits 

of New Providence, but James chose to live a different 

way by working as a stool pigeon for the British governor, 

spying on talk and plots by pardoned ex-pirates who 

regretted their decision. 

The snitching ways of James may well have soured 

Anne’s attraction to him, along with her own free-spirit 

inclination to choose her men, damn the social norms of 

her era. Soon enough, Anne caught the eye of the most 

colorful ex-pirate in town, “Calico” Jack Rackham. His 

courtship with Anne is described in Pirates of the West 

Indies as taking her the way he attacked a prize: with “no 

time wasted, straight up alongside . . . every gun brought 

to play, and the prize boarded.” 

An enraged and humiliated James Bonny, who clearly 

did not stand a chance, attempted at first to “sell” Anne to 

Calico Jack. At the time, a husband sometimes did this in 

such circumstances to get out of paying support for their 

wayward wives and maybe landing some compensation 

for the break-up. 

36 www.timespub.tc

Though not authorized by law, only custom, Calico 

Jack was apparently willing to pay, but for some reason 

the “deal” fell through. A court record shows that Anne 

was sentenced to flogging in the town square for adultery, 

but there is no evidence this was actually carried 

out. If Anne, an independent-minded lass raised in the 

privileged, high society of Charleston, was in fact flogged 

and publicly humiliated, one can imagine her developing 

a disdain for institutions that had so punished her. 

In the meantime, Anne became pregnant, though it is 

not clear by which man, since she was living with James 

while cavorting with Calico Jack. Nonetheless, Calico Jack 

sent her to a home he had in Cuba where she may have 

given birth to a son. If so, once she recovered, Anne left 

the baby behind with a nursemaid while she returned to 

New Providence alone and ready to take up piracy with 

a vengeance. Calico Jack by then had had enough of 

life under the British authorities. He, Anne and a crew 

of like-minded sailors stole a ship, the William, in New 

Providence Harbour and sailed away to be pirates again, 

unencumbered by laws or social conventions. 

Taking a woman on a pirate ship was contrary to 

pirate codes, and the crew must have had some misgivings 

about Anne on board. But Anne, usually dressed as a man, 

quickly proved herself their equal when sailing and raiding 

other ships. It is said that she learned to use a cutlass, 

fire pistols and curse as bad as any of the men. Indeed, 

it is reported that she was often more ferocious than the 

men, perhaps to prove herself, perhaps to distance herself 

from any perception of upper class association. 

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Mary Read 

Mary Read’s background could not be more different from 

Anne’s, other than they were both born out of wedlock. 

She was born into poverty in Bristol, England, and, as fate 

would have it, raised as a boy and taught to hide her sexual 

identity. 

Before Mary was born, her mother gave birth to a son 

by her sailor husband, who had died earlier. To help care 

for the struggling widow and infant child, the husband’s 

mother provided them with a small allotment of one crown 

a month. But Mary’s mother soon became pregnant again, 

and a year later gave birth to Mary. Shortly afterwards, 

the boy, Mary’s half brother, died. In an effort to continue 

receiving the allotment, Mary’s mother hid the boy’s death 

from her in-laws, and instead passed off Mary as the son 

by her deceased husband. 

In due time, the ruse was discovered and support 

abruptly cut off, leaving Mary and her mother totally des- 

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titute. By then, Mary was old enough to be rented out to a 

wealthier family to do chores, but kept the male identity. 

Around the age of 13 she became a cabin boy aboard 

a British man-of-war, and in her late teens or early 20s 

joined a British infantry regiment in Flanders as a foot 

soldier. 

Mary demonstrated considerable courage in battle 

and received due recognition from superior officers. She 

later joined a calvary unit, where she also saw action. By 

chance, she found herself as bunkmate with her commanding 

officer and became very attracted to him. Of 

course, this presented a dilemma to Mary who had been 

posing as a male soldier. Moreover, her special interest 

did not go unnoticed by the other officers in the regiment, 

who thought Mary was a man. 

By one account, Mary could no longer contain her passion 

and found a way to let her commander “discover” 

her true gender. After the initial shock, he was apparently 

quite delighted and wanted Mary as a mistress. But 

Mary had her standards and insisted on marriage before 

he could consummate the relationship. They did in fact 

marry, with the regiment chipping in for the wedding 

dress, celebration and gifts. The couple left the army and 

opened a successful tavern in Breda, in what is now the 

Netherlands, called Three Horseshoes. Mary’s husband 

died within a few years, about the time when the armies 

(their biggest customer base) stopped fighting, and the 

tavern fell on hard times. Mary managed to sell the tavern 

but soon found herself destitute again. 

Ever the adventurous survivor, Mary went back to posing 

as a man, and found work aboard a Dutch ship bound 

for the West Indies using the name Mark Read. That ship 

was attacked by a pirate vessel whose quartermaster was 

non-other than Calico Jack Rackham, before he had taken 

the King’s pardon. In keeping with the governing articles 

of many pirates, the crew was invited to become pirates 

too. Most accepted, including Mary. 

A year later, Mary took the pardon offered by King 

George and ended up in New Providence, where Calico 

Jack had also migrated. One story has Mary joining with 

Calico Jack and Anne in New Providence to steal the sloop 

William. Another version has Mary on another ship captured 

by the William, now under the command of Captain 

Calico Jack, and joining the pirate crew as one of them. 

What is accepted is that, against long odds, two females 

ended up on the same pirate vessel, as pirates raiding 

ships together. 

Pirates ahead of their time 

It is tempting to see these pirates as nothing but murderous 

thieves on the high seas, and while many certainly 

were, the real story is more complex and nuanced, especially 

when considered in the context of the times. 

Life for the vast underclass of Europe and the 

38 www.timespub.tc

Caribbean in the early 1700s was miserable and unjust 

with no hope of getting ahead. Seamen in particular, 

whether Navy or merchant marine, were treated especially 

harshly by their officers, often flogged or otherwise 

punished severely for the smallest infractions. Officers 

and ship owners regularly cheated their crews out of their 

pay when their service was up, sometimes after years of 

tough, dangerous service, with no recourse. 

Moreover, the institutions of the time very much supported 

enrichment of the privileged few while exploiting 

the many. In the West Indies, this included long indentured 

servitude for poor whites seeking to escape abject 

poverty in Great Britain and Ireland and barbarous slavery 

for blacks brought from Africa. 

More than a few escaped slaves found their way to 

pirate ships, thus taking them instantly from the most 

brutal form of oppression to liberation and equal status. 

As many as 1/4 of the pirates on a ship may have been 

escaped slaves. 

For those on the bitter end of the social strata, the 

chance to be free from the bonds of abusive domination 

and even get rich in the process by attacking ships serving 

and enhancing the power and enrichment of the well-off, 

was enormously attractive. Indeed, the pirates of the time 

were quite aware of the inequity of the rigid hierarchy that 

kept them down and relished the opportunity to steal the 

wealth of others, which in their view, belonged as much 

to them. 

Piracy provided something that was otherwise impossible 

to attain: True freedom, especially after chafing 

under the boot of unmerciful authority. So, it is not surprising 

that Mary and so many other pirates willingly took 

the offer. 

In 1717, the pirate Captain Charles Bellamy best 

articulated the righteousness of piracy set against his contempt 

for those who serve the rich, governing class. This 

is what he said to the captain of a merchant vessel he had 

just captured: 

“Damn ye, you are a sneaking Puppy, and so are all 

those who will submit to be governed by the Laws 

which rich Men have made for their own Security, 

for the cowardly Whelps have not the Courage otherwise 

to defend what they get by their Knavery; but 

damn ye altogether: Damn them for a Pack of crafty 

Rascals, and you, who serve them, for a parcel of henhearted 

Numskuls. They vilify us, the Scoundrels do, 

when there is only this Difference, they rob the poor 

under the Cover of the Law, forsooth, and we plunder 

the Rich under the Protection of our own Courage; 

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had you not better make One of us, than sneak after 

the Arses of those Villains for Employment?” 

Imagine for a moment standing on a deck face-to-face 

with the commanding bearing of a defiant pirate captain 

in whose hands rested your fate, and hearing the forceful 

logic of why he chose to live this way—and why you 

should too. 

To say pirates were sea-going Robin Hoods would be 

a stretch, but their actions could be seen as an early form 

of civil disobedience to authority. And though they were 

often correctly described as bloodthirsty sea-robbers, it 

can be argued they were no less bloodthirsty than the 

actions taken by the more powerful against Indians or 

African slaves or a poor thief whipped or condemned to a 

long prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. What is 

notable is how many were motivated by a well-articulated 

sense of justice. 

In some ways, the Articles to which pirates adhered 

put them a good century and a half ahead of their time. 

Ships were run democratically with captains elected by the 

crew—often one captain for launching attacks and one for 

when they were not raiding. If a captain was not up to the 

task, he was voted out of the job. Booty was divided in 

even shares among the crew, with the captain getting just 

one more share than the others. Some pirates instituted 

a form of worker compensation, so that a pirate who lost 

a hand, leg or eye was compensated in specific amounts 

for the injury from the spoils of the raids. 

Anne Bonny and Mary Read took it to another level 

by fighting with and against men in deadly encounters to 

earn equality in an era when such rights for women were 

scarcely imaginable. In so doing, they posed not only a 

threat to inflexible institutions of wealth distribution as 

pirates, but to an ingrained social structure of women 

subservient to men. We can only surmise, but Anne and 

Mary must have been cognizant of their unique status as 

free women who bowed to no man. Even by today’s standards, 

they held a status seldom matched. 

Unbreakable bond 

How Anne discovered Mary’s female identity has invited 

much speculation. It seems that Mary in her male role 

struck quite a handsome pose as the pirate called Mark, 

and soon caught the eye of Anne. Apparently, the crush 

was so strong that Anne could not resist approaching 

Mary, possibly on a calm, starry night when Calico Jack 

was asleep or ashore, and let the sailor-turned-pirate 

know her feelings. Mary, probably sensing the moment, 

responded by telling Anne conspiratorially that “he” was a 

“she” named Mary Read. Anne is said to have been taken 

aback at this revelation and initially disappointed. But she 

quickly agreed to keep Mary’s true identity a secret, and 

the two became fast friends. 

In the days to come, Calico Jack noticed that Anne was 

spending more time in the company of Mary. One can just 

imagine a brooding Calico Jack, accustomed to getting his 

women and his way, strolling the decks and seething at 

Anne’s affections for the pirate he knew as Mark. When 

he threatened to “slit the boy’s throat,” Mary took it upon 

herself to reveal her true identity by discretely exposing to 

him a pair of breasts and announcing, “As you can clearly 

see, sir, I am no threat to you.” The revelation of just two 

women liking each other apparently calmed him down, 

though he surely must have been startled. The rest of the 

crew, however, continued to know Mary as a man. 

But Mary too developed a strong attraction for another 

pirate and faced the same dilemma as she did with her 

bunkmate commanding officer in Flanders. Once when 

her secret love got into a quarrel with another pirate, 

Calico Jack ordered the two men to settle it on the beach. 

Mary, desperately anxious that her heart-throb might be 

killed in the fight, stepped in to take his place in a duel 

of swords. Being superior with the weapons, Mary quickly 

killed the pirate who had threatened “her man,” who was 

unaware of the real reason she risked her own life. 

While the pirates respected Anne for her bravery and 

notable contribution in raids, at least one apparently 

lusted after her. While Calico Jack was away, the pirate 

attempted to bed Anne against her will. When Mary saw 

what was happening, she intervened and challenged the 

perpetrator to a sword fight on the beach—the winner 

presumably getting Anne. 

The lusty pirate and Mary, still known as Mark, fought 

it out. Mary, being the better fencer, quickly dispatched 

the pirate by running him through the stomach with her 

saber. As he lay dying in the sand, Mary ripped open her 

blouse to expose her breasts, crying out, “Look here, you 

were just killed by hand of a woman,” thus adding a double 

dose of humiliation to the pirate’s defeat and demise. 

After that, Mary’s identity as a woman was known to the 

crew, but nobody troubled either one of the women again. 

With her gender no longer a secret, Mary was free 

to pursue the pirate she wanted, and they apparently 

became lovers, while at the same time she forged a deep, 

unbreakable bond with Anne. 

Soon, reports of two “hellcat” female pirates sailing 

with Calico Jack Rackham began spreading in the Bahamas, 

London and the American colonies. Anne and Mary were 

40 www.timespub.tc

often the first to board a ship under attack, “screaming 

like banshees.” This prompted the British governor in New 

Providence to offer a reward for their capture. He even 

sent out a vessel to find them, to no avail. 

Capture and trial 

On the night of October 22, 1720, the pirate careers of 

Anne Bonny and Mary Read came to a dramatic end in 

Negril Bay, Jamaica. Most of the men were below deck 

getting drunk from a cask of rum they had opened when 

a British merchant vessel contracted by the governor of 

Jamaica to find the pirates approached. The vessel’s captain, 

Jonathan Barnett, hailed the pirate sloop, and Calico 

Jack, perhaps in smug defiance, shouted out identifying 

himself, “Captain John Rackham of Cuba,” and then fired 

a swivel cannon at the merchant vessel. Captain Barnett 

returned fire, knocking out the boom of the pirate ship 

and sending the men on the deck running for cover below. 

With his sloop disabled and perhaps believing he was 

outnumbered, Calico Jack, along with some of the other 

pirates called for “quarter,” an offer to surrender, that was 

accepted by Captain Barnett. 

But Anne and Mary would have none of it and refused 

to surrender. They shouted to the men below to come 

up and fight, but the pirates, some quite drunk, did not 

budge. Anne attempted to rally them by furiously firing 

her flintlock pistol into the hold, killing one of the pirates. 

Still, none would join them. So the two female pirates, 

who had been through so much together and knowing 

the steep odds against them, took on the boarding party 

themselves, relentlessly fending off the attack with pistols 

blazing and cutlasses swinging. But there were too many 

against them, and Anne and Mary were overwhelmed and 

captured along with Calico Jack and the other pirates. 

The trial of the male pirates commenced on November 

16, 1720 at the Admiralty Court with Jamaica Governor 

Nicholas Lawes presiding. It lasted just two days, and all 

ten men were found guilty and sentenced to hang. 

Before being taken to the gallows on November 18, 

Calico Jack asked to see Anne one more time. His request 

was granted and he was escorted to Anne’s jail cell. But 

instead of a tearful final farewell, Anne spat on him and 

let fly the most heart-wrenching insult to a man once her 

lover, set to die in just hours: “If you had fought like a 

man, you would not have hanged like a dog.” 

After being hanged, Calico Jack’s body was placed in a 

gibbet, a cage hoisted at the entrance to Port Royal, where 

his rotting body was left for all sailors to see as a warning 

of the consequences of piracy. 

Schedule/price subject to change without prior notice. 


Anne and Mary at first said nothing in their defense at 

the trial. But after the sentence of death was handed out, 

the two women asked for a stay of execution by “pleading 

their bellies,” claiming they were pregnant. A doctor was 

called to examine the women and confirmed that indeed 

they were “quick with child,” meaning he could feel the 

fetus moving about. This would indicate they were both 

12 to 16 weeks along in their pregnancy. 

The court agreed to postponement of their hanging, 

thus giving them a reprieve. It is reported that Mary died 

of a violent fever soon after the verdict, but this is disputed 

in the The Pirate Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary 

Read. It notes that Mary did not die until April 27, 1721. 

Since her due date would have been late April / early May, 

it is entirely possible that Mary died in childbirth. She is 

recorded as being buried in St. Catherine Parish. A proper 

burial would be unusual for a condemned criminal, and 

may have indicated that Mary and her baby were buried 

together. 

The trial of Anne and Mary took place on November 

28, 1720. Both entered pleas of “not guilty.” A series of 

witnesses testified to Anne and Mary’s active participation 

in raids. The overwhelming evidence against them, like 

the other pirates, resulted in a swift verdict of guilty by 

the court, also presided over by Governor Lawes. 

Mysterious fate of Anne Bonny 

Anne’s fate continues to be a perplexing mystery, as there 

is no record of her death in or departure from Jamaica. 

Some evidence points to the intervention by her father 

William Cormac, who may have learned of his daughter’s 

sentence of death for piracy and used his connections with 

the elite of the colonies to secure her release. Plantation 

owners of the 1700s in the American South and the British 

West Indies were generally well-connected or at least knew 

about each other. So a request for a favor, perhaps lined 

with cash, could get things done quietly and quickly. 

Anne’s family background might also have been 

uncovered by Governor Lawes, who sent word to her 

father. Or Anne herself may have found a way to contact 

her father for help. In any case, Anne could well have 

benefited from her high social circles—even if rejected— 

and a well-regarded father, and made her way back to the 

Carolinas. If so, she probably traveled under an assumed 

name, since she had a death sentence hanging over her. 

Once back home, Anne may have married in December 

1721 James Burleigh, a gentleman from a Virginia family 

involved in planting and law. Although it is not certain 

that this marriage was arranged, Cormac did move in the 

social circles of the Burleighs, thus suggesting the possibility 

of an arrangement that would also serve to further 

cover up Anne’s identity and flagrant past. If this is the 

case, we can probably assume that a good amount of 

cash or other forms of wealth helped to seal the deal, as 

Burleigh would have been asked to marry a condemned 

42 www.timespub.tc

pirate with a notorious reputation, possibly with child, and 

keep it a secret forever! 

At least one story has it that Cormac also helped to get 

back Anne’s child left behind in Cuba, whom she named 

John after his assumed pirate father. It is not known what 

happened to the second child she was carrying when 

Calico Jack was hanged. Incredibly, good fortune seems 

to have stayed with Anne for all of her life. Research suggests 

that Anne went on to have eight more children and 

lived to be 84 years old, dying in 1782. Left for us to 

ponder is how Anne made the transition back to the life 

of a wife, mother and southern belle after a year of swashbuckling 

swagger and narrow escape from the gallows. 

The full story of these amazing women has yet to be 

told. The improbable trajectory of their intertwined lives 

illuminates an early challenge to convention and order 

in very unsettled time in early 18th century West Indies, 

that could also be a part of the history of the Turks & 

Caicos Islands. Just as important, it testifies to a sustained 

tenacity and unflinching courage on a level rarely 

seen, especially given the choices and predicaments these 

women faced. We can only admire the masterful role-playing 

of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who defied their society 

in the most violent manner while, at times, also successfully 

integrating into it. They were hardly misfits, like most 

of their pirate contemporaries. Rather, they were women 

quite cognisant of their choices and determined their destiny 

in an unforgiving world. 

Almost three centuries later, their story speaks to us 

as loud as ever, not just that they alone turned convention 

on its head and mocked the injustice and limitations of 

their day, but because for a brief moment in their lives 

they were completely free, together, and mattered. a 

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Ben Stubenberg is a contributing writer to Times of the 

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Sources 

Black, Clinton. Pirates of the West Indies. 

Cordingly, David. Women Sailors, Sailors’ Women. 

Eastman, Tamara J. and Bond, Constance. The Pirate Trial 

of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. 

Johnson, Captain Charles. A General History of the 

Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. 


feature 

Opposite page: John Galleymore has been a detectorist since the age of 10. He now practices his hobby in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Above: These encrusted coins are among the most distinctive treasure he has uncovered! 

Trash, Trinkets, 

Jewelry and Treasure 

A life of detecting. 

Story & Photos By John Galleymore 

They say you never forget your first coin. My first set me on a hobby that continues to this day. It was 

1978 and I was barely ten years old. My father had bought me a metal detector that was really no more 

than a toy, but it worked. I spent hours practicing in the garden. (It’s strange to think back and realize the 

majority of toys were played with outside, opposed to today’s indoors-centered iPads and Play Stations!) 


So here I was, a young kid playing alone with my 

detector in the middle of historic Wimbledon Common 

just outside London. It had been “Common” ground for 

hundreds of years and the public had been using it for 

recreation all that time. 

As an avid reader, I had poured over library books in 

the name of “research” on detecting. (The habit of doing 

good research has remained important in doing detecting 

to this day.) I had learnt that during Victorian times, it 

was popular for people to sit under large trees to relax, 

picnic and enjoy the Common. So I went in search of the 

largest, (and therefore) oldest English Oak I could find. I 

had also learnt that the root system will keep lost objects 

nearer the surface for hundreds of years, so it was around 

the bases of these giant trees that I searched. Within a 

few minutes I had my first “target” and a soft beeping 

in my headphones indicated something metal was there. 

Shortly after, I 

dug up my first 

coin—a Victorian 

Penny dated 

1869. I was awestruck 

that I was 

the first to hold 

this coin in over 

100 years, and 

wondered if its 

owner missed it 

when it slipped 

John Galleymore’s first found coin was a 

Victorian Penny dated 1869. 

from his pocket 

on some longago 

summer day. To say I was now hooked on detecting 

was an understatement! 

I continued to detect as a hobby for the next few 

years, often retrieving old coins and trinkets (and a lot of 

junk) from parks, woodlands and farmer’s fields. I honed 

my skills and learnt the laws and etiquette of detecting. 

I never hit the “big time” with a huge find. I was in the 

right country to search for elusive Roman hoards but the 

wrong part of the world to search for pirate treasure. 

However, that would eventually change. 

I had given up detecting around age 14 as school and 

then work took precedent and my detecting days seemed 

to be over. Some 30 years later, I relocated to the Turks 

& Caicos Islands. I had been living on Providenciales for 

some years when I met a lovely gentleman by the name of 

David Stone, a snowbird who visited the Islands regularly. 

He is also an avid detectorist* and he reintroduced me 

to the hobby. (*I am commonly asked, “Are you a metal 

detector?” I then point to my machine: “No, this is a metal 

detector, I am a detectorist.” 

His plan was simple—recover lost jewelry from the 

beach and surf and then reunite it with the owners! My 

hobby was resurrected and soon I was scouring the 

beaches while often-frantic owners of lost wedding bands 

and the like would urge me on to find their precious jewelry. 

Word spread, and the hotels of Grace Bay would call 

weekly as yet another visitor lost an expensive item while 

enjoying the beach. 

It often surprised me the type of jewelry people would 

wear to the beach and in the ocean. I was once called by 

some hotel staff who were trying to console an elderly 

lady who had lost an “item” in the sand on Grace Bay. 

Luckily it was in the dry sand rather than the surf which 

makes finding it a lot easier, but despite many hours of 

searching they were unable to locate it, so I was called in. 

Within a few minutes I had found it—a gold “Star of 

David.” The lady was ecstatic! Through hugs and tears of 

relief she explained it was a gift from her late mother who 

had secured it safely as she endured the horrors of World 

War II. Why this wasn’t at home in a safe was beyond me. 

John was able to 

recover a lost gold 

“Star of David” in 

the sand of Grace 

Bay Beach, although 

wedding bands are 

more common items 

to recover. 

Other items I 

recovered may 

have less poignant 

history but nonetheless are of concern when lost by 

their owners. Wedding bands seem to be the most-often 

lost and nearly always by men! Honeymooners commonly 

lose their rings in the surf, maybe due to a bad fit or just 

not being used to wearing it yet! 

I can easily recover items from the ocean, but only 

if I have some idea where to search. Rings do not move 

46 www.timespub.tc

much once they are a few inches below the seabed, and 

my success rate is quite high. 

I often treat a call-out like a crime scene—after all, 

information is key if I have any chance of finding the lost 

item. And just like a detective I will “interrogate” the “witness” 

to glean as much information as possible: “Did you 

feel it come off?” “What time? (for tide information)” “How 

deep?” “Were you swimming or playing?” All this can make 

the difference between success and disappointment. 

I remember two lost items a few days apart. One fellow 

had lost his gold ring “in waist deep water, in line 

with the sixth beach umbrella, approximately 25 feet 

from the high tide line, at exactly 4 PM, when I felt it 

come off . . .” The other guy informed me he was swimming 

“somewhere out there” (pointing to the vast ocean) 

and only realized it was missing when he took a shower 

that night. I’m sure you can guess which one I recovered 

quickly and which one I did not even attempt to search 

for! 

The number of lost items of jewelry soon began to 

grow and with it my success rate. I was tasked with finding 

rings in the ocean, watches in the canal and even a 

bag of lost jewelry from Turtle Cove Marina! However, 

for every item found there was a kilo of trash recovered 

too, and while frustrating to dig this stuff (all the signals 

sound pretty much the same) it felt good to be cleaning 

the beaches and surf of junk! 

owners were very interested in history, had found countless 

bottles and pottery items and were keen to see if 

anything else of historical value could be found. Within a 

few hours of searching I had recovered a handful of metal 

items, some unidentifiable but amongst these were a few 

musket balls and a button. This was real history indeed! 

The owners were very pleased and they plan to further 

explore the site and display the artifacts found. I hope to 

get a call back once more bush is cleared. 

Some time ago, I had a call from an old friend who 

was working as security on “an uninhabited Caribbean 

island” (its location must remain secret) which was now 

privately owned. He had come across an interesting find 

on the beach which appeared to be a coin of some age, 

and had reported this to the owners. They, too, had heard 

the stories that abound of pirates and buried treasure, 

but this coin warranted further investigation. They contacted 

me and asked if I could detect the general area to 

see what turns up. 

Firstly, though was the all-important research! 

Having been told what was possibly involved, my friend 

and I flew to London to the famous Greenwich Maritime 

Museum, where records and maps are archived from the 

very first days of sea navigation. We spent days scouring 

over dusty maps and old ship’s logs, all handled with 

white gloves under strict scrutiny of the museum staff, 

for these were no copies, but true historical documents. 

Not everything detected is a treasure; some is just buried junk! 

As I learnt early on, there are many laws regarding detecting 

and I ensured I was registered and licensed by the 

Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) 

in order to recover lost jewelry from the beaches. All private 

property is strictly out-of-bounds but I was lucky 

enough to get a call recently from a local resident who 

had purchased a plot on Provo and was amazed to find 

old plantation ruins in the bush as they cleared it. The 

Could this be a real treasure map? 


After some time, we came across a “log” or ship’s diary, 

and the island in question was mentioned by name. In 

barely decipherable, ancient penmanship, it told the 

story of the crew of a floundering ship that had struck 

the reef. They loaded into a small boat and rowed for 

the nearby shore, carrying with them whatever they could 

salvage. Amongst the hastily gathered lifesaving provisions 

of food and water were eight “money chests” or 

iron strongboxes containing gold and silver coins that 

had been taken as payment overseas and were being 

transported home when disaster struck that fateful day. 

Subsequent writings of that crew and diaries of the rescue 

ship that ultimately picked them up only recorded 

four chests being retrieved! Had the crew secretly cached 

the remaining chests, perhaps with plans to return one 

day? These missing four chests had spurned local stories 

of buried treasure for years, but none was ever found. 

Weeks later, with this information to hand, I set off to 

the island— first aboard a small plane, then by boat, with 

my trusty detector in hand. The destination was a small 

cove, easily identifiable from the archives in London as 

the landing spot of the crew all those years ago. 

We set up camp and I began to detect—but not on 

land as you would have thought. After studying the 

records and “reading between the lines,” we were convinced 

that the crew in their small boat had overturned 

in the surf and lost some of the salvage provisions—and 

possibly some of the money chests too. 

The cove was shallow and calm and I suspected (and 

dearly hoped) that countless storms in the past 300 years 

had 

John 

not 

2_Layout 

disturbed 

1 9/5/16 

the seabed 

7:12 PM 

too 

Page 

much. 

1 

Could I really be 

that fortunate? 

It was sometime late afternoon that I hit my first 

signal. This was a deserted island so I was not expecting 

any modern trash; I hoped whatever I found was old 

and historic. I was detecting the surf line when I pulled 

from the sand, some 10 inches deep, a small rock-like 

lump—very bizarre indeed. But it was metallic, of that 

there was no doubt. I waded ashore to show my buddy, 

who quickly produced a knife and carefully chipped away 

at its edge. And there, glinting at us in the late afternoon 

sun—SPANISH SILVER COINS! 

The Spanish coins were still stacked together after 300 years. 

We were ecstatic! And looking at the “stacked” shape of 

the coins these were not randomly dropped but part of 

many more once stacked in a box. It looked like we had 

found at least part of the mysterious missing money 

chest from some 300 years ago! 

We continued to search for days to come, and from 

the surf line I pulled coin after coin after coin. Some gold, 

mostly silver, and although many “singles” were amongst 

them, most were still stacked as they would have been in 

the chest. The coins turned out to be Spanish Reale coins, 

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48 www.timespub.tc

all dated around 1700 to 1750. I also found two corroded 

locks, still unopened, and shards of flat iron which we 

believed were the original chests now disintegrated over 

time. The valuable coins, despite some encrustation, 

were good as new! 

This corroded lock, still unopened, was also discovered on the site. 

The coins turned out to be Spanish Reale coins, all dated around 1700 

During the search I also retrieved hundreds of encrusted to 1750. 

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“balls.” Once cleaned up these turned out to be both musket 

shot and small caliber cannon balls, which confirmed Lost something on the beach? Contact 

the fact the crew were well armed and had probably also 

John Galleymore at 649 232 7937. 

brought ashore the swivel gun from the wrecked ship. 

These are the cleaned cannon balls and musket shot found on the 

“treasure” site. 

And so my “pirate treasure” adventure on this remote 

beach was at an end. I was soon back home doing what 

I loved and that is returning lost items to their owners. 

After the next “lost jewelry” call came in and I happily 

returned a necklace to a grateful lady on Grace Bay, I 

thought of those coins and was amused by the fact that 

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of years and we show no signs of stopping! a 

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feature 

Opposite page: Spiderly bolts of lightning look similar to the roots of plants or trees. 

Above: Michael Bishop captured this display of in-cloud (rocket) lightning streaking across the sky in Grand Turk. 

Nature’s Fireworks! 

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 generate some short duration 

interrupting thunderstorms. 

Michael Bishop lives on Grand Turk and captured many of the images shown here during several blustery 

fall nights in the nation’s capital. Paul Kubecka, my dear uncle, has had a professional and personal 

interest in meteorology and weather observing for more than sixty years. Following is his tutorial on the 

subject of lightning that I think you will find fascinating. 


The Cumulonimbus cloud (Cb) is the generator of 

electricity that produces lightning which causes thunder 

(thunderstorm). The collision of small and large 

frozen and liquid precipitation carried by updrafts and 

downdrafts in the cloud causes the precipitation to 

become negatively or positively charged. When the 

charges between the cloud and ground become too 

great, there is a discharge of electricity called cloudto-ground 

lightning. 

From the base of the Cb a negative charge descends 

in an invisible zigzag pattern called a stepped leader. 

As this charge gets closer to the ground, a positive 

charge rises to connect to the negative and the lightning 

discharge is created. There may be several return 

strokes using the same channel, which give the lightning 

its flickering appearance and continues until all 

the charges in the cloud are depleted. 

Also, there is in-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning, 

which occurs between the opposite charges that 

are present in the cloud itself and between clouds. 

Cloud-to-air lightning normally occurs between the 

positively charged upper area of clouds to the negative 

air around it. 

Lightning does reverse direction. Ground-tocloud 

lightning (upward lightning) occurs because 

of enhanced electricity gathered at the top of towers 

or skyscrapers during an overhead in-cloud lightning 

discharge. It is a discharge between cloud and ground 

initiated by an upward moving leader coming from tall 

objects on the ground. 

About 80% of lightning is in-cloud, and around 

20% is cloud-to-ground. In severe storms and tropical 

Cbs, in-cloud discharges can be more than 90% of the 

lightning. More lightning (88%) materializes over land 

because it absorbs solar radiation and heats up faster 

than water, therefore the atmosphere is more unstable, 

which leads to the development of lightning and 

thunder. 

At dusk on June 30, 2014, Chicago’s three tallest 

buildings—the Willis Tower, the Trump Tower, and the 

John Hancock Center—were struck by upward lightning 

a total of 17 times. Lightning strikes the same 

place more than once. The Empire State Building in 

New York City on the average is struck 100 times per 

year! 

Lightning is a discharge of electricity that can heat 

the surrounding air instantly to 54,000ºF, five times 

higher than the sun. This rapid heating causes the air 

to expand explosively, creating a booming sound wave 

known as thunder. Lightning discharge diameters 

range from 1/16th to about 1 1/2 inches. Voltages 

range from one hundred million to a billion. A rumble 

of thunder is a relatively weak sound of long duration 

and a roll is occasionally used to characterize irregular 

sound variations. 

Updraft speeds in non-severe thunderstorms are 

about 15–30 mph; severe thunderstorms often have 

updraft speeds of 60 mph and a supercell updraft has 

been known to range from 150–175 mph. Typically, 

thunderstorm tops range from 25,000 to 40,000 feet 

Although most lightning materializes over land rather than water, this spectacular bolt lit up the sea surrounding Grand Turk. 

52 www.timespub.tc

ut can vary by severity or geographic 

area. Tops of thunderstorms can 

tower to over 70,000 feet, and have 

been measured to 75,000 feet in the 

tropics and 78,000 feet in the US in 

Kansas. 

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) satellites 

collected data globally on the average 

yearly lightning flash rates 

per square kilometer (0.4 square 

mile). The average flash rate globally 

is approximately 45 per second 

or 1.4 billion per year, of which 25% 

reaches the ground. Around 78% of 

lightning is seen between 30º North 

and South of the equator. The Turks 

& Caicos Islands average about 5 

lightning flashes yearly per square 

kilometer because of its small land 

area, and is the lowest in the region. 

However, nearby Chambellan, Haiti 

has about a 100 per year flash rate! 

The two places worldwide that experience 

the highest flash rates are Lake 

Maracaibo, Venezuela and Kabare, 

Democratic Republic of Congo, with slightly over 232 

and 205 flash rates respectively. 

Each day about 40,000 thunderstorms occur and 

some 1,800 at any time of day throughout the world. 

Thunder can be heard to about 15 miles and over 

60 miles in isolated instances. Lightning can strike 

to 10 miles from a storm. According to the World 

Meteorological Organization (WMO), “The world’s 

longest detected distance for a single lightning flash 

occurred over a horizontal distance of 199.5 miles on 

June 20, 2007, across parts of Oklahoma. Also, the 

world’s longest duration for a single lightning flash is a 

single event that lasted continuously for 7.74 seconds 

on August 30, 2012, over parts of southern France.” If 

the atmosphere is clear and there is an unobstructed 

view to the horizon, lightning from a Cb top at 50,000 

feet may be visible to approximately 270 miles. 

Lightning advances electrical currents along the 

top of the ground that can be deadly to over 100 feet. 

When a discharge strikes water, it spreads out more 

than 90 feet. It kills or injures people and can hit boats 

that are nearby and electrocute fish that are near the 

surface. 

Lightning is a discharge of electricity that can heat the surrounding air instantly to 

54,000ºF, five times higher than the sun. 

Lightning safety tips 

• Height, isolation and pointed shapes are the 

prevailing elements affecting where a lightning discharge 

strikes. Avoid open fields, the top of a hill or 

ridge, and stay away from isolated trees or other tall 

objects. 

• Don’t go near water or wet items. Water and metal 

don’t attract lightning, but are good conductors of 

electricity. 

• Find shelter in a sturdy house or in a metal vehicle 

with windows completely shut. 

• Indoors, stay away from corded telephones, anything 

electrical and plumbing. Don’t stand near a 

window. 

• NO place outdoors is safe when thunderstorms are 

in the area. So when thunder roars, go indoors and 

wait until 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard. 

Now it’s safe to go outdoors. a 


Heat lightning is lightning too far away for its 

thunder to be heard. Some thought that since there are 

no thunderstorms present, the lightning is the result 

of heat in the atmosphere, but this is not the case. 

Apparently, heat lightning got its name because it is 

sometimes seen on hot summer nights when the sky 

overhead is clear. The flickering often is an early alert 

that possible storms are approaching. Sheet lightning 

is lightning-produced cloud illumination that causes a 

sheet-like area of the cloud to become luminous. 

A lightning discharge transmits pure white light, 

but depending on different atmospheric pollutants, 

possible colors can be cyan, green, orange, pink, purple, 

violet and yellow. If there is rain or hail in the 

cloud, their colors are red and blue, respectively. 

How far is that lightning? When you see lightning, 

count the number of seconds until you hear thunder. 

Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance 

in miles. The reason is that the speed of light is 

186,282 miles per second, extraordinarily faster than 

the speed of sound (around 0.2133 miles per second). 

Lightning is seen almost instantly while it takes thunder 

a second to travel nearly five miles. 

There are estimates that 6,000 to 24,000 people 

are killed by lightning globally each year. In the US 

from 2006 to 2015, the average was about 31, with a 

1 in 28,500 chance of being killed. a 

Weather symbols 

Cumulonimbus 

(cloud) 

Lightning 

(visible, no thunder heard) 

Thunder 

Thunderstorm 

T 

Top left: This is a spectacular display of simultaneous multiple lightning 

flashes, three of which strike the water of Grand Turk. 

Bottom left: When a lightning discharge strikes water, it spreads out 

more than 90 feet. It can hit boats that are nearby and electrocute fish 

that are near the surface. 

54 www.timespub.tc

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Opposite page: The spectacular north shoreline of Middle Caicos boasts towering headlands, tiny offshore cays, and fine-sand beaches tucked 

in private coves. 

Above: The quiet, tranquil beaches of North Caicos are part of the island’s beloved peaceful lifestyle. 

Changing Faces 

The evolving population of North and Middle Caicos. 

By Sara J. Kaufman ~ Photos By Paradise Photography 

North and Middle Caicos are the two largest islands in the Turks & Caicos archipelago but surprisingly, 

their combined population—across nearly 100 square miles and eight villages—comprises less than 10% 

of the country’s total residents. Tranquil and pristine, both islands boast a verdant green landscape with 

rolling acres of indigenous trees, shrubs and plants yet untouched by development. They offer few of 

the conveniences of Providenciales—not a single bank or coffee bar in sight. What they do offer is a rich, 

peaceful lifestyle, a vibrant cultural heritage and a remarkably strong, interactive community. 


The communities and families within North and 

Middle Caicos are intertwined on all dimensions and 

since the causeway linked the islands in 2008, residents 

move comfortably back and forth for schools, 

government services, visits with friends and family, 

churches, and special events, with a variety of small 

businesses steadily moving ahead. Residents of North 

and Middle Caicos love, are proud of, and want to 

protect their islands. The physical joining of the two 

islands has brought out the best for everyone, and 

given us a stronger identity. 

I came to TCI just over 22 years ago, witness to the 

startling pace of change as it changed from a sleepy, 

unknown place of 12,000 residents to a thriving, 

internationally famous, vacation destination with a 

population of nearly 40,000. My friends and family considered 

me mad to invest in a resort on Middle Caicos, 

but partnering with Dale Witt in 1995 to develop the 

Blue Horizon Resort was the beginning of a wonderful 

adventure. Amazing as it seems, the environmental 

purity, social stability and breath-taking scenery that 

captured my heart 20 years ago still remains intact on 

North and Middle Caicos. The population demographics, 

however, have significantly changed. Some deaths, 

some births, some emigration, some immigration—all 

contribute to the changing faces of these islands, with 

more change on the horizon. 

Middle Caicos’ total population still remains under 

300 people, but whereas in 1994 the average age was 

65 and the island filled with grandparents and primary 

schoolkids, today the average age is around 50, 

with people of all ages living here. The elders who 

dominated local communities have passed away, new 

job opportunities have kept young families here, the 

causeway allows teenagers to stay home instead of 

boarding out for high school and the steady influx of 

foreigners—working / retiring/ with their families—all 

create the warm, friendly mix of residents now living 

on the island. 

North Caicos’ total population has more than 

doubled in the past 20 years, from 1,500 in 1994 

to over 3,500 now. Foreign workers account for a 

huge portion of the increase, followed closely by an 

increase in expatriate residents/vacation homeowners 

and a small number of Belongers returning home to 

work. The growth of day tourism from Providenciales 

The beach called Wild Cow Run on Middle Caicos is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and you’re likely to be the only person 

there. 

58 www.timespub.tc

encouraged small business growth on North Caicos for 

car rental, restaurants, shops, gas stations—predominantly 

owner operated/family businesses, but needing 

some foreign workers to operate. 

The expansion of Parrot Cay also needed a strong 

work force so the demand for labourers/gardeners/ 

domestic workers/hospitality staff continued to grow. 

And as more vacation homes came on the market 

for rent, the increase in longer-stay visitors on these 

islands further enhanced the need for workers in all 

these commercial operations. 

The evolving population has long intrigued me, 

more so as my relationships with local residents deepened 

and matured. North and Middle Caicos folk are 

unusually hardy and enterprising, well used to making 

their own way—and a prosperous way at that. The 

new faces came from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, 

Jamaica and even the Philipines, hoping to find jobs. 

The new faces came as North American/European 

investors looking to build a development or holiday 

home for rental. And the new faces came from a cosmopolitan 

group of retirees hungry for natural beauty 

and tranquility. Overall then, the changing faces of 

both islands now comprise a multicultural potpourri, 

fortunately well grounded in the strong local culture. 

It is an exciting phenomenon and very welcome! 

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The changing faces of North and Middle 

Caicos include (clockwise from top): Natasha 

Neat and her daughter Shawmonica; Kadra 

Been-Handfield; John “Jay” Higgs and his 

lovely partner Shiann Gardiner; Dave and Rita 

Shaw. 

The idea came to me to interview 

some of my neighbours, those 

arriving in the last five years or so, 

to hear their stories and learn their 

perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed 

the hours of fresh and lively conversation, 

sharing future visions 

and offering advice for newcomers. 

In general, all these new residents 

wish more people would come and 

visit North and Middle Caicos, stay 

a while and truly explore the possibilities 

offered here. It is a good 

place, full of good people—a safe 

haven in a tumultuous world. And 

the peace and quiet so vital to all 

who live here is a treasure well 

appreciated. Let my neighbours’ 

tales shine a bright light on possibly 

realizing your own dreams. 

Natasha Neat and Sharn Gray 

are both in their early thirties, and 

they came home to live in 2015. 

Tasha was born and raised on 

Middle Caicos, while Sharn was 

born in the Bahamas but raised 

on North Caicos by his grandmother. 

Interestingly, they were 

good friends when both attended 

Raymond Gardiner High School in 

Bottle Creek, North Caicos, but lost 

track of each other in the busy whirl 

of community college and work 

on Provo. Tasha always wanted to 

come home to live, but finding full 

time work was difficult. 

In 2007, Sharn and Natasha 

were both working for government, 

rediscovered each other and began 

their life together. Sharn was transferred 

to North Caicos in 2014, and 

soon, Tasha moved to join him. 

As months roll along, they both 

agree that staying here is what 

they want—to be near family most 

important. Many of their friends in 

Provo find their decision astounding: 

“It’s so boring! Too many bugs! 

Nowhere to go! Nothing to do!” (I 

note that peace and quiet is not 

for everyone.) Natasha and Sharn 

now look to be building their own 

home on Middle Caicos, confident 

that the growth they see steadily 

coming to both islands will provide 

a secure future for them and their 

daughter. 

Dave and Rita Shaw are 

Canadians, searching since 2008 

60 www.timespub.tc

for a Caribbean island home. They are used to a rural 

wilderness environment, living in the foothills of the 

Rocky Mountains in Alberta for many years, and they 

wanted to find a peaceful place to retire. In 2012 they 

visited TCI, came to North and Middle Caicos and 

decided this was the place. Interestingly, they found 

these islands quite distinctive and different, with the 

remote simplicity of Middle Caicos most appealing 

to them. “North Caicos has an active social scene, 

many small businesses and will develop more quickly. 

Middle Caicos with its huge spaciousness and small 

community felt more comfortable.” 

Wasting no time, in 2013 they purchased a half 

acre hilltop lot with fabulous 360º views and by early 

2016 the house was ready for Rita to arrive with the 

cats! Rita is an artist, thrilled to have time to paint 

the gorgeous views from their ridgetop home near 

Bambarra Beach, happy to volunteer with the TCSPCA 

and beach cleanups, content with the isolation that 

allows her to be the only person walking on the beach! 

Dave has decided he is semi-retired, needs projects 

to keep him busy and is looking into several business 

opportunities. 

Dave also brought his 45' ketch from Halifax, sailing 

down with a buddy from North Caicos and bringing 

the lovely wooden sailing vessel to moor at Bellefield 

Landing. This gives the couple the chance to explore 

other islands and possibly fix the boat up for tourist 

excursions one day. “The development potential here 

is amazing, but a totally different scale and focus to 

Provo. Tourism-based businesses will grow steadily, 

providing activities for visitors like boat tours, kayaking, 

paddleboards and kiteboarding, beach bar, 

camping sites . . . keep the ecotourism focus.” 

Overall, they are most appreciative of the warm 

and welcoming community which offers acceptance 

and respects privacy. The security offered for personal 

safety and for financial investment is also deemed a 

tremendous asset. 

Kadra Been-Handfield was born and raised on Salt 

Cay, a descendant of the Been clans. She is similarly 

a descendant of North Caicos, as she is also of the 

Duncanson clans. After high school in Grand Turk, 

she moved to Provo and began a long career as a 

legal assistant. She met her husband-to-be Darville 

Handfield in 2001 and began to explore his home of 

North Caicos, and after several years they wed onisland. 

Kadra and her husband, who has no intention 

of ever leaving his native homeland of North Caicos, 

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long ago recognized the business potential offered 

there. Since 2003, together they started several businesses: 

Liquors Plus, Deep Creek, Auto Parts Plus/ 

Carquest, Nique’s Food Mart and, just this October, 

Turquoise Rent A Car began operations. 

Kadra is an active and intelligent woman. She is in 

a unique position to evaluate the situation on North 

Caicos and, for her too, peace and quiet looms as the 

major factor contributing to the lifestyle on offer here. 

For several years she commuted to Provo by boat, but 

once their daughter Darnique was born, she wanted to 

be close-by more of the time. 

Kadra is organized and professional, keeping 

all their family businesses operating well, clean and 

stocked and responsive to customers. She says, “There 

are lots of business opportunities here, we need more 


things for tourists to do, like kayaking, paddleboarding, 

horseback riding and bicycle tours—and this 

would bring more tourists too.” 

She describes North Caicos as very family oriented, 

with good schools having excellent teacher/ 

pupil ratios, less hectic than Provo, offering moderate 

health care on island—a great place to raise kids! She 

calls to other locals, ”Come home. Invest in your family 

land, use your family land, build weekend homes, 

vacation homes, start a business!” 

Kadra is sure great potential for development lies 

ahead and within two to five years, hopes the airport 

will reopen to private jets for Parrot Cay 

guests, to private pilots flying in to their 

own homes or developments, to provide 

much easier access for tourists and 

maybe even to encourage a cargo flight! 

Patti and Howard Bartels are a fun-loving 

couple from Texas who began to look 

for a retirement island 15 years ago! After 

much research Patti decided they should 

explore the Turks & Caicos Islands but 

knew Provo was beyond their means. In 

2002 they purchased a condo on North 

Caicos, thinking that long term the island 

would develop and property values rise. 

They loved it, and came as often as possible, 

growing increasingly sure that this 

was the right place for them. Soon, they 

started to think, “Why not move here 

now, instead of waiting to retire?” So in 

2006 they sold the condo, knowing they 

needed their own land and home. In 2007 

they found a wonderful acre on Bottle 

Creek where they began construction. 

By 2012 the Bartels’ sold their home in 

Texas, packed up and moved to North 

Caicos full-time. (The process of immigration 

for their parrots is another saga!) 

Howard is a finish carpenter/cabinetmaker 

who joined Charlie’s Construction 

Company, bringing his delicate woodworking 

skills and equipment to a 

growing business in North Caicos. Patti 

is a hairdresser who worked at a local 

salon until it was destroyed in a fire. 

She is currently sorting through various 

ideas for a new venture and enthusiastic 

about all the possibilities. Both see terrific 

potential for growth, in particular the 

expansion of the building industry with a strong need 

for skilled tradesfolk. 

The Bartels’ enthusiasm for their lifestyle is contagious 

and they do wax lyrical about the evening breeze 

on their porch, the amazing stars, the unspoiled beauty—a 

lifestyle which leaves behind all things urban, 

traffic and commuting, noise and stress. Their advice 

is to visit a few times, get to know people, delve into 

the miles of beaches and trails, and remember it is not 

always like a piña colada vacation! 

John “Jay” Higgs is a son of the soil, born and raised 

62 www.timespub.tc

Eyrie2_Layout 1 11/4/16 5:06 PM Page 1 

on North Caicos. After high school on Grand Turk he 

went to the Bahamas and began work in the construction 

trade under his uncle, completing an electrical 

apprenticeship. At 21, back in TCI, he worked general 

construction in Provo but came back to North Caicos 

for two years with his young wife and family for a project 

on Parrot Cay. He started work on his home in 

Bottle Creek but moved back to Provo as there was 

not enough work on North Caicos at that time. Twenty 

years later, ten in Provo and ten in the Bahamas, Jay is 

back in North Caicos to stay! 

His company JAH Construction is up and running, 

ready for new building work across North and Middle 

Caicos, and he brings an incredible array of skills and 

experience to the task. He is excited about the growth 

evident in the construction industry here, with several 

large projects taking off this year, and a constant 

stream of new private homes being built. 

His home in Bottle Creek will be ready for 

Christmas, and a new child is due in November. Jay is 

very happy to be home to stay. It is time for a lifestyle 

change he says, “It is important to have time to relax 

more, time to go to the beach on Sunday, time to be 

close to family, time to have fun with your neighbours. 

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ERA Katherine AdTimesWin16_Layout 1 11/17/16 10:45 AM Page 1 

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None of that happens on Provo.” When I asked him 

about what he sees for the future of North and Middle 

Caicos, his face lit up as he pronounced an enthusiastic, 

“Great things—these islands will shine!” His advice 

to other locals is to come home and try it here because 

there is room for all skills and lots more businesses. 

With each interview my heart unfolded further, 

counting again and again the blessings we enjoy living 

on North and Middle Caicos. Of course we have 

challenges too, and the rustic rural ambiance is not for 

all. (Did I mention the mosquitoes and sand flies?) 

There is no doubt that the peace and quiet of 

North and Middle Caicos are considered by all who 

live here to be our greatest assets. The open space 

between the villages gives us calm vision out over the 

natural landscape, reminding us daily of the beauty 

we are blessed with here. The dark night sky lets us 

gaze in awe at the stars, reveling in the gentle sounds 

of nature. The warm and friendly faces of our neighbours 

bring easy smiles to every day—and soon all are 

your neighbors on these special islands. Living here 

inspires us to take the time to relax, take the time to 

appreciate, take the time to be grateful for our life. 

The steadily evolving and increasing population 

reflects the quality of life possible here inclusive of 

growth potential, friendly communities, a pollutionfree 

ecosystem and safe investment environment. 

Real estate for sale has something for everyone from 

multimillion dollar commercial opportunities (resorts/ 

subdivisions/developments) to high-end vacation 

rental villas ($850,000 to $1.5 million) to waterfront 

cottages under $500,000, beachfront condos and 

townhomes for $150–$200,000 and interior building 

lots under $75,000. 

At this time there are over 15 construction projects 

ongoing on North and Middle Caicos! The business 

opportunities are wide open from traditional trades 

(plumber/electrician/mechanic) to alternative energy, 

from fruit orchards to hydroponic farms, from watersports 

to tourism marketing. And in this country there 

is no income tax, no property tax, no sales tax! 

I often laugh with myself, using the same phrase 

for years: North and Middle Caicos are for the brave, 

perhaps best suited to those who would have liked to 

be a pioneer or an explorer. These islands offer themselves 

fully to those of stout heart and unobstructed 

vision. Whether you come to start a small business, 

take forward a development, partner with an existing 

business or simply to retire, please know that the 

64 www.timespub.tc

opportunities are plentiful, waiting for you to investigate 

and make your choice. 

I am well content to know I will live out my life 

watching these islands slowly and sustainably grow, 

happy to be sharing this great lifestyle with new neighbours. 

Come and stay a while with us soon. a 

Forbes Realty TCI 

Property for Sale 

North & Middle Caicos 

Sara Kaufman moved to the Turks & Caicos Islands in 

1994 after 15 years in Europe as a top management 

consultant. She fell in love with Middle Caicos and 

was one of the original developers of the Blue Horizon 

Resort on Middle Caicos. She co-founded the Middle 

Caicos Co-op to promote local artisans and traditional 

TCI handcrafts with friends working on the Crossing 

Place Trail Project, and met her partner, Daniel O. 

Forbes, in 1998 at a local dance to celebrate the opening 

of the trail! Daniel and Sara opened Daniels Café 

in 2000, an iconic Middle Caicos landmark. Their next 

venture was to set up Forbes, Forbes & Forbes Ltd., 

(aka Forbes Realty TCI) in 2005 to sell real estate. 

While initially dedicated to the private island of Pine 

Project1:Layout 1 11/10/16 1:54 PM Page 1 

Cay, within a few years they were proudly promoting 

properties in North and Middle Caicos too. They 

launched the Go Beyond Provo campaign in 2012 to 

raise visibility for real estate opportunities on the 

family islands, with the goal to promote their charm, 

tranquility and investment value. By choice Sara relishes 

privacy and tranquility, living on Middle Caicos 

now for 22 years. 

Contact sara@forbesrealtytci.com or call 1-649- 

231-4884 and visit www.forbesrealtytci.com to explore 

the real estate for sale on North and Middle Caicos, 

Salt Cay and Pine Cay. 

Go Beyond Provo! 

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Daniel’s Cafe in Conch Bar, Middle Caicos 

Always local seafood! Always homemade breads! 

Open Tuesday to Sunday 

Call 245-2298/232-6132 

for groups and dinner reservations. 


astrolabe 

newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

front street, p.o. box 188, grand turk, turks & caicos islands, bwi 

tel 649 946 2160 • fax 649 946 2160 • email info@tcmuseum.org • web www.tcmuseum.org 

On the Road 

Story & Photos By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, 

Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation 

66 www.timespub.tc 

The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. 

Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, 

Pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way 

Where many paths and errands meet, and whither then? I cannot say. 

—J.R.R. Tolkien 

This Volkswagen van was an integral part of the author’s journey 

across the United States in 1973; he likens it to the journey of the 

National Museum over the last 25 years. 

In 1973 a friend and I set out on an epic journey. Our rather vague destination was Fairbanks, Alaska, which we 

calculated to be 4,400 miles from our starting point in Chapel Hill, North Carolina—almost exactly the distance 

from Grand Turk to Paris! Our conveyance was a Volkswagen transporter boasting 67 hp. It took weeks. The 

actual round-trip distance ended up being 12,000 miles because we picked up Kor Smit, a Dutch hitchhiker, 

near Devil’s Tower, Wyoming. Kor inspired us to relax the itinerary, to be more adventurous, and to take time 

to meet people along the way. A friendly park ranger got us jobs painting the stripe down the center of the 

“Going to the Sun” highway in Glacier National Park. That windfall extended our trip by several weeks. When 

we finally made it to Fairbanks, it was kind of a let-down. The memorable part was the journey, the people we 

met, the things we saw and did along the way, not the destination! 

With the Museum’s 25th anniversary coming up in November it occurred to me that the TCNM is on a journey. 

Not the kind you can measure in miles, but one that started out like our trip to Alaska with only a vague 

destination and little knowledge of how to get there. Now, a quarter-century later it is still on the road—but 

where is it headed? 

The ultimate destination the directors see for the Museum is its secure, continued existence. That’s a tall 

order and a huge responsibility for a handful of people to take on by themselves. National museums the world 

over are supported by the citizens and governments of the nations they represent. But the TCNM was created 

as a non-profit, non-governmental entity, entirely funded by its philanthropic founder, Mrs. Grethe Seim, so 

it depends on public support. Yes, national museums can attract visitors, but governments have more compelling 

reasons to support them: They constitute the collective memories and achievements of everyone who 

ever lived there and as such preserve their nations’ histories and identities. Indeed, they define the nation. 

For more than half my life my journey has been intertwined with that of the TCNM, its ups and downs, its 

tenuous existence. The following article is a much abbreviated reflection on the Museum’s journey over the 

last quarter century. a


astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

RICHARD COBERLY 

The Guinep House, poised on Grand Turk’s western shore 70 feet from the Atlantic Ocean, provides exhibit space for the Museum. 

The Journey 

A look at the National Museum’s epic voyage through history. 

By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation 

It’s hard to say exactly when and where some journeys begin. More often than not we wake up one day 

and it dawns on us that we’re going somewhere. Maybe it isn’t even clear where, but we’re definitely on a 

journey. The founding of the Turks & Caicos National Museum (TCNM) provides a case in point. This year 

we are celebrating its 25th anniversary, but in retrospect its journey actually started 36 years ago—11 

years before it even opened its doors—with the discovery of a very important shipwreck. 

68 www.timespub.tc


1980: The journey begins 

It was not an auspicious beginning. I had barely even 

heard of the Turks & Caicos Islands when I received an 

invitation from Governor John Strong to survey a shipwreck 

on Molasses Reef on the Caicos Bank. Afterward, 

the TCI Government issued a license to the Texas-based 

non-profit organization I worked for, the Institute of 

Nautical Archaeology, to excavate the site with me as the 

director. At the time no one could possibly have known 

this is where the TCNM’s journey would begin. 

Our interest in the ship was not “treasure”—it had 

none—but the historical information we hoped to tease 

out of the artifacts and samples we recovered. But when 

our research vessel arrived at Molasses Reef to begin 

the excavation we discovered to our horror that treasure 

hunters had blown the site up with homemade pipe 

bombs, viciously mutilating some of the artifacts. 

treasure hunters 

and sail 

back to Miami? 

I decided to 

persist with 

the excavation—one 

of 

the best gambles 

of my life! 

Three seasons 

of field work 

on the site and 

nine years of 

conservation 

and analysis of The National Museum is founder Grethe Seim’s 

gift to the people of the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

the artifacts at 

the Ships of Discovery laboratory at Texas A&M University 

followed. Our findings established that the Molasses Reef 

Wreck was an anonymous Spanish ship from the earliest 

days of exploration and discovery in the New World, dating 

to the early 1500s—the oldest shipwreck ever found 

in the Americas! 

TURKS & CAICOS NATIONAL MUSEUM 

DENNIS DENTON 

Dr. Donald Keith examines the remains of pipe bombs used by treasure 

hunters to blow up the Molasses Reef Wreck. 

It was a dark hour for me. Should we continue with the 

project or chalk it up to just another site destroyed by 

1991: Inception 

We were ready to return the entire artifact collection to 

the TCI. But return it where? To whom? To which island? 

Grand Turk was the seat of government, but had no place 

to put it, no way to show it, and no real understanding of 

what could be done with it. Providenciales, the de facto 

capital of the TCI, showed no serious interest. It was 

beginning to look like the Molasses Reef Wreck artifacts 

would end up ignominiously lost and forgotten in a government 

warehouse. 

The journey could have ended then and there but 

for a letter I received from Mrs. Grethe Seim, an amateur 

historian and archaeologist residing on Grand Turk. She 

knew exactly what to do with the Molasses Reef Wreck 

collection: use it to create a museum! But what to call it 

and where to put it? She knew the TCI Government could 

not afford to create or support a national museum, so 

she proposed to make it a non-profit organization governed 

by a Board of Trustees and mandated by the TCI 

Government to collect, preserve, and disseminate knowledge 

of the cultural and natural history of the Islands. 

With enthusiasm and speed seldom seen in the 

Islands in those days Grethe bought and remodeled the 



DONALD KEITH 

From top: Renovation transforms the Guinep House into the Turks & 

Caicos National Museum. 

The Science Building was built adjacent to the Guinep House to help 

conserve and protect Museum assets. 

Guinep House, one of the oldest, most prominent, and 

sturdiest masonry buildings on Grand Turk’s Front Street, 

converted it to exhibit space, contracted with Ships of 

Discovery to design and build the exhibits, and had the 

Molasses Reef Wreck collection shipped to Grand Turk 

for installation. With much pomp and circumstance the 

TCNM opened its doors to the public on November 26, 

1991. 

1992-1999: The road leads on 

Grethe never intended for the National Museum to be 

just “another roadside attraction” for the entertainment 

of visitors. She knew that although the Guinep House 

was an appropriate exhibit space, a national museum 

has responsibilities and priorities far beyond its exhibits. 

It must explore its cultural and historical assets, be prepared 

to conserve and protect those assets against loss 

or damage, disseminate the knowledge it collects, and 

continue to do this in perpetuity. 

To meet those responsibilities, she commissioned 

construction of the Science Building adjacent to the 

Guinep House. With its base of operations firmly established, 

the Museum’s journey joined “a wider way, where 

many paths and errands meet.” My Ships of Discovery colleagues 

and I were drawn into terrestrial and underwater 

archaeological field work, archival research projects in 

museums and repositories all over the world, in-house 

artifact conservation, oral history collection, and the 

design and creation of new exhibits. 

On trips to the Smithsonian and the American 

Museum of Natural History, Grethe and I discovered forgotten 

troves of world-class Native American artifacts 

from the Turks & Caicos acquired by those museums a 

century ago. Even more importantly for the native population 

of the TCI, we discovered the story of the slave 

ship Trouvadore, wrecked on East Caicos in 1841, and 

its possible connection to the settlement of Bambarra on 

Middle Caicos. This launched the Search for Trouvadore 

Project 10 years later, which continues to this day. 

We also became aware of research conducted by 

bona fide archaeologists and historians whose work preceded 

the establishment of the Museum. The published 

works of Drs. Shaun Sullivan, Glen Freimuth, and William 

Keegan, who surveyed and excavated Native American 

sites throughout the Caicos Islands in the 1970s, revealed 

that they were densely populated before the arrival of 

Europeans. The archival research and fieldwork done by 

Drs. Charlene Kozy and Paul Farnsworth on the Loyalist 

Planters, who fled from the newly established United 

States to the TCI following the War of Independence, 

explained where the native population of the Caicos 

Islands came from and that their ancestors built the 

impressive plantation ruins that still dot the Islands 

today. 

Dissemination of the new knowledge we were gaining 

was always just as important as the discoveries we were 

making. Much of this knowledge has been shared in the 

Astrolabe, a regular feature in Times of the Islands since 

1997. If one were to bind all 76 issues into one book it 

would comprise more than 700 pages! With the help of 

70 www.timespub.tc


donations from Hon. Lillian Swann-Misick and Anthony L. 

Hall, the Museum’s second director, Nigel Sadler, issued 

three Museum publications during his tenure: A Guide to 

the Turks and Caicos National Museum, Turks and Caicos 

Islands in Old Photographs, and Slave History in the 

Turks and Caicos Islands. Ships of Discovery produced 

numerous reports and videos detailing its investigations 

of sites on land and underwater throughout the Islands 

including Sapodilla Hill and Cheshire Hall on Provo, 

Maravedi Cove and Yankee Town on West Caicos, Cotton 

Cay, Fort George Cay, the Molasses Reef Wreck, HMS 

Endymion, and the slave ship Trouvadore. Grand Turk 

resident Donna Seim used an island folktale as the basis 

for her beautifully illustrated children’s book Where is 

Simon, Sandy? All proceeds from its sales go to support 

the Museum’s Children’s Club. 

The journey continued with many stops along the 

way. After noticing that inscriptions made in the soft 

limestone atop Sapodilla Hill were disappearing as a 

result of natural erosion and vandalism, we mapped, photographed 

and moulded them in situ. We surveyed all the 

windmills on Grand Turk and salvaged and conserved the 

cast iron parts from one example after it toppled into its 

salina. After Capt. Bob Gascoine donated a 900 year-old 

Lucayan paddle he found in Grand Turk’s North Creek, 

we conserved it in the Ships of Discovery laboratory and 

returned it to become the main attraction in the new 

Lucayan Gallery. We surveyed and mapped Cheshire Hall 

on Provo. Museum Manager Brian Riggs recreated several 

donkey carts on Grand Turk using the last surviving original 

cart as a pattern. One of these can now be seen in 

front of the Museum, complete with donkey! Our collections 

continued to grow as generous donors, including US 

servicemen stationed in the Islands in the 1950s, 1960s 

and 1970s, sent us old documents and photographs. 

2000: New itinerary 

The Museum’s founder, primary benefactor and my good 

friend, Grethe Seim, passed away unexpectedly in 2000, 

leaving the Trustees to ponder the question of where 

the Museum’s journey was taking us. Although Grethe 

bequeathed a generous endowment to the Museum, it 

would not last forever. Other sources of funding would 

be needed in order to continue to operate as a non-profit, 

non-governmental entity. 

It was clear that Provo was fast becoming the hub 

From top: Former Museum 

Director Nigel Sadler produced 

these publications 

for the Museum. 

Donna Seim (far right) 

wrote the children’s book, 

Where Is Simon Sandy?, 

based on a local folktale. 

The proceeds of the 

book sales benefit the 

Museum’s Children’s Club 

(pictured here). 

A Museum visitor gazes at 

the 900-year-old Lucayan 

paddle found in the North 

Creek, Grand Turk. 

DONALD KEITH MARTIN SEIM BRIAN RIGGS 



DONALD KEITH 

CANDIANNE WILLIAMS 

From top: The Museum’s Development Office in The Village at Grace 

Bay also serves as a “mini-museum.” The timeline banners encapsulate 

the natural and cultural history of the Caicos Islands. 

Alongside the office is the Caicos Heritage House and Cultural Garden. 

of all communications, transportation, business, and 

tourism in the Islands—and that the Museum must create 

a presence there in order to stay relevant. But the 

prevailing feeling among the Trustees was that a shift of 

focus to Provo was too big a detour from the Museum’s 

journey. Consequently, early efforts to gain a toe-hold 

on Provo were half-hearted. That resistance changed dramatically 

in 2008 following the destruction wrought on 

Grand Turk by Hurricane Ike. If the winds had struck from 

the west instead of the east, all of Front Street—including 

the Museum—would have been severely damaged. There 

is no denying that the Museum’s location on Grand Turk, 

literally less than a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, 

puts its assets and collections at risk. It was imperative 

that we move at least the most important and fragile collections 

to a safer place. 

A lucky break came in 2009 when a chance meeting 

between the Museum’s third director, Dr. Neil Hitch, and 

real estate developer Frank Coggins resulted in the offer 

of an acre and a half of land with a small building on it 

in The Village at Grace Bay. Over the next few years our 

presence on Provo continued to grow. A grant from the 

Krieble Foundation enabled the Museum to buy the land 

outright and a grant from Yves Micheli enabled us to convert 

the existing building to a “mini-museum” we call the 

Development Office. 

A series of grants from a generous Pine Cay donor 

enabled the Museum to buy another acre adjacent to the 

office and build the Caicos Heritage House and Garden, 

a “living history” outdoor exhibit recreating what life 

was like at a typical Caicos Islands homestead 150 years 

ago. Our goal is to fit it out with a full complement of 

normal household items such as cookware, tableware, 

gardening and farming tools, lighting devices, fishing 

equipment, boat-building and sailing paraphernalia, etc., 

and demonstrate how they were used. We want it to be 

occupied by Museum staff posing as “family members” of 

the homestead who can explain the activities of daily life 

and share anecdotes with visitors. At last we had a foothold 

on Provo, but with it came the increased expenses 

associated with operating two locations simultaneously. 

2010: Pursuing it with eager feet 

In 2010 the Trustees decided to try a different approach 

to operating the Museum and put a business team in 

place. Our current director, Pat Saxton, tightened the 

budget while at the same time finding new funding for 

72 www.timespub.tc


This is an architectural vision of the planned National Museum on Providenciales in The Village at Grace Bay. 

RAYMOND ST. JACQUES CUSHNIE 

special projects on Grand Turk such as the Botanical and 

Cultural Garden, a bird watching trail, five new exhibits, 

and a total renovation of the Guinep House, including 

much-needed hurricane windows and doors and an outdoor 

theater for special events. Pat and her team have 

brought in more funding for special projects than in all 

the previous 20 years, including two grants from the 

British Library to organize, digitize and safeguard the 

Museum’s archives. This led to a discussion with the TCI 

Government on the importance of a National Archive, an 

idea whose time has come, and we are hopeful that government 

will contribute to its creation. 

We also put Museum staff member Candianne 

Williams in charge of the Development Office in the 

Village at Grace Bay. She has been instrumental in finding 

new ways to encourage Islanders to participate in 

events such as the opening of the Caicos Heritage House 

and Garden and the Annual National History and Cultural 

Heritage Quiz. Numerous school groups and civic organizations 

have learned more about the TCI’s cultural and 

natural history of the Islands while visiting the Office. 

2016: And whither then? 

So much for the journey behind us, what about the future? 

Where is the Museum headed? The Museum’s greatest 

challenges for the next few years will be to expand its 

operations on Provo while maintaining its facilities on 

Grand Turk. It is an opportunity not only to unveil new 

exhibits specific to the history of the Caicos Islands, but 

also to update old exhibits and create new ones on Grand 

Turk. 

What is our vision for the new museum on Provo? 

It will be necessary to construct a multi-purpose facility 

built to international museum standards to tell the 

story of the Caicos Islands. In addition to keeping our 

collections and the National Archive safe, a building that 

meets those standards for security and function will allow 

us to request repatriation or long-term loans of artifacts 

from these Islands now in the Smithsonian, the American 

Natural History Museum, and other foreign institutions. 

It will have a chronological theme, telling the cultural 

and natural history of the Caicos Islands starting 

with how they were created eons ago and how they were 

colonized by plants, animals, and eventually humans. 

Exhibits will represent the TCI’s first inhabitants, the 

Lucayans, who settled in the Caicos Islands at least 700 

years ago. The Molasses Reef Wreck exhibit will exemplify 

the arrival of the first Europeans about 500 years ago. 



DONALD KEITH 

Perhaps the most historically significant exhibit in 

the Provo Museum will be the stories of two slave ships, 

Esperança and Trouvadore, that wrecked on Middle and 

East Caicos in 1838 and 1841. Old records indicate that 

some people living in the Caicos Islands today may be the 

descendants of survivors of these shipwrecks. Museumsponsored 

expeditions in 2004, 2006, and 2008 combed 

the area where Trouvadore sank resulting in the discovery 

of a wooden hull and artifacts believed to be the remains 

of the ship. Esperança remains to be found. 

We want to move the Molasses Reef Wreck exhibit to 

Provo because it wrecked on the Caicos Bank and is part 

of Caicos history. This gives us the opportunity to replace 

it on Grand Turk with an equally exciting exhibit about 

HMS Endymion, a 44-gun warship that wrecked on the 

Turks Islands Bank south of Salt Cay in 1790. 

A related objective is to help the government establish 

a National Archive, a separate entity staffed and 

maintained by the TCI Government. At present the only 

safe and accessible repository for important records pertaining 

to the history and governance of the TCI is the 

National Museum, and it is overtaxing our resources. 

From top: Marine archaeologist Dr. James Hunter hovers over the hull 

remains of a wreck thought to be Trouvadore. 

An exciting new exhibit planned for the Museum on Grand Turk is 

about the HMS Endymion, a 44-gun warship wrecked south of Salt Cay 

in 1790. Its anchor is shown here. 

The Islands entered mainstream world history during the 

brief but hugely important period from about 1790 until 

1840 when the most fertile land in the Caicos Islands 

was cleared for cultivation by Loyalist refugees displaced 

after the American War of Independence. They and their 

slaves planted cotton and sugar cane and built docks, 

roads, homes and settlements, bringing civilization to 

the Islands for the first time. Other exhibits will deal 

with more recent historical periods in the Caicos Islands 

including the sisal, sponge, and guano enterprises and 

the evolution of the tourist industry. 

Join us on the journey 

The next few years have the potential to be the most 

interesting and fulfilling part of the Museum’s journey so 

far—unless we run out of gas! Twenty-five years after its 

founding, the National Museum is still supported primarily 

by Grethe Seim’s bequest. Memberships, donations, 

entry fees, and grants from foundations and individuals 

make up the rest of our income and frankly, it hasn’t 

been enough. 

When Grethe put the word “National” in the Museum’s 

name she never meant to imply that it was part of and 

funded by the TCI Government. But that is what most 

people have assumed and it has hurt our fundraising 

efforts. We are very successful at raising money for special 

projects, but no one wants to pay for infrastructure 

expenses—salaries, facility maintenance, utilities, insurance 

and the like. The sad fact is that the people who 

benefit most from the Museum’s work—the businesses, 

citizens and residents of the Islands—contribute the least, 

probably because they think it is government-funded. 

Recently the Museum asked the TCI Government for 

financial help with an annual stipend, and we are hopeful 

that with the many new programs we have initiated to 

74 www.timespub.tc


promote, protect and preserve the history of the TCI, the 

government will step up. Realizing this will not happen 

if Islanders do not understand and appreciate the importance 

of the Museum, we are concentrating on outreach 

programs throughout the Islands. 

The Museum’s budget is unbelievably small, given its 

level of activity and accomplishments. It has only one fulltime 

employee, Director Pat Saxton on Grand Turk and 

a part-time museum representative on Providenciales, 

Candianne Williams. Our guides are all part-time. A handful 

of loyal volunteers cheerfully provide assistance with 

everything from making building repairs to producing the 

Astrolabe and maintaining our website. 

Exploring, collecting, preserving, and disseminating: 

everything the Museum does is for the Greater Good. We 

have to keep following the road and finding the wherewithal 

along the way to continue the journey—which is 

where you come in. The Museum needs your support. It 

will not survive without it. Financial assistance is crucial, 

but we also need volunteers, donors of in-kind services, 

old photographs, and authentic items for fitting out the 

Caicos Heritage House. 

Yes, it has been and is an ambitious journey. We are 

fast approaching yet another fork in the road, and the 

path we take will be critical. One path, with infrastructure 

properly funded by the government or a large endowment, 

leads to the realization of our vision for building 

and operating the Museum on Provo, the Caicos Heritage 

House and Cultural Garden, and National Archive. The 

other path, with no reliable source of infrastructure funding, 

leaves the Museum unable to grow and stranded on 

Grand Turk to brave the vicissitudes of fortune while primarily 

serving passengers from the Cruise Ship Center. 

Beautiful by nature—enthralling by history 

Life may be a journey rather than a destination, but most 

of us do not just drift aimlessly. We have places to go 

and things to do. Our journey becomes a series of destinations. 

The people we meet, adventures we have, the 

things we do, the joy and tragedy we experience, our 

successes and failures, are what comprise our lives. In 

the end, the story of that journey is all any of us leaves 

behind. 

Each of us has his or her own story, but the stories of 

all the people who ever lived here, when combined, form 

its history. The ultimate destination the Directors see for 

This entry is from the Register of Marriages, St. John’s Parish, commencing 

1865. Its existence proves the need for a National Archive. 

the Museum is its secure, continued existence collecting, 

preserving and disseminating knowledge of the cultural 

and natural history of the Islands in perpetuity for generations 

to come. a 

For more information or to volunteer time, talent, or 

resources, contact Museum Director Pat Saxton at (649) 

946-2160 or email info@tcmuseum.org. 

Join the Museum 

Become a Member and receive a year’s subscription 

to Times of the Islands (which includes Astrolabe), 

free admission to the Museum, and a Members’ 

Discount in the Museum Shop. 

Senior (62+) $35 

Individual $50 

Family/Friend $100 

Sponsor $250 

Contributor $500 

Partner $750 

To join*, send name, address, email, and type of 

membership, along with cheque or money order 

payable to “Turks & Caicos National Museum” to: 

Friends of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

39 Condesa Road 

Santa Fe, NM 87508 USA 

Or, visit: 

www.tcmuseum.org/membership-support/ 

*For U.S. residents, support of the Museum is tax-deductible via 

Friends of the Turks & Caicos National Museum, Attn: Donald H. 

Keith, 39 Condesa Road, Santa Fe NM 87508, our affiliated institution 

and registered 501 (c) (3). 

MELANIE CLIFTON-HARVEY 



Clockwise from top left: Customs House Grand Turk, c. 1910. 

James Handfield and Daniel Higgs, both from Bottle Creek, were attached to the Royal Engineers’ Inland Water Transport division in 

“Mesopotamia” (modern Iraq). 

View of Grand Turk’s Front Street looking north, c. 1910. Note the rows of donkey carts in the foreground. 

Private James Alexander Arthur appears to be the only local man to die on active service. He died of tuberculosis at age 26 on January 16, 

1919 serving with the 2nd British West Indies Regiment in Egypt. His parents were George Arthur and Laura Forbes, but E. Williams of Bottle 

Creek selected his headstone inscription. He is buried in the Alexandria (Egypt) War Memorial Cemetery. 

Heading into Battle 

The Turks & Caicos Islands in World War I. 

By Pat Saxton, Turks & Caicos National Museum Director ~ Photos from TCNM Collection 

One hundred years ago, the series of engagements known as the Battle of the Somme was at full tilt in 

France. By the time it ended in mid-November 1916, combined British, French, and German casualties 

may well have topped one million. By all measures it was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in any 

war before or since. 

Working with research I did in the Museum’s archive, along with research that former Museum Director 

Nigel Sadler of Sands of Times Consultancy recently completed for Montserrat, we were able to produce a 

traveling exhibit consisting of a series of seven panels of text and photographs commemorating the part 

the Turks & Caicos and other islands in the British West Indies played in the First World War. This reinforces 

the need for a National Archive, so everyone has access to these important documents for research. 

The panels were presented on November 13, 2016, at the Remembrance Day Celebration. 

76 www.timespub.tc




When the First World War began, the British Empire 

included 17 territories classed as the British West Indies: 

Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Guiana, British 

Honduras, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, 

Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis (including Anguilla), St. 

Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago 

and the Turks & Caicos Islands. All were expected to help 

the Empire defeat Germany and its allies. 

As part of the British Empire, the Turks & Caicos 

Islands automatically went to war with Germany when 

Britain declared war on August 4, 1914. The Islands were 

largely isolated from the direct impact of the war, but 

wanted to do their duty. Residents collected funds to 

cover the costs of sending a small contingent of men to 

fight, but the Secretary of State decided this money would 

be better spent on an ambulance. 

This incensed some local men who felt their right to 

fight had been taken away from them. Undeterred, some 

were able to find funds to cover their travel to Britain to 

join up. Records show that at least 18 Islanders who privately 

funded their departure served in the British armed 

forces in France, England, Egypt, Iraq, Canada and the 

US. The panels reveal the names of seven volunteers from 

Grand Turk, five from Bottle Creek, three from Blue Hills, 

and one each from Cockburn Harbour, Lorimers, and Salt 

Cay. 

The war was not just fought by those who carried 

weapons in the armed forces. A merchant fleet was formed 

to maintain supplies to the fighting men in Europe, Africa, 

Palestine and the Middle East, or “Mesopotamia” as it was 

called at the time. It was also to supply the industries 

in Britain with the raw materials to make weapons and 

to provide food to the British population. Men from the 

Turks & Caicos Islands made their own way to Britain or 

other Caribbean islands to join up with the Mercantile 

Fleet (the Merchant Navy). The Registry of Shipping and 

Seaman Medal Card Registry held by the National Archives 

in London records eight Turks & Caicos Islands men who 

served in the Mercantile Fleet. Most of them were in their 

20s, but one of them, Thomas Pearson, was in his 70s! a 

For more information on this fascinating subject, the 

West India Committee in the UK has produced a documentary 

with the BBC. For more information, visit the website 

www.westindiacommittee.org/caribbeansgreatwar/. 

Museum matters 

Story & Photos By Candianne Williams 

Rotary Club visit 

On the calendar of the Rotary Club of Providenciales, 

October is dedicated to Economic and Community 

Development, and because October is also Heritage 

Month in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the club changed 

their weekly schedule to meet at the Museum’s 

Development Office in the Village at Grace Bay. 

What a night it was! And a good night to get into 

character as the crew of the museum’s major exhibit— 

the 1513 Molasses Reef Shipwreck. Nature cooperated 

to provide a stormy night as a backdrop, so it was easy 

for the Rotarians to imagine themselves trying unsuccessfully 

to navigate in the waters around the Turks & 

Caicos and wrecking the ship on the southern fringe of 

the Caicos Bank just 20 miles south of Providenciales. 

The swabbie whose job was mopping the deck had no 

difficulty imagining how hard that job would have been 

as a result of the waves and rain they likely encountered. 

The many boat captains and sailing enthusiasts 

in the group related to it all very easily. Best of all, 

they were able to bring their experiences and wealth of 

knowledge into discussions. The objective was to learn 

more about the history of the islands, the museum’s 

work in the community, and identify ways that they 

could assist. We would like to thank the members of 

the Rotary for their financial contribution and we look 

forward to working with the Club in the future. a 

Teacher’s workshop 

If the interest and excitement generated from the 

Museum’s Teacher’s Workshop on October 26, 2016 is 

any indication of things to come, then I can safely say 

that we are in for quite a treat on March 7, 2017 when 

we host the TCNM’s History and Cultural Heritage Quiz 

for Secondary Schools. 

There is nothing quite like the intense positive 

energy that is generated from a group of persons who 

are passionate about the TCI’s history and cultural heritage. 

Pastor Samuel Gold Williams and Mr. James Parker 

brought us along with them on waves through time as 

we discussed the country’s rich maritime heritage and 

78 www.timespub.tc


Provo Rotarians met at the Museum’s Development Office for a night “in character” as the crew of the 1513 Molasses Reef shipwreck. 

the intricacies of the traditional craft of boat-building 

passed on to them from generations of boat builders 

in their families. These members of the Turks & Caicos 

Maritime Heritage Federation are working with us to 

develop a Caicos Heritage Sloop Exhibit at the Museum’s 

Grace Bay location that would showcase and celebrate 

this rich part of our heritage. 

Representatives from H.J. Robinson High School in 

Grand Turk, Marjorie Basden High School in South Caicos, 

Raymond Gardiner High School in North Caicos, British 

West Indies Collegiate, Champions for Christ International 

School of Excellence, Clement Howell High School, Elite 

High School, Long Bay High School, Maranatha Academy 

and Wesley School in Providenciales were also treated to 

a number of other presentations. TCNM’s Nikki Jennings 

discussed the history of the Salt Industry in the Islands 

with a feature on Mary Prince, a slave whose documented 

account of her life includes the time she spent toiling in 

the salt ponds on Grand Turk. Dr. Carlton Mills’ presentation 

was on all the persons who have had the privilege 

to serve as chief ministers, premiers and speakers of the 

House of Assembly of the Turks & Caicos Islands. The 

segment on the Natural Heritage of the Turks & Caicos 

Islands was covered by Amy Avenant of the Department 

of Environment and Coastal Resources. She reminded 

teachers of the importance of instilling a sense of pride 

in the students for the indigenous natural heritage, that 

will lead to a desire to protect and preserve it. 

Angela Freites from the Department of Culture gave 

a presentation on cuisine that was particularly enjoyable 

even though, regrettably, there were no samples! Her 

demonstration of the rhythmic movements involved in 

the preparation of so many of our local delicacies and 

the songs that often accompany this “work” served to 

remind of the importance of music in our cultural heritage. 

David Bowen of Grace Bay Resorts continued on 

the theme with instruction and entertainment relating 

to music, dance and folklore. 

The teachers will now share the information with 

their students as they prepare their respective teams 

to compete in the History and Cultural Heritage Quiz. 

Deputy Director of Education Mark Garland advised the 

teachers to embrace the opportunity to either learn 

or refresh their memories. He reminded them of their 

great responsibility to pass on the TCI’s rich history 

and cultural heritage to the youth in their charge. 

The in-depth discussions generated from the 

presentations engaged every one of the participants. 

Special thanks to the TCI Department of Education and 

our corporate sponsor Fortis TCI for their partnership 

and support in the workshop and quiz, and to our quiz 

sponsors, Caicui Naniki, Marco Travel and TC Reef 

Fund. 

Like other museums, Turks & Caicos National 

Museum is fundamentally educational in purpose. 

This premise, in addition to the Museum’s mission to 

record, interpret, preserve and celebrate the history of 

the Turks & Caicos Islands makes hosting the workshop 

and quiz for secondary school teachers a great 

outreach opportunity. a 


crossing africa 

Clockwise from top: In spite of suffering maleria and having completed 1/2 of his journey so far, Mario Rigby is looking great! Sunset on Lake 

Malawi after a day of kayaking. Africa has no lack of beautiful views. Highway N1 is the artery of Mario’s journey, a part of this route since 

Cape Town all the way to Cairo, Egypt. This African band is part of the diverse group of people that Mario has met and enjoyed company 

with along the way. 

Crossing Africa Update 

The journey from Cape Town to Mozambique. 

Compiled by Claire Parrish ~ Photos By Mario Rigby 

We last left Mario Rigby, a former student of Provo Primary School and the British West Indies Collegiate, 

at the border of Mozambique on his mission to be the second man to walk and kayak from Cape Town, 

South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. The Summer 2016 issue of Times of the Islands covered his crossing of South 

Africa; now we follow him onwards through Mozambique and Malawi into Tanzania. You can track where 

Mario is currently at www.mariorigby.wordpress.com or follow him on Facebook at Crossing Africa. 

80 www.timespub.tc

Just four hours into Mozambique, Mario remarks 

how culturally different the country is from South Africa. 

This is not surprising when historically, Mozambique 

had been a Portuguese colony until 1975, with civil war 

into the 1990s. Three days walking though deep bush 

takes Mario to Zitundo, a developing town on the way to 

Mozambique’s capital of Maputo. 

Throughout Mario’s journey, language barrier or not, 

once amongst people Mario is well able to seek out the 

current topic of discussion. In Zitundo, that topic was 

a new road—some thought it good for the future, and 

others, primarily the elders, were left feeling troubled. As 

Mario continues toward the capital through a small village 

he writes, “Questions from strangers never get old and 

reactions are priceless.” 

Through a mix of manner and modern technology 

Mario has managed to communicate. The “modern” 

being a language App (for Portuguese at this point) and 

the phone—literally getting people to “phone a friend” 

(who speaks English). His journey into the capital city 

of Maputo brought great success—fantastic hosts, an 

interview with STV and seeing amazing sights including 

the CFM or Central Railway Station, an architectural marvel 

that is one of the world’s most magnificent railway 

stations, designed by famed French civil engineer and 

architect Gustave Eiffel. 

Colourful fishing boats lead the way out of Maputo City 

along harbours and beaches, all very serene. But Mario 

is headed to an entirely different situation further north. 

As he enters Gaza Province he is passed by Army convoy 

trucks who won’t allow him to walk. The fear for Mario 

is that the trucks are targets for rebel tribes. Yet the real 

“hot zone” is still a few weeks away. 

Mario safely continues through coastal holiday resort 

towns towards the capital of Gaza Province, Xai Xai, and 

beyond. He remarks how strangers call out, “Hello Mario,” 

having seen him on STV. People are interested in his journey 

and, in turn, people capture his heart. He might have 

made it his mission to be the second man in the world to 

cross Africa on foot, but he’s also made it his mission to 

do so while experiencing humanity—whether it’s the boy 

from a nice family where Mario sheltered from heavy rain 

to people who have known defeat, suffering, struggle and 

loss, yet still found their way; and of course the strong 

women who are the backbone of Africa. 

Mario’s journey is not just about physical and mental 

endurance, but also planning. His visa expires every 

month and requires a week of processing. He joins the 

rest of the work force on a ferry to go and get his business 

done. Whilst awaiting his extension, he spends 

time in Tofo, a magical divers’ retreat deeply steeped in 

Mozambique culture. Here he learns to scuba dive and 

enjoys World Oceans Day, the food and the beaches. You 

could call it time off from “work.” But soon enough it’s 

back to the job. 

After Tofo there is the risky adventure on a fisherman’s 

boat from Inhambane to Maxixe, then a harsh 

two week beach walk to Vilankulo with walking partner 

Francesco. Maxixe to Vilankulos is a 250 km journey. 

Super Mario—how are you doing it? 

It’s certainly a process of walking and finding a place 

to sleep at night. A process of convincing people without 

speaking their language that you’d like to sleep in their 

yard in your tent, or maybe in their house. It can get difficult, 

but Mario has always had some kind of welcome 

and warm bed. He has run out of food and water and 

had to amend plans accordingly—like mounting a 150 

meter high sand dune in order to get on track, but the 

sight from above over the mist was more-than-adequate 

compensation. 

Dialects change from town to town, which is tough 

when trying to learn the language. In the Vilankulos 

District people are busy celebrating Mozambique 

Independence Day. Francesco, who’s been on the journey 

from Maxixe is with Mario for a well deserved celebratory 


eakfast of grilled pork and salad with hot coffee, while 

watching the village butcher kill a goat for the evening’s 

feast. 

At Mapinhane, it’s back to the N1, the artery of this 

journey. It has been a part of this route since Cape Town 

and will continue all the way to Cairo, Egypt. In the town 

of Inhassoro, 100 km further north, Mario is literally 

greeted by hundreds of curious people and the town’s 

chief—all wanting to see the walker. Another 500 km 

further at Beira, things turned the other way. Mario had 

to take a ride in a truck due to civil unrest. Opposition 

groups were trying to take over bridges in the area. The 

military got involved in escorting Mario’s ride and that 

was when he found himself in the firing line. 

Mario did write that there was a moment in the grass 

where he’d never felt more lonesome, but he was still 

OK—despite the awfulness, people were still trying to be 

good people. He did note that there was one more conflict 

zone—Tete—nearly 600 km ahead in Mozambique, 

but otherwise he was off to Malawi and expected an end 

to wars and xenophobia until Sudan. 

Nearly 4,000 km from his start point in Cape Town, 

Mario reached Lilonge, Malawi safely. Now he needed a 

kayak or boat to row the entire length of Lake Malawi. 

This is one of the world’s largest lakes with the most 

diverse fish species. Using the GoFundMe.com site that 

he set up to support this journey, he manages to get 

himself a kayak. So all is well in Malawi, which Mario sees 

as the heart of Africa: a welcoming place with smiles all 

over. 

The first day’s crossing of Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) 

feels wonderful and in five hours Mario finds himself 

camping out on a tiny remote island. It’s during this 

stopover he realises his feet need attention, as they are 

covered in worm-like leeches, a 30 minute job to deal 

with. He continues and enjoys great peace at Salima on 

the lake. Kids are excited to say hello to Mario and the 

world. 

It’s during these peaceful times he thinks about the 

good memories of people met traveling, “some just stand 

out and leave a lasting memory.” Bear in mind that these 

“people experiences” are precious to Mario, when at 

times during this journey there are weeks lacking human 

interaction. 

The mission at this point is to cross all the Great 

Lakes of Africa along the Rift Valley. Add in a seemingly 

impossible stretch of majestic land all the way to 

Uganda—climbing mountains, kayaking and walking. 

From there Mario would continue his path past Kenya to 

Egypt. 

The distance between Salima and Nkhata Bay on Lake 

Malawi is 300 km and on that journey from villages to 

beaches he has to meet the chief, who decides if he is 

welcome to stay. Some people along this massive lake 

have never seen a foreigner. Imagine how it must be to 

them, meeting a man with a black face speaking English. 

The journey of Lake Malawi could really be called 

“surviving Lake Malawi.” There was a time when two km 

out in the lake the kayak nearly sunk to be lost, and there 

were three to four metre waves (which are fun when all 

is in order but not when adrift.) Mario managed to swim 

ashore and save his kayak, though scraping himself head 

to toe along rocks in the process. The pace he is trying to 

meet is 30–50 km a day, and whilst rest times would be 

good, it’s hard when bombarded by hundreds of children 

on land. 

A notable moment was docking on an island full of 

hippos. Hippos can be aggressive animals, but Mario 

found them “cool if left alone.” Human fear and aggression 

is not as easy to bypass. A chief decided to call the 

police to Mario’s camp one night; the welcoming party at 

3 AM holding AK47s proceeded to handcuff Mario and 

place him in a concrete cell full of other people with no 

82 www.timespub.tc

light to see. The chief used the situation to try to bribe 

Mario, who had none of it, and two awful days in a Malawi 

jail followed. Old travel friend Francesco came and proved 

that Mario was a tourist (you’d think his accent would 

be proof enough!) and the Malawian police delivered an 

apology. However, retrieving his kayak from the chief’s 

home was not easy. 

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Days later, as the journey continues like a fresh new week 

at work, kayak life is good, and a man plays a welcoming 

song at Mayoka Village; all is well with the world again. 

The simple pleasures of life abound, like having Malawian 

kids happily carry his kayak to his camp site. There is a 

Lake of Stars Festival where he and fellow travellers volunteer 

at Chilumba, Uliwa. 

Whilst Mario’s evening ritual after finding a place to 

stay is putting insect repellent on, he still fell ill to the 

dreadful malaria as he reached the north end of the lake 

at Kyela, Tanzania. Two ladies traveling became much 

needed friends and help. He recovered and chilled out 

at Jambiani Beach, Zanzibar, and in a couple of weeks at 

Bagamoyo he would meet these “Malaria friends” again— 

one can imagine a special bond formed between people 

when dealing with an illness that kills so many in Africa. 

My thoughts at that time went to Zemar, Mario’s mother 

here in Providenciales, who has been with him in spirit 

every step of the way. 

A Canadian television station interviewed Mario for 

Canadian Thanksgiving just as he reached his halfway 

point of Crossing Africa at Mbeya City, Tanzania, resuming 

his walking part of the journey. With Canadian, 

American and TCI’s Thanksgivings all just passed we can 

be grateful that our boy from Blue Hills is in Tanzania eating 

local food, looking great, enjoying the markets and 

beautiful beaches. We look forward to joining him again 

as he continues his mission, Crossing Africa, all the way 

to Cairo. a 

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MOV-A-THON2017_Layout 1 11/7/16 1:55 PM Page 1 

Nutrition in Demand, , a non profit raising awareness to 

the importance of health and healthy eating 

Motto: eating healthy today... living longer, better tomorrow 

• Educational workshops for seniors, adults, children & teenagers 

• Nutrition and physical activity summer camp 

• Nutrition education and culinary class for children 

• Weight loss support groups • Nutrition education for mass media 

To donate to our non profit or to one of our programs, 

visit our website: www.nutritionindemand.com 

Plan to run with us in paradise on Jan 14th for MOVE-A-THON TCI 2017 

For individual Medical Nutrition Therapy counseling, corporate wellness 

and lunch & learns, please contact Mrs. Tamika Handfeld MS, RD 

Provo Plaza No.5, Leeward Highway 

Cell: (649) 242-3978 or (649) 442-3978 


shape up 

Eye on diabetes 

By Tamika Handfield MS, RD, Nutrition in Demand 

Every year on November 14 is World Diabetes Awareness 

Day. The theme for this year was “Eye on Diabetes,” 

promoting the importance of screening to ensure early 

diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce 

the risk of serious complications. 

Everyone’s blood has some sugar in it because your 

body needs sugar for energy. When you eat, your body 

breaks food down into sugar and sends it into your 

bloodstream. Your pancreas makes a hormone called 

insulin, which gets the sugar from the blood into the 

cells to be used for energy needed for daily life. 

I like to explain the way insulin works using the 

analogy of a lock and key. Let’s imagine that the cells in 

our body are the lock and insulin is the key that opens 

that lock. Under normal conditions, you eat a meal, 

your blood sugar rises, but insulin unlocks the cells so 

the sugar is able to get in and make necessary energy. 

Two hours after eating, your blood sugar is back to 

normal. However, with diabetes, there is a defect in the 

system. Either the body is not making enough insulin 

or the cells are not recognizing the insulin that it is 

making. In both cases, the end result is sugar that is 

trapped circulating in the bloodstream. Therefore, diabetes 

is having too much sugar in your blood. 

Having uncontrolled blood sugar over a span of 

time can cause irreparable damage to the nervous 

system and a thickening of the blood which makes it 

almost impossible for it to properly circulate to the 

peripheral blood vessels in the hands, fingers, feet and 

toes. If blood is not able to get to the tissues, they die, 

leading to the need for amputations. 

Nephropathy is the deterioration of the blood vessels 

in the kidney, which eventually leads to kidney 

disease. Neuropathy is a disease involving damage to 

some of the nerves in the body, especially the peripheral 

nerves. Diabetic neuropathies cause numbing and 

tingling of the hands, arms, feet, and legs. It can also 

be the cause of foot ulcers. Retinopathy is a degenerative 

disease of the nerves in the retina. If left untreated, 

diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. 

This could be your treatment 

plan: 

1. Getting to a normal body 

weight for your height. 

2. Reducing the portions of 

foods you eat, but especially 

the amount of carbohydrate foods. Also, it is very 

important that you eat regularly through out the day. 

You no longer have the option of skipping meals. 

3. Becoming physically active on most days of the week 

for a minimum of 30 minutes per day because exercise 

helps to burn off some of the extra sugar in the blood. 

4. If you are on diabetes medications, take your medicine 

as prescribed. 

5. Regularly check your blood glucose, using a glucometer, 

to ensure it is in the normal range. 

6. Put an all-star team together that consists of a physician 

to help treat complications or change medications 

and dosage; a nurse to teach you how to prevent and 

care for complications; a dietitian to help you with 

controlling your carbohydrate intake; a psychologist 

to help you work through some emotions, and don’t 

forget a fitness specialist. 

People often say, “I have a little sugar,” suggesting 

that diabetes is not a serious disease. As already 

shown, diabetes left undiagnosed or uncontrolled is a 

very serious disease with many health complications. It 

is important to know if you have diabetes and if you do, 

take steps to better control it so you can live a normal, 

healthy and happy life. a 

This article is brought to you by Nutrition in Demand, 

a nonprofit aimed at raising health and healthy eating 

through a variety of workshops, seminars, nutrition 

and physical activity camps, culinary and nutrition 

education classes for schoolchildren, public service 

announcements, and print and visual media. For more 

information on Nutrition in Demand, please visit our 

website: www.nutritionindemand.com or follow us on 

social media — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

84 www.timespub.tc

faces and places 

Enjoying the “fashion sales” part of the event is Sanfra Foster. In the Pink volunteers included: Elge Sideraviciute, Donna Germaine, Melissa 

Hartling, Claire Phillips, Stefanie Twigg, Marilyn Marcus, Marylou VanderHeide and Lisa Robinson-Hall. Enjoying the camaraderie are Shanta 

Narinesingh, NCS President Rosemary Gardiner-Jolly, former NCS President Lucille Lightbourne. 

In the Pink 

This fifth annual fundraiser was held at The Palms on October 12, 2016. Both ladies and men, many dressed in shades 

of pink, participated in the shopping event and after-party, raising over $25,000 for TCI’s National Cancer Society. 

Distinguished guests included outgoing Governor HE Peter Beckingham, his wife, Jill, patron of the foundation, and 

Premier Hon. Rufus Ewing. By Claire Parrish ~ Photos by Paradise Photography, www.myparadisephoto.com 

Ester Hippolyte-Hamilton and Noelle Clarke enjoy shopping. The In the Pink Committee included: Hazel Hedgewood, Shanta Narinesingh, 

Rosemary Gardiner-Jolly, Karen Whitt, Foluso Ladejobi, Hon. Josephine Connolly and Marylou VanderHeide. Presenting 15 raffle giveaways by 

Jais are Chanda Tolani, Manisha Tolani and Bela Govindjee. Many were involved in donating, and their generosity is appreciated. 

TCI Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing and Delano Smith took on bar duty. Enjoying the after-party held at Parallel23 are Sabrina Green, Lillian 

Boyce, Natasha Prospere and Sakera Cooke. Serving as the bar staff of the evening were an upbeat group of local businessmen, happy to give 

their time and skills to the cause! 

Involved in a day in which money was raised through fashion sales, raffle tickets, auction items, poker, and beverages sold are Dr. Dionne 

Lightbourne, Zennie Morris and Justine Marziou. A dance party atmosphere took over The Palms courtyard, thanks to prime DJs and a glamorous 

setting. Pretty in pink are Lisa Robinson-Hall, Claudine Ewing and Althea Ewing. 


shape up 

Physical fitness for our youth 

By Adina Ciurar, Marketing and Business Manager, Personal Trainer and 

Group Fitness Instructor, Graceway Sports Centre 

In modern society, keeping our children physically 

active is harder and more challenging than ever. 

Children are attracted to video games and spend too 

much time in front of the screen, either computer, 

phone, tablet or TV. Also, many parents feel that physical 

activity can deter a child’s performance in school, so 

don’t encourage the little ones to spend enough time 

playing outdoors or participating in sports. 

When inactivity is matched with loads of fast food 

and highly processed foods, we start to have a better 

idea why obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease are 

growing at an alarming rate among children and teenagers 

and affect much of our population. Too much 

screen time may also adversely affect a child’s muscle 

and bone development, posture, neck alignment, eye 

function and overall self-esteem and confidence. 

Why is physical activity so important for children 

and teenagers? 

• Physical activity reduces stress and calms kids, making 

them happier and more attentive in the classroom. 

Physically fit children are also more likely to skip risky 

behaviors. Physical education is one of the best ways to 

battle obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and prevent 

cardiovascular problems later in life. 

• Physical activity also affects a child’s academic 

achievement. It helps to improve concentration, memory, 

and classroom behavior. Children who meet the 

guidelines for physical activity have higher test scores 

in both math and reading, compared to those who 

spend less time in physical education classes. Even 

occasional exercise of moderate intensity is helpful, 

as these bouts of exercise during recess breaks or 

activity-based learning can improve a child’s cognitive 

performance. 

The American Heart Association recommends that 

children ages 3 years and older participate in at least 

60 minutes (or at least two 30-minute periods or four 

15-minute periods) of enjoyable physical activity every 

day to improve cardiovascular fitness, physical wellness 

and emotional development. 

• Regular physical activity 

helps kids of all ages with 

weight control. In fact, when 

it comes to a healthy weight, 

being physically active is just 

as important for kids as eating right. Regular physical 

activity helps control the percentage of body fat in children 

and teens. Studies have shown that only 30–45 

minutes of moderate to intense exercising performed 

three to five days a week can help overweight and 

obese kids reduce their body fat. 

• Children need their parents’ and other adults’ support 

in accessing environments in which to be physically 

active. Research has shown that young children tend 

to be more active if their parents participate in physical 

activity and are active with them, and if they spend 

more time outside. 

This means that parents should model healthy 

physical activity behaviors by being active themselves, 

and by interacting with their children in physical activities 

such as bike riding, walking and active play. Ensure 

that your children have a safe outdoor space to play 

and some basic toys, such as balls, a jumping rope, a 

kite, maybe even a bicycle. 

Lead by example and make physical activity part of 

your time spent together as a family. Charity walks and 

runs are great opportunities to socialize and exercise 

at the same time. Taking kids to the beach is another 

great way to ensure that your child is physically active. 

Initiate games to play together, such as volleyball, 

Frisbee, ball catch or even swimming lessons, which 

are particularly important when living on an island! 

There are numerous options in the TCI to keep 

your children active. These range from outdoor basketball 

courts to organized programs and clinics for 

volleyball, soccer, hockey, tennis, squash, gymnastics, 

dance classes, American football, watersports, martial 

arts and sports camps. Children are our future, so let’s 

bring up healthy and happy generations to keep the 

future bright! a 

86 www.timespub.tc

faces and places 

Above from left: Poker Run 2016 started off with a boat parade across the island of Providenciales. With lots of beverage sponsors, there 

was no lack of liquid refreshment. TCI Boat Club President Albert “Froggie” Williams and Public Relations Officer Nat Rigby present Lynette 

Grant-Higgs of the Turks & Caicos Kidney Foundation with a check for $10,000 raised by the Poker Run. 

Poker Run 2016 

On the weekend of September 23–25, 2016, the TCI Boat Club held the Second Annual Charity Poker Run. The event 

started with a boat parade, captain’s meeting and kick-off party at Mango Reef on the 23rd, followed by the Poker 

Run Tournament on the 24th and a cool-down party on Water Cay the next day. Participants sped by boat along 

Providenciale’s beautiful coastline, from Turtle Cove Marina to South Side Marina to Blue Haven Marina to Flamingo 

Bar & Grill to the Blue Hills jetty and back to Turtle Cove, drawing cards for their poker hand (along with enjoying food, 

drinks, music and celebration at each stop.) The event raised $10,000 for the Turks & Caicos Kidney Foundation! 

Winners were: First prize ($2,500)–Shane Outten; Second prize ($1,250)–Pop Dean, and Third prize ($625)–Mervin 

Cox. The TCI Boat Club thanks main sponsor Casablanca Casino, Gold Sponsors and everyone who came out and purchased 

tickets and made this year a huge success. The Poker Run is held annually on the third weekend of September. 

Organizers look forward to adding more events and charities in 2017! To view the excitement on video, visit Facebook 

TCI Boatclub. 

By Kathy Borsuk ~ Photos Courtesy TCI Boat Club 

Above from top left: Boats sped from one marina to the next to draw cards for their poker hand. At each stop, participants and onlookers 

enjoyed food, drinks, music and fun. Organizers are (from left): Public Relations Officer Nathenial Rigby, Treasurer Gordon “Solie” Williams, 

President Albert “Froggie” Williams, Public Relations Officer Nikki Stubbs, Vice President Johnson Stubbs, and Secretary Ralph Dietsche. 


about the Islands 

Map provided courtesy Wavey Line Publishing. Their navigation charts and decorative and historic maps of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the 

Bahamas, and Hispaniola are available in shops throughout the Islands. Visit www.waveylinepublishing.com. 

Where we are 

The Turks & Caicos Islands lie some 575 miles southeast 

of Miami — approximately 1 1/2 hours flying time — 

with the Bahamas about 30 miles to the northwest and 

the Dominican Republic some 100 miles to the southeast. 

The country consists of two island groups separated 

by the 22-mile wide Columbus Passage. To the west are 

the Caicos Islands: West Caicos, Providenciales, North 

Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. To 

the east are the Turks Islands: Grand Turk and Salt Cay. 

The Turks & Caicos total 166 square miles of land 

area on eight islands and 40 small cays. The country’s 

population is approximately 32,000. 

Getting here 

There are international airports on Grand Turk, North 

Caicos, Providenciales, and South Caicos, with domestic 

airports on all of the islands except East Caicos. 

At this time, all of the major international carriers 

arrive and depart from Providenciales International 

Airport. American Airlines flies three times daily from 

Miami and daily from Charlotte. JetBlue Airways offers 

daily service from New York/JFK and Fort Lauderdale. 

Delta Airlines flies from Atlanta daily. West Jet travels 

from Toronto on Saturday. Air Canada offer flights from 

Toronto on Saturday and Sunday. British Airways travels 

on Thursday and Sunday from London/Gatwick via 

Antigua. 

Bahamasair flies to Nassau on Thursday and Sunday; 

Inter-caribbean Airways travels on Monday, Wednesday, 

88 www.timespub.tc

Brew ad_Layout 1 11/16/16 2:11 PM Page 1 

and Friday. Inter-caribbean Airways and Caicos Express 

travel to Haiti daily, while Inter-caribbean Airways flies 

to the Dominican Republic daily (except Wednesday); 

to Jamaica on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, 

and to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. 

Inter-caribbean Airways also travels to both Santiago and 

Havana, Cuba, several times a week. (Schedules are current 

as of November 2016 and subject to change.) 

Inter-island service is provided by Inter-caribbean 

Airways, Caicos Express Airways, and Global Airways. Sea 

and air freight services operate from Florida. 

Looking for something a little different? 

Take a Turk’s Head Brewery Tour! 

Experience a wide variety of beer from the Island’s ONLY local brewery. 

DAILY TOURS AVAILABLE STARTING WINTER 2016. 

Call (649) 941-3637 or email info@turksheadbeer.com 

for more information. 

Located at 52 Universal Dr. - Just off South Dock Rd., Providenciales. 

Language 

English. 

Time zone 

Atlantic Standard Time (AST) observed year-round. 

 

Currency 

The United States dollar. The Treasury also issues a Turks 

& Caicos crown and quarter. Travellers cheques in U.S. 

dollars are widely accepted and other currency can be 

changed at local banks. American Express, VISA, and 

MasterCard are welcomed at many locations. 

Climate 

The average year-round temperature is 83ºF (28ºC). The 

hottest months are September and October, when the 

temperature can reach 90 to 95ºF (33 to 35ºC). However, 

the consistent easterly trade winds temper the heat and 

keep life comfortable. 

Casual resort and leisure wear is accepted attire for 

daytime; light sweaters or jackets may be necessary on 

some breezy evenings. It’s wise to wear protective clothing 

and a sunhat and use waterproof sunscreen when out 

in the tropical sun. 

Entry requirements 

Passport. A valid onward or return ticket is also required. 

Customs formalities 

Visitors may bring in duty free for their own use one carton 

of cigarettes or cigars, one bottle of liquor or wine, 

and some perfume. The importation of all firearms including 

those charged with compressed air without prior 

approval in writing from the Commissioner of Police is 

strictly forbidden. Spear guns, Hawaiian slings, controlled 

drugs, and pornography are also illegal. 

Returning residents may bring in $400 worth of 


about the Islands 

merchandise per person duty free. A duty of 10% to 

60% is charged on most imported goods along with a 

7% customs processing fee and forms a major source of 

government revenue. 

Transportation 

A valid driver’s license from home is suitable when renting 

vehicles. A government tax of 12% is levied on all 

rental contracts. (Insurance is extra.) Driving is on the 

left-hand side of the road, with traffic flow controlled by 

round-abouts at major junctions. Please don’t drink and 

drive! Taxis are abundant throughout the Islands and 

many resorts offer shuttle service between popular visitor 

areas. Scooter, ATV, and bicycle rentals are also available. 

Telecommunications 

FLOW Ltd. provides land lines and superfast broadband 

Internet service. Mobile service is on a LTE 4G network, 

including pre and post-paid cellular phones. Most resorts 

and some stores and restaurants offer wireless Internet 

connection. Digicel operates mobile networks, with 

a full suite of LTE 4G service. FLOW is the local carrier 

for CDMA roaming on US networks such as Verizon and 

Sprint. North American visitors with GSM cellular handsets 

and wireless accounts with AT&T or Cingular can 

arrange international roaming. 

Electricity 

120/240 volts, 60 Hz, suitable for all U.S. appliances. 

Departure tax 

US $20 for all persons two years and older, payable in 

cash or traveller’s cheques. It is typically built into the 

cost of your ticket. 

Courier service 

Delivery service is provided by FedEx, with offices on 

Providenciales and Grand Turk, and DHL. UPS service is 

limited to incoming delivery. 

Postal service 

The Post Office and Philatelic Bureau in Providenciales is 

located downtown in Butterfield Square. In Grand Turk, 

the Post Office is on Front Street, with the Philatelic 

Bureau on Church Folly. The Islands are known for their 

varied and colorful stamp issues. 

Media 

Multi-channel satellite television is received from the U.S. 

and Canada and transmitted via cable or over the air. 

Local station WIV-TV broadcasts on Channel 4 and Island 

EyeTV on Channel 5. People’s Television offers 75 digitally 

transmitted television stations, along with local news 

and talk shows on Channel 8. There are also a number of 

local radio stations, magazines, and newspapers. 

Medical services 

There are no endemic tropical diseases in TCI. There are 

large, modern hospitals on Grand Turk and Providenciales. 

Both hospitals offer a full range of services including: 

24/7 emergency room, operating theaters, diagnostic 

imaging, maternity suites, dialysis suites, blood bank, 

physiotherapy, and dentistry. 

In addition, several general practitioners operate in 

the country, and there is a recompression chamber, along 

with a number of private pharmacies. 

Immigration 

A resident’s permit is required to live in the Islands. A 

work permit and business license are also required to 

work and/or establish a business. These are generally 

granted to those offering skills, experience, and qualifications 

not widely available on the Islands. Priority is given 

to enterprises that will provide employment and training 

for T&C Islanders. 

Government/Legal system 

TCI is a British Crown colony. There is a Queen-appointed 

Governor, HE Dr John Freeman. He presides over an executive 

council formed by the elected local government. Dr. 

Rufus Ewing was the country’s premier at press time, with 

elections planned for December 15, 2016. 

The legal system is based upon English Common 

Law and administered by a resident Chief Justice, Chief 

Magistrate, and Deputy Magistrates. Judges of the Court 

of Appeal visit the Islands twice a year and there is a final 

Right of Appeal to Her Majesty’s Privy Council in London. 

Taxes 

There are currently no direct taxes on either income 

or capital for individuals or companies. There are no 

exchange controls. Indirect taxation comprises customs 

duties and fees, stamp duty, taxes on accommodations, 

restaurants, vehicle rentals, other services and gasoline, 

as well as business license fees and departure taxes. 

90 www.timespub.tc

Economy 

Historically, TCI’s economy relied on the export of 

salt. Currently, tourism, the offshore finance industry, 

and fishing generate the most private sector income. 

The Islands’ main exports are lobster and conch, with 

the world’s first commercial conch farm operating on 

Providenciales. Practically all consumer goods and foodstuffs 

are imported. 

The Turks & Caicos Islands are recognised as an 

important offshore financial centre, offering services 

such as company formation, offshore insurance, banking, 

trusts, limited partnerships, and limited life companies. 

The Financial Services Commission regulates the industry 

and spearheads the development of offshore legislation. 

People 

Citizens of the Turks & Caicos Islands are termed 

“Belongers” and are primarily descendants of African 

slaves who were brought to the Islands to work on the 

salt ponds and cotton plantations. The country’s large 

expatriate population includes Canadians, Americans, 

Brits and Europeans, along with Haitians, Jamaicans, 

Dominicans, Bahamians, Indians, and Filipinos. 

Churches 

Churches are the center of community life and there 

are many faiths represented in the Islands, including: 

Adventist, Anglican, Assembly of God, Baha’i, 

Baptist, Catholic, Church of God of Prophecy, Episcopal, 

Faith Tabernacle Church of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses, 

Methodist and Pentecostal. Visitors are always welcome. 

Pets 

Incoming pets must have an import permit, veterinary 

health certificate, vaccination certificate, and lab test 

results to be submitted at the port of entry to obtain 

clearance from the TCI Department of Agriculture, Animal 

Health Services. 

National symbols 

The National Bird is the Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). 

The National Plant is Island heather (Limonium 

bahamense) found nowhere else in the world. The 

National Tree is the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. 

bahamensis). The National Costume consists of white cotton 

dresses tied at the waist for women and simple shirts 

and loose pants for men, with straw hats. Colors representing 

the various islands are displayed on the sleeves 

and bases. The National Song is “This Land of Ours,” by 


the late Rev. E.C. Howell, PhD. Peas and Hominy (Grits) 

with Dry Conch is revered as symbolic island fare. 

Going green 

TCI Waste Disposal Services currently offers recycling services 

through weekly collection of recyclable aluminum, 

glass, and plastic. The TCI Environmental Club is spearheading 

a campaign to eliminate single-use plastic bags. 

Do your part by using a cloth bag whenever possible. 

Keep TCI “Beautiful by Nature” by not littering! 

Recreation 

Sporting activities are centered around the water. Visitors 

can choose from deep-sea, reef, or bonefishing, sailing, 

glass-bottom boat and semi-sub excursions, windsurfing, 

waterskiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, snorkelling, 

scuba diving, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, 

and beachcombing. Pristine reefs, abundant marine life, 

and excellent visibility make TCI a world-class diving 

destination. Tennis and golf—there is an eighteen hole 

championship course on Providenciales—are also popular. 

The Islands are an ecotourist’s paradise. Visitors can 

enjoy unspoilt wilderness and native flora and fauna in 

thirty-three national parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries, 

and areas of historical interest. The National Trust 

provides trail guides to several hiking trails, as well as 

guided tours of major historical sites. There is an excellent 

national museum on Grand Turk, with an auxillary 

branch on Providenciales. A scheduled ferry and a selection 

of tour operators make it easy to take day trips to the 

outer islands. 

Other land-based activities include bicycling, horseback 

riding, and football (soccer). Personal trainers are 

available to motivate you, working out of several fitness 

centres. You will also find a variety of spa and body treatment 

services. 

Nightlife includes local bands playing island music 

at bars and restaurants and some nightclubs. There are 

two casinos on Providenciales, along with many electronic 

gaming parlours. Stargazing is extraordinary! 

Shoppers will find Caribbean paintings, T-shirts, 

sports and beachwear, and locally made handicrafts, 

including straw work and conch crafts. Duty free outlets 

sell liquor, jewellery, watches, perfume, leather goods, 

crystal, china, cameras, electronics, brand-name clothing 

and accessories, along with Cuban cigars. a 

92 www.timespub.tc

where to stay 

Grand Turk 

range of daily rates 

US$ (subject to change) 

number of units 

major credit cards 

restaurant 

bar 

air conditioning 

phone in unit 

television in unit 

kitchen in unit 

laundry service 

pool 

on the beach 

H 

The Arches of Grand Turk – Tel 649 946 2941 190–210 4 • • • • • • • 

Bohio Dive Resort – Tel 649 946 2135 • Web www.bohioresort.com 170–230 16 • • • • • • • • 

Crabtree Apartments – Tel 978 270 1698 • Web www.GrandTurkVacationRental.com 210–250 3 • • • • • • 

Grand Turk Inn – Tel 649 946 2827 • Web www.grandturkinn.com 250–300 5 • • • • • • • 

Island House – Tel 649 946 1519/232 5514 • Web www.islandhouse.tc 110–185 8 • • • • • • • 

Manta House – Tel 649 946 1111 • Web www.grandturk-mantahouse.com 110–130 5 • • • • • • • 

Osprey Beach Hotel – Tel 649 946 2666 • Web www.ospreybeachhotel.com 90–225 37 • • • • • • • • • • 

Pelican House – Tel 649 246 6797 • Web www.pelicanhousegrandturk.com 110-130 3 • • • • • 

Salt Raker Inn – Tel 649 946 2260 • Web www.saltrakerinn.com 55–140 13 • • • • • • • 

Solomon Porches Guesthouse – Tel 649 946 2776/241 2937 • Fax 649 946 1984 75–100 3 • • 

Middle Caicos 

H 

Blue Horizon Resort – Tel 649 946 6141 • Web bhresort.com 265–400 7 • • • • • • • • • 

North Caicos 

H 

Bottle Creek Lodge – Tel 649 946 7080 • Web www.bottlecreeklodge.com 155–240 3 • • 

Caicos Beach Condominiums – Tel 649 241 4778/786 338 9264 • Web www.caicosbeachcondos.com 159–299 8 • • • • • • • • 

Cedar Palms Suites – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 250–300 3 • • • • • • • • • 

Flamingo’s Nest – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 175–340 2 • • • • • • • • 

Hollywood Beach Suites - Tel 800 551 2256/649 231 1020 • Web www.hollywoodbeachsuites.com 200–235 4 • • • • • • 

JoAnne’s Bed & Breakfast - Tel 649 946 7301 • Web www.turksandcaicos.tc/joannesbnb 80–120 4 • • • • 

Palmetto Villa – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 225–250 1 • • • • • • • • 

Pelican Beach Hotel - Tel 649 946 7112/877 774 5486 • Web www.pelicanbeach.tc 125–165 14 • • • • • • • • 

Pine Cay 

H 

The Meridian Club Turks & Caicos - Tel 649 946 7758/866 746 3229 • Web www.meridianclub.com 800–1300 13 • • • • • • • 

Parrot Cay 

H 

Parrot Cay Resort & Spa - Tel 866 388 0036/904 886 97768 • Web www.parrotcay.com 550–2850 65 • • • • • • • • • • 

Providenciales 

H 

H 

H 

G H 

H 

H 

H 

G H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

H 

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Airport Inn - Tel 649 941 3514 • Web www.airportinntci.com. 140 18 • • • • • • • 

The Alexandra Resort & Spa - Tel 800 704 9424/649 946 5807 • Web www.alexandraresort.com 280–420 99 • • • • • • • • • 

The Atrium Resort - Tel 888 592 7885/649 333 0101 • Web www.theatriumresorttci.com 159–410 30 • • • • • • • • 

Amanyara – Tel 866 941 8133/649 941 8133 • Web www.amanresorts.com 1000–2100 73 • • • • • • • • 

Aquamarine Beach Houses - Tel 649 231 4535/905 556 0278 • www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com 200–850 24 • • • • • • • • 

Beaches Resort & Spa - Tel 800-BEACHES/649 946 8000 • Web www.beaches.com 325–390AI 453 • • • • • • • • • 

Beach House Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 5800 • Web www.beachchousetci.com 532–638 21 • • • • • • • • • • 

Blue Haven Resort & Marina - Tel 855 832 7667/649 946 9900 • Web www.bluehaventci.com 250–650 51 • • • • • • • • • • 

Caribbean Paradise Inn - Tel 649 946 5020 • Web www.paradise.tc 162–225 17 • • • • • • • • 

Club Med Turkoise - Tel 800 258 2633/649 946 5500 • Web www.clubmed.com 120–225 290 • • • • • • • • • 

Coral Gardens on Grace Bay - Tel 877 746 7800 • Web www.coralgardensongracebay.com 199-449 32 • • • • • • • • • • 

Gansevoort Turks + Caicos – Tel 877 774 3253/649 941 7555 • Web www.gansevoorttc.com 315–720 91 • • • • • • • • • • 

Grace Bay Club - Tel 800 946 5757/649 946 5757 • Web www.gracebayclub.com 650–1750 59 • • • • • • • • • • 

Grace Bay Suites – Tel 649 941 7447 • Web www.GraceBaySuites.com 99–195 24 • • • • • • • • 

Harbour Club Villas - Tel 649 941 5748/305 434 8568 • Web www.harbourclubvillas.com 210–240 6 • • • • • 

Kokomo Botanical Gardens - Tel 649 941 3121• Web www.kokomobotanicalresort.com 169–299 16 • • • • • 

Le Vele - Tel 649 941 8800/888 272 4406 • Web www.levele.tc 303–630 22 • • • • • • • • 

La Vista Azul – Tel 649 946 8522/866 519 9618 • Web www.lvaresort.com 215–375 78 • • • • • • • 

The Lodgings – Tel 649 941 8107/954 338 3812 • Web www.hotelturksandcaicos.com 175–255 15 • • • • • • 

Neptune Villas – Tel 649 331 4328 • Web www.neptunevillastci.com 150–400 10 • • • • • • • • • 

Northwest Point Resort • Tel 649 941 5133 • Web www.northwestpointresort.com 196–550 49 • • • • • • • • • • 

Ocean Club Resorts - Tel 800 457 8787/649 946 5461 • Web www.oceanclubresorts.com 180–690 191 • • • • • • • • • • 

The Palms Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 8666 • Web thepalmstc.com 595–1700 72 • • • • • • • • • • 

Pelican Nest Villa – Tel 649 342 5731 • Web www.pelicannest.tc 429–857 2 • • • • • • 

Point Grace - Tel 888 682 3705/649 946 5096 • Web www.pointgrace.com 424–1515 27 • • • • • • • • • • 


H 

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H 

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H 

H 

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where to stay 

range of daily rates 

US$ (subject to change) 

number of units 

major credit cards 

restaurant 

bar 

air conditioning 

phone in unit 

television in unit 

kitchen in unit 

laundry service 

pool 

on the beach 

Providenciales (continued) 

Ports of Call Resort – Tel 888 678 3483/649 946 8888 • Web www.portsofcallresort.com 135–210 99 • • • • • • • 

Queen Angel Resort – Tel 649 941 8771 • Web www.queenangelresort.com 150–575 56 • • • • • • • • • 

Reef Residence at Grace Bay – Tel 800 532 8536 • Web www.reefresidence.com 275-385 24 • • • • • • • 

The Regent Grand – Tel 877 537 3314/649 941 7770 • Web www.TheRegentGrand.com 495–1100 50 • • • • • • • • • 

Royal West Indies Resort – Tel 649 946 5004 • Web www.royalwestindies.com 180–695 92 • • • • • • • • • • 

The Sands at Grace Bay – Tel 877 777 2637/649 946 5199 • Web www.thesandsresort.com 175–675 116 • • • • • • • • • • 

Seven Stars Resort – Tel 866 570 7777/649 941 7777 – Web www.SevenStarsResort.com 365–2400 165 • • • • • • • • • • 

Sibonné – Tel 800 528 1905/649 946 5547 • Web www.Sibonne.com 110–375 29 • • • • • • • • 

The Somerset on Grace Bay – Tel 649 339 5900/877 887 5722 • Web www.TheSomerset.com 350–1300 53 • • • • • • • • • • 

Turtle Cove Inn – Tel 800 887 0477/649 946 4203 • Web www.turtlecoveinn.com 85–180 30 • • • • • • • • 

The Tuscany – Tel 649 941 4667 • Web www.thetuscanygracebay.com 975–1300 30 • • • • • • • • 

The Venetian Grace Bay – Tel 877 277 4793 • Web www.thevenetiangracebay.com 695–1175 27 • • • • • • • • 

Villa del Mar – Tel 877 238 4058/649 941 5160 • Web www.yourvilladelmar.com 190–440 42 • • • • • • • 

Villa Mani – Tel 649 431 4444 • Web www.villamanitci.com See Web/AE 6 • • • • • • • 

Villa Renaissance - Tel 649 941 5300/877 285 8764 • Web www.villarenaissance.com 295–650 36 • • • • • • • • • 

The Villas at Blue Mountain – Tel 649 941 4255 • Web www.villasatbluemountain.com 1200–2500 3 • • • • • • • • 

West Bay Club – Tel 866 607 4156/649 946 8550 • Web www.TheWestBayClub.com 235–1163 46 • • • • • • • • • • 

Windsong – Tel 649 941 7700/800 WINDSONG • Web www.windsongresort.com 275–925 50 • • • • • • • • • 

The Yacht Club – Tel 649 946 4656 • Web www.yachtclubtci.com 250–350 52 • • • • • • • 

Salt Cay 

Castaway – Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.castawayonsaltcay.com 175–265 4 • • • • • 

Genesis Beach House – Tel 561 502 0901 • Web www.Genesisbeachhouse.com 1000–1200W 4 • • • • • 

Pirate’s Hideaway B & B – Tel 800 289 5056/649 946 6909 • Web www.saltcay.tc 165–175 4 • • • • • • • 

Salt Cay Beach House – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.saltcaybeachhouse.blogspot.com 799W 1 • • • • • • 

Trade Winds Lodge – Tel 649 232 1009 • Web www.tradewinds.tc 925–1325W 5 • • • • • 

Twilight Zone Cottage – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.twilightzonecottage.blogspot.com 499W 1 • • • • 

The Villas of Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.villasofsaltcay.com 150–475 5 • • • • • • • • 

South Caicos 

East Bay Resort – Tel 844 260 8328/649 232 6444 • Web eastbayresort.com 198–1775 86 • • • • • • • • • • 

South Caicos Ocean & Beach Resort – Tel 877 774 5486/649 946 3219 

Web southcaicos.oceanandbeachresort.com 120–275 24 • • • • • 

H 

G 

Hotel & Tourism Association Member 

Green Globe Certified 

Rates (listed for doubles) do not include Government Accommodation Tax and Service Charge 

94 www.timespub.tc

dining out – providenciales 

Amanyara — Amanyara Resort. Tel: 941-8133. Light gourmet 

cuisine for lunch and dinner with menu changing daily. 

Angela’s Top O’ The Cove Deli — Suzie Turn, by NAPA. 

Tel: 946-4694. New York-style delicatessen. Eat-in, carry-out, 

catering. Open daily 6:30 AM to 6 PM; Sunday 7 AM to 2 PM. 

Asú on the Beach — Alexandra Resort. Tel: 941-8888. Casual 

Caribbean and popular international fare. Open daily for breakfast, 

lunch and dinner. Service indoors, poolside, and at beach. 

Baci Ristorante — Harbour Towne, Turtle Cove. Tel: 941-3044. 

Waterfront Italian dining. Brick oven pizza. Popular bar. Open 

for lunch Monday to Friday 12 to 2 PM and dinner nightly from 

6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. Carry-out available. 

Bay Bistro — Sibonné Beach Hotel. Tel: 946-5396. Oceanfront 

dining featuring creative international cuisine. Open daily 

7 AM to 10 PM. Weekend brunch. Catering and special events. 

Beaches Resort & Spa — The Bight. Tel: 946-8000. 

All-inclusive resort. A variety of restaurants and bars on premises. 

Non-guests can purchase a pass. 

Bella Luna Ristorante — Glass House, Grace Bay Road. Tel: 

946-5214. Fine Italian dining. Full bar and wine cellar. Indoor or 

covered terrace seating above a tropical garden. Open daily for 

dinner from 6 PM. Closed Sunday. Private catering available. 

Big Al’s Island Grill — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 941-3797. Wide 

selection of burgers, steaks, salads, and wraps in a diner-like 

setting. Open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM. 

Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl — Five Cays. Tel: 941-3863. The 

freshest seafood in Provo, conch prepared to order, rum, buckets 

of beer, live local bands. Open daily from Noon to 10 PM. 

Cabana Bar & Grille — Ocean Club. Tel: 946-5880 x 1104. 

Casual island fare, pizza, burgers. Open daily from 7 AM to 

9 PM. Tropical cocktails with a spectacular view of the sea. 

Caicos Bakery — Caicos Café Plaza. Authentic French boulangerie. 

Fresh-baked breads, rolls, croissants, muffins, quiche, 

pastries, cakes. Open 7 AM to 4:30 PM daily except Sunday. 

Caicos Café — Caicos Café Plaza. Tel: 946-5278. 

Mediterranean specialties, grilled local seafood. Fine wines, dining 

on the deck. Open 6 PM to 10 PM Monday to Saturday. 

Carambola Grill & Lounge — Airport Inn Plaza. Tel: 946- 

8122. Generous portions of local and international fare at 

moderate prices in a casual atmosphere. Catering available. 

The Caravel Restaurant — Grace Bay Court. Tel: 941-5330. 

Cozy restaurant offering island food with flair; something for 

everyone. Daily happy hour. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM; Sunday 

5 to 9 PM. 

Chicken Chicken — Times Square, downtown Provo. Fast food, 

fried chicken, native fare. 

Chinson Jade Garden Pastries & Deli — Leeward Highway. 

Tel: 941-3533. Caribbean pastries, fresh bakery and Jamaican 

and Chinese cuisine. Lunch buffet/take-out. Open Monday to 

Saturday, 7 AM to 8 PM; Sunday, 2 PM to 8 PM. 

Chopsticks — Neptune Court. Tel: 333-4040. Fusion of Asian 

cuisines–light, healthy and delicious in a beautiful setting. Takeaway, 

delivery, on-site dining. Open daily Noon to 3 PM and 

5:30 to 10:30 PM. Closed Sunday. 

Club Med — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5500. All-inclusive 

resort. Buffet-style dining; live show and disco in the evenings. 

Non-guests can purchase a daily pass. 

Coco Bistro — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5369. Continental 

Caribbean cuisine by Chef Stuart Gray under a canopy of palms. 

Serving dinner nightly from 6 PM. Closed Monday. 

Coyaba Restaurant — Caribbean Paradise Inn. Tel: 946-5186. 

Contemporary Caribbean gourmet cuisine in a private tropical 

garden setting. Extensive wine list. Dinner nightly from 6 to 10 

PM. Closed Tuesday. Reservations recommended. Catering, special 

events, private chef visits. 

Crackpot Kitchen — Ports of Call. Tel: 245-0005. Experience 

the Island feel, culture and the best of authentic Turks & Caicos 

and Caribbean cuisines. Open for dinner 5 to 10 PM daily except 

Thursday; Happy Hour 5 to 7 PM. 

Crust Bakery & Café — Graceway IGA. Tel: 941-8724. 

Breakfast sandwiches, specialty coffees, soups, salads, gourmet 

sandwiches and desserts. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 

8:30 PM. Covered patio dining or take-out. Catering available. 

Da Conch Shack & RumBar — Blue Hills. Tel: 946-8877. 

Island-fresh seafood from the ocean to your plate. Covered 

beachfront dining for lunch and dinner daily from 11 AM. 

Danny Buoy’s Irish Pub — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5921. 

Traditional Irish cuisine, standard American pub fare; imported 

draught beers. Open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 AM. 

Happy Hour specials. Large screen TVs for sporting events. 

The Deck — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 941-7777. All day dining 

and cocktails by the water’s edge. Open daily 11 AM to 11 PM. 

Live music Friday nights. 

Dune — Windsong Resort. Tel: 333-7700. Private beachfront 

dining with limited availability. Fresh fare prepared to perfection. 

Open daily. 

Fairways Bar & Grill — Provo Golf Club. Tel: 946-5833. 

Dine overlooking the “greens.” Open to all for lunch Monday 

to Thursday and breakfast from 9 AM on Sunday. Friday Pub 

Nights, Saturday BBQ. 

Fire & Ice — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900. 

Drinks at the Ice Bar, dessert by the fire pits in the Fire Lounge. 

South American-meets-Caribbean flavors and spices. Open for 

breakfast daily 7:30 to 10:30 AM; dinner 6 to 9:30 PM. Closed 

Wednesday. 

Fresh Bakery & Bistro — Atrium Resort. Tel: 345-4745. 

Healthy European salads, soups, sandwiches, bakery, pies and 

cakes. Gelato. Open daily 7 AM to 6 PM, closed Sunday. 

Fresh Catch — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 243-3167. Authentic native 

cuisine, from seafood to soup. All-you-can-eat seafood buffet on 

Wednesday. Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. 

Garam Masala — Regent Village. Tel: 941-3292. Authentic 

Indian cuisine, including tandoori charcoal-oven specialties. 

Open daily Noon to 3 PM, 5:30 PM to Midnight. Closed Tuesday. 

Giggles Ice Cream & Candy Parlour — Ports of Call & 

Williams Storage. Tel: 941-7370. Cones, sundaes, shakes, 

smoothies, “Gigglers,” ice cream pies and cakes. Pick ‘n’ mix 

candies. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM. 

Gilley’s Cafe — At the airport. Tel: 946-4472. Burgers, sandwiches, 

local food. Full bar. Open daily 6 AM to 9 PM. 

Grace’s Cottage — Point Grace Resort. Tel: 946-5096. 

Elegant, gourmet Caribbean cuisine showcasing regional foods. 

Extensive wine list. Gazebo seating under the stars or indoor 

dining in a romantic gingerbread cottage. Serving dinner from 

6 PM nightly. Reservations required. Weddings and receptions. 

Greenbean — Harbour Town at Turtle Cove. Tel: 941-2233. 


Internet café, Starbucks® coffee, salads, wraps, pizza, sandwiches, 

fresh bakery. Open daily 7 AM to 6 PM. 

The Grill Rouge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Casual 

oceanfront poolside bistro, serving international bistro fare. 

Cool cocktails at the swim-up bar. Open 7 AM to 9:30 PM daily. 

Havana Club — Windsong Resort. Tel: 941-7700. Fine wine, 

specialty coffees, decadent desserts, with comedy/magic shows 

on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and music and sports nights. 

Healthy Treats Restaurant & Deli — Touch of Class Plaza, 

Airport Road. Tel: 241-3318. Native Caribbean dishes, fresh 

juices, smoothies. Call to order. 

Hemingways on the Beach — The Sands at Grace Bay. Tel: 

941-8408. Casual beachfront bar and restaurant. Fresh fish, 

pasta, sandwiches, salads and tropical drinks by the pool. 

Oceanfront deck for great sunsets! Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily. 

Hole in the Wall Restaurant & Bar — Williams Plaza, Old 

Airport Road. Tel: 941-4136. Authentic Jamaican/Island cuisine 

where the locals go for jerk chicken. Full bar. Indoor A/C dining 

or outdoors on the deck. Open 7 days from 8 AM. Cash only. 

Infiniti Restaurant — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Elegant 

beachfront dining for lunch and dinner. Gourmet Euro/ 

Caribbean cuisine; fine wines. Full bar and lounge. Reservations 

required. 

Island Conch Bar & Grill — Bight Cultural Market. Tel: 946- 

8389. Caribbean and local cuisine. Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM. 

Island Scoop — Grace Bay Plaza. Tel: 242-8511/243-5051. 

21 flavors of ice cream made locally. Cones, smoothies, blizzards 

and shakes. Open daily, 11 AM to 10 PM. 

The Java Bar — Graceway Gourmet. Tel: 941-5000. Gourmet 

café serving fresh baked desserts, sandwiches and coffee 

delights. Open 7 AM to 8 PM daily. 

Jimmy’s Dive Bar — Ports of Call. Tel: 946-5282. The place for 

steaks, BBQ, booze and breakfast. Open daily, 7 AM to 11 PM, 

(Thursday to Saturday to Midnight); open Sunday at 8 AM. 

Kalooki’s Beach Restaurant & Bar — Blue Hills. Tel: 

332-3388. Caribbean-infused dishes in an oasis-like setting 

overlooking the sea. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 AM to 10 PM; 

Sunday 11 AM to 7 PM. Live music every Friday! 

KItchen 218 — Beach House, Lower Bight Road. Tel: 946-5800. 

Caribbean cuisine with hints of French and Asian fusion and the 

chef’s passion for fresh ingredients. Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily. 

The Landing Bar & Kitchen — Grace Bay Road across from 

Regent Village. Tel: 341-5856. Unique nautical setting for dinner 

under the stars. Cocktails, fire pit. Open daily 5:30 PM to . . . 

Las Brisas — Neptune Villas, Chalk Sound. Tel: 946-5306. 

Mediterranean/Caribbean cuisine with tapas, wine and full bar. 

Terrace, gazebo and inside dining overlooking Chalk Sound. 

Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM, Tuesday 8 AM to 3 PM. 

Le Bouchon du Village — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234. A 

taste of Paris in TCI. Sidewalk café with sandwiches, salads, tartines, 

tapas, nightly dinner specials. Open daily 7 AM to 10 PM. 

Closed Sunday. 

Le Comptoir Francais — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234. 

French deli, bakery, wine shop. Open daily. 

Lemon 2 Go Coffee — Ventura House, Grace Bay Road. Tel: 

941-4487. Gourmet coffeehouse. Sandwiches, muffins, cookies, 

croissants, yogurt, salads. Open Monday to Saturday 7:30 AM to 

7 PM, Sunday 9 AM to 1 PM. 

The Lounge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Decidedly hip 

lounge. Caribbean-infused tapas, martinis, tropical cocktails, 

world music and the finest sunset location in Providenciales. 

Lupo — Regent Village. Tel: 431-5876. Authentic Italian “comfort 

food.” Regional wine list. Dine in or take out ready-made 

gourmet meals. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 

Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar — Miramar Resort. Tel: 

941-5108. International cuisine with island flavors, north shore 

views. Open for dinner from 6 to 9:30 PM except Monday. Wine 

bar opens at 4 PM. 

Mango Reef — Turtle Cove. Tel: 946-8200. Old favorites in a 

new location. Fresh local flavors and seafood, homemade desserts. 

Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. Set price dinner on weekdays. 

Children’s menu. Tie-up to dock at Turtle Cove Marina. 

Market Café — Blue Haven Resort. Tel: 946-9900. Gourmet 

coffees, teas, frozen drinks; fresh breads and pastries; grab ‘n’ 

go salads and sandwiches, fresh smoothies. Open daily 7 AM to 

8 PM. 

Melt Ice Cream Parlour — Regent Village. Tel: 432-1234. 

Carefully crafted selection of sumptous and inspired sundaes, 

with coffee, champagne and cocktails for the grown-ups! Open 

Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 10 PM. 

Mis Amigos Cocina Mexicana — Central Square. Tel: 946- 

4229. A variety of traditional Mexican fare, including salads and 

the best margaritas in town. Open daily. 

Mother’s Pizza — Downtown Times Square. Tel: 941-4142. 

Best pizza in the Turks & Caicos, available by the slice or the 

island’s biggest “large.” Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM; to 10 PM on 

Friday and Saturday; Noon to 8 PM on Sunday. 

Mr. Groupers — Lower Bight and Airport Road. Tel: 242-6780. 

Serving fresh local seafood straight from the sea. Open daily 10 

AM to 11 PM. 

Noodle Bar + Kitchen — West Bay Club. Tel: 946-8550. 

Delicious rice and noodle dishes and hearty staples with 

uniquely Caribbean flavors and spices. Open for lunch and dinner 

daily to 9:30 PM. 

Opus — Ocean Club Plaza. Tel: 946-5885. Wine • Bar • Grill 

International menu with Caribbean flair. Wine tastings. Serving 

dinner nightly 6 to 10:30 PM. Closed Monday. Indoor/outdoor 

dining. Conference facility, events, catering. 

Parallel23 — The Palms. Tel: 946-8666. Pan-tropical cuisine in 

a setting of casual elegance. Boutique wine list. Al fresco or private 

dining room available. Open for breakfast and dinner daily. 

The Patty Place — Behind Shining Stars; Le Petit Place, Blue 

Hills. Tel: 246-9000. Authentic Jamaican patties and loaves. 18 

flavors of Devon House ice cream. Open daily 9:30 AM to 10 PM. 

Pavilion — The Somerset. Tel: 339-5900. Chef Brad offers a 

global palate, interpreted locally. Lobster tank. Seafood raw bar. 

Open daily for breakfast and dinner; Sunday Prime Rib special. 

Pelican Bay — Royal West Indies Resort. Tel: 941-2365. 

Poolside restaurant and bar with French, Caribbean and Asian 

fare. Breakfast, lunch, dinner daily from 7:30 AM to 10 PM. 

Pepper Town Café — Digicel Cinema, #4. Tel: 246-9237. 

Native and Caribbean Dishes. Open daily except Sunday 11:30 

AM to 7 PM. Island breakfast on Saturday at 7 AM. 

Pizza Pizza — Grace Bay Plaza/Cinema Plaza. Tel: 941- 

8010/941-3577. New York style specialty pizzas. Open daily 

11:30 AM to 9:30 PM, weekends until 10 PM. Free delivery. 

Rickie’s Flamingo Café — Between Ocean Club and Club Med. 

Tel: 244-3231. Local fare and atmosphere right on the beach. 

Best grouper sandwich and rum punch! Don’t miss Curry Fridays 

and Beach BBQ Saturdays. 

Sailing Paradise — Blue Hills. Tel: 344-1914. Casual beachfront 

restaurant and bar. Caribbean fare. Open daily 7 AM to 11 

96 www.timespub.tc

PM. Sunday brunch and beach party, daily happy hour. 

Salt Bar & Grill — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900. 

Casual dining with outdoor seating overlooking the marina. 

Sandwiches, burgers and salads, classic bar favorites with local 

flair. Open daily from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM. 

Seaside Café — Ocean Club West. Tel: 946-5254. Casual fare, 

burgers, salads, tropical drinks, served with panoramic views of 

the ocean. Open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM. Kid-friendly. 

Seven — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 339-7777. Elevated contemporary 

cuisine fused with TCI tradition. Open Wednesday to 

Saturday, 5:30 to 9:30 PM. 

72West — The Palms Resort. Tel: 946-8666. Beachside dining 

with a family-friendly, Caribbean-inspired menu. Serving lunch 

daily; dinner seasonally. 

Sharkbite Bar & Grill — Admiral’s Club at Turtle Cove. Tel: 

941-5090. Varied menu. Sports bar/game room with slots. Open 

daily from 11 AM to 2 AM. 

Shay Café — Le Vele Plaza. Tel: 331-6349. Offering organic 

coffees and teas, sandwiches, salads and soup, pastries, as well 

as gelato, sorbetto, smoothies, beer and wine. Open daily 7 AM 

to 7 PM. 

Somewhere Café & Lounge — Coral Gardens Resort. Tel: 

941-8260. Casual dining with Tex-Mex flair right on the beach. 

Cocktails, beers, specialty drinks. Open early to late daily. 

Stelle — Gansevoort Turks + Caicos. Tel: 946-5746. Modern 

Mediterranean cuisine featuring fresh fish and seafood. Open 6 

to 10 PM daily, until 2 AM on Friday with DJ. Beach bar and grill 

open for lunch 11:30 AM to 5 PM daily. 

Thai Orchid — The Regent Village. Tel: 946-4491. Authentic 

Thai cuisine; over 60 choices! Dine in or carry out. Open for 

lunch and dinner daily. 

Three Brothers Restaurant — Town Center Mall, Downtown. 

Tel: 232-4736. Seafood and native cuisine. Tuesday night buffet 

dinner. Catering services. Open daily, 7 AM to 10 PM. 

Three Queens Bar & Restaurant — Wheeland. Tel: 243- 

5343. Oldest bar on Provo, serving Jamaican and Native dishes. 

Serving lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday. 

Tiki Hut Island Eatery — New location dockside at Turtle 

Cove Inn. Tel: 941-5341. Imaginative sandwiches, salads, seafood, 

Black Angus beef, pasta, pizzas and fresh fish. Wednesday 

crab and lobster specials. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM. Breakfast 

on weekends. 

Turkberry Frozen Yogurt — The Regent Village. Tel: 431- 

2233. Frozen yogurt in a variety of flavors, with a large selection 

of toppings. Open 11 AM to 11 PM daily. 

Turks Kebab — At Craft Market on Sand Castle Drive. Tel: 431- 

9964. Turkish and Mediterranean fare. Salads, falafel, gyros, 

kebabs, hummus. Open for lunch and dinner. 

Via Veneto — Ports of Call. Tel: 941-2372. Authentic Italian 

dining in a stylish indoor/outdoor venue. Serving lunch from 

11:30 AM to 2 PM; snacks with wine and drinks from 5:30 PM 

and dinner from 7:30 PM daily. Closed on Tuesday. 

The Vix Bar & Grill — Regent Village. Tel: 941-4144. High-end 

cuisine and the finest wines in an inviting ambiance. Open daily 

for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7:30 AM to 10 PM. 

Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant — The Saltmills. Tel: 941-3374. 

Sushi bar menu plus Wagyu beef, Japanese curries. Open daily 

Noon to 3 PM; 6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. 

Zanzi Bar & Tapas Restaurant — Leeward Highway. Tel: 342- 

2472. Sophistication meets class at the new tapas eatery and 

entertainment venue overlooking Grace Bay. 

dining out – north caicos 

Club Titters — Bottle Creek. Tel: 946-7316. Local dishes for 

breakfast, lunch and dinner. Live music weekends. 

Higgs’ Café — Sandy Point Marina. Tel: 242-9426 or 341-9084. 

Local cuisine served daily from 7 AM. 

Last Chance Bar & Grill Club — Bottle Creek. Tel: 232-4141. 

Waterfront dining. American and Caribbean dishes. Open 10:30 

AM for breakfast and lunch; dinner by reservation. 

Miss B’s— King’s Road. Tel: 241-3939. Authentic local and 

Caribbean cuisine. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Catering, delivery, take-out. Wednesday Fish Fry. 

Pappa Grunt’s Seafood Restaurant — Whitby Plaza. Tel/fax: 

946-7301. Native & American cuisine daily. 

Pelican Beach Hotel — Tel: 946-7112. Well known for native 

conch, lobster, grouper and snapper dishes. 

Silver Palm Restaurant — Whitby. Tel: 946-7113/244-4186. 

Local seafood and international cuisine. Home-baked breads 

and desserts. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Screened patio. 

dining out – south caicos 

Café Periwinkle and Blu — East Bay Resort. Tel: 946-3611. 

Casual or fine dining serving top-class local and international 

fare. Lounge and pool bar. Open daily. 

Eastern Inn Restaurant — Stamers Street. Tel: 946-3301. 

Ocean & Beach Resort — Cockburn Harbour. Tel: 946 3219. 

Native cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 

Pond View Restaurant — Tel: 946-3276. Native cuisine. 

dining out – middle caicos 

Daniel’s Restaurant — Conch Bar. Tel: 245-2298/232-6132. 

Local seafood, homemade breads. Open Tuesday to Sunday. Call 

ahead for groups and dinner reservations. 

dining out – grand turk 

Bird Cage Restaurant — Osprey Beach Hotel. Tel: 946-1453. 

Full bar & restaurant. Lunch and dinner daily. 

Guanahani — Bohio Resort. Tel: 946-2135. Gourmet menu of 

French, Italian and Asian influence with a Caribbean twist. Open 

daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

The Inn Restaurant & Bar — Grand Turk Inn. Tel: 431-0466. 

A taste of Asian fusions. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 

Closed on Tuesday. 

Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville — Grand Turk Cruise Center. 

High energy bar and restaurant. Swim-up pool bar and signature 

menu of grilled favorites. 

Sand Bar Restaurant — Manta House Beach. Tel: 946-1111. 

Quinessential beach bar serving local seafood specialties. Open 

for lunch and dinner, Sunday to Friday. 

Secret Garden — Salt Raker Inn. Tel: 946-2260. Local & 

American dishes in a garden courtyard. English breakfast. 

Weekly BBQ and sing-alongs. 

dining out –salt cay 

Coral Reef Bar & Grill — Tel: 232-1009. Breakfast, lunch and 

dinner daily on the beach. Full service bar. 

Pat’s Place — Island-style garden restaurant in historic district. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 

Porter’s Island Thyme — Tel: 242-0325. Gourmet island dining 

in open air dining room. Full bar. a 


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