Times of the Islands Winter 2020/21

TIMES
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2020-21 NO. 133
OF THE
ISLANDS
SALT CAY
The “Old Caribbean”
TURTLE TALES
Tracking teens
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contents
Departments
6 From the Editor
11 Around the Islands
Soul Food
By Diane Taylor
14 Eye on the Sky
A Record Breaker
By Paul Wilkerson
18 Talking Taíno
America’s First Christmas
By Bill Keegan, Betsy Carlson
& Michael Pateman
50 Real Estate
Living Outside the Box
By Kathy Borsuk
73 About the Islands/TCI Map
77 Subscription Form
78 Where to Stay
80 Dining
82 Classified Ads
Feature
40 Back in Time
By Debbie Manos
Green Pages
24 Teenage Turtle Tales
Story & Photos By Dr. Peter Richardson and
Amdeep Sanghera, Marine Conservation Society
29 Coming Home to Winter
By Elise Elliot-Smith, Caleb Spiegel, Jen Rock,
Craig Watson, Bryan N. Manco, Lormeka
Williams and Eric F. Salamanca
33 One Small Splash for Man
Story & Photos By Carmen Hoyt
36 Plotting for Progress
Story & Images By B Naqqi Manco
TIMES
OF THE
ISLANDS
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2020-21 NO. 133
On the Cover
Award-winning Master Photographer Christine Morden,
owner of Paradise Photography (myparadisephoto.com),
took this photo through the window of a historic building
on Salt Cay. She used this unique perspective to provide
an interesting foreground compositional element for a
creative twist on a beach landscape.
Astrolabe
62 Modern Crusoes
By Jeffrey Dodge
67 TCI in World War II
By Captain Eric Wiberg
29
ERIC F. SALAMANCA
4 www.timespub.tc

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from the editor
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
One of the “miracles” for which I am so grateful is how Marta Morton always has the perfect picture to express my words. This ethereal sunset
is a daily reminder of TCI’s glorious natural beauty; never-fading, always uplifting, a reminder of God’s goodness and grace.
A Year of Miracles
Last Sunday, our pastor at Community Fellowship Centre in Providenciales, Bradley Handfield, asked the congregation
how many had experienced a miracle this year. Nearly all hands raised, mine included. For although most of
us look forward to crumpling up the 2020 calendar and throwing it away, we also must remember that in times of
great difficulty, miracles—God’s grace in action—can and do abound.
The fact that the Turks & Caicos Islands are currently open for business, nearly COVID-19-free and positioned for
a thriving rebound is amazing to me when I remember the long, frightening days of lockdown this spring. My elderly
parents and uncle stayed safe at home in the US when I could not be with them. My sister’s house was spared from
the raging wildfire that destroyed most of her town. There is food on our table, a roof over our head, our rusty old
cars are still running . . . and COVID-19 vaccines have been produced and are being distributed in record time!
And here is another issue of Times of the Islands. We continue to offer the magazine on-line only, with a limited
number of printed copies for subscribers. Although the Summer and Fall virtual editions have enjoyed tremendous
readership, we pray the economy—and our advertisers’ pocketbooks—improve so the next issue can be fully in print.
I am so grateful for the subscribers and readers who encourage us to carry on, the advertisers who support us and
the contributors who research, write and send the articles and photos that make the magazine happen.
For me—a woman from Chicago—every day spent in the Turks & Caicos Islands is a miracle. The pastel sunrises,
verdant vegetation, sweet sea breezes, shimmering turquoise seas, glittering beaches, golden afternoons, blazing
sunsets and crisply drawn constellations are the epitome of God’s creation and always bring me joy. And so I give
thanks, even for 2020. Kathy Borsuk, Editor • timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 431-4788
6 www.timespub.tc

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TIMES
MANAGING EDITOR
Kathy Borsuk
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Claire Parrish
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kathy Borsuk, Dr. Betsy Carlson, Jeffrey Dodge,
Elise Elliot-Smith, Carmen Hoyt, Dr. Bill Keegan,
Bryan N. Manco, Debbie Manos, Claire Parrish,
Dr. Michael P. Pateman, Dr. Peter Richardson, Jen Rock,
Eric F. Salamanca, Amdeep Sanghera, Caleb Spiegel,
Diane Taylor, Lisa Turnbow-Talbot, Craig Watson,
Captain Eric Wiberg, Paul Wilkerson, Lormeka Williams.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Florida Museum of Natural History, Chuck Hesse,
Carmen Hoyt, Gary James–Provo Pictures, Keller Williams
Realty, Macquarrie Family, Christine Morden–Paradise
Photography, Marta Morton, NOAA, Ingrid Pohl Family,
Read Family, Dr. Peter Richardson, Eric F. Salamanca,
Ramona Settle, Melissa Steinman, iStock.com,
Clarence Stringer, Turks & Caicos National Museum, Diane
Taylor, Lisa Turnbow-Talbot, Sherlin Williams.
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
National Hurricane Center, Theodore Morris,
José Obregon, Wavey Line Publishing
PRINTING
PF Solutions, Miami, FL
OF THE
ISLANDS
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around the islands
What is the connection between a shark and a plump pumpkin? Read this “tale of transformation” to find out.
CLARENCE STRINGER–SCHOOL FOR FIELD STUDIES
Soul Food
A tale of transformation.
By Diane Taylor
Diane “Dee” Taylor lived and worked for three years on Pine Cay with her husband Gary Hodgkins in the
early 1980s. They worked with PRIDE (Protection of Reefs and Islands from Degradation and Exploitation)
under the direction of Chuck Hesse. Diane’s job was culturing algae for the feeding of conch larvae. This
story is a fond remembrance of her time there. Raymond Campbell was born and raised in Sandy Point,
North Caicos, and lived and worked on Pine Cay for many years.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 11

CHUCK HESSE
A young shark took the bait that
was left overnight on a fishing line
at the end of the dock on Pine Cay—
bait that was intended for snapper
or grouper or any other delectable
dinner fish. When Raymond found
it on his slow-gaited inspection walk
around the dive shop just after sunrise,
it was dead. Sharks need to
keep moving in order to breathe,
and this one, unfortunately, had
been kept virtually immobile by the
hook on a short line.
Raymond hauled the creature in,
all six feet and hundred pounds of
it. His parents, with survival skills
that dated back to the late 1800s
when their grandparents were
brought to the Turks & Caicos
Islands from Africa, would have filleted
it, made shark steak or hash, and dried the rest. But
at 19, tall, lanky Raymond had consumed enough shark
meat to last him a lifetime. Moving quietly in his Speedo
bathing suit and flip-flops, he loaded the recently dead
animal onto a wheelbarrow and brought it to me.
I had a working compost pile. It was in a big box that
Raymond had nailed together from two old doors on
either side, plywood cut to fit at both ends, a piece of
wood on the top, bare ground underneath. The box was
about six feet long, three feet high, and three feet wide.
I had filled it to the top with seaweed, leaves, donkey
doo, lobster shells and refuse from many dinners from
This image from PRIDE’s 1982 newsletter (Volume VII, No. 1) shows
the shark being placed into the compost pile.
“Dee” Taylor created a treasured necklace from the shark vertebrae left in the compost pile.
the small hotel on the island. Hot stuff! Literally. When
you dug in with your fingers, it was almost too hot to
leave them there.
“I knew you’d want dis,” he said in the soft island way.
We scooped the top layer of rotting debris off onto the
ground, then reached for the shark. “Look,” I said as we
lifted the body into the box, “it fits!”
Indeed it did. Then we put back the layer we had
removed, and put the lid back on. Coffin-like.
Two days later, I went back to check on our animal. As
I lifted the lid and peered in, the strong scent of ammonia
stung my sinuses. Hm-m. Nothing looked any different. I
pulled aside the top layer of compost materials. There lay
our friend. When I touched the grey skin, it was warm and
pulled back easily to reveal white cooked flesh. I took a
pinch to taste. Although the nitrogen odour was unpleasant,
the flesh was flaky, mild and slightly sweet. I ran
home, grabbed a knife and plate, and cut away enough
for our dinner, hoping the smell would dissipate by then.
It did, and with sweet potatoes and white wine, we didn’t
just eat dinner, we dined.
Another two days later, I dug into the top layer and
found . . . nothing. It was gone! Totally decomposed,
transformed into other elements. The scent of ammonia
was still there—sign of the nitrogen that would make rich
compost. This was amazing. So fast! The temperature of
the air, of course, was a helpful factor, 85ºF during the
day, 75ºF at night. I dug around a bit more. Along the
entire far side of the box was arrayed a row of vertebrae
in perfect formation, from larger in the thoracic area to
DIANE TAYLOR
12 www.timespub.tc

petite in the tail. I’d never seen shark vertebrae, and was
in awe. They were small and white, delicate. This fierce
predator had exquisite gems running the length of its
backbone. And such artistry in each one! Cylindrical,
about as long as my thumbnail, with small oval holes
along one side.
Immediately I could see a necklace. I picked the vertebrae
out of the hot pile, brought them home and let
them completely dry on a plate in the sun. Days later, I
DIANE TAYLOR
Diane Taylor shows a pumpkin grown in PRIDE’s experimental garden
in the early 1980s. She added compost and wood ashes to the sandy,
salty alkaline soil to get better yield.
Walkin May2017_Layout 1 5/28/17 5:45 PM Page 1
drilled small holes in their centres and threaded a piece
of leather thong through them, knotting it between each
one. The finished piece was gorgeous, exotic, primitive,
and my artistic delight. I loved wearing it.
A few months later, as part of a conference on gardening
in the tropics, a group of us visited a museum in the
Dominican Republic. Under one of the glass cases of early
man, I could hardly believe what my eyes were seeing. A
necklace composed of shark vertebrae—from the 13th
century! I felt an immediate kinship with the woman who
imagined, designed and wore that necklace. In that startling
moment, I met up with my original native self who
wanted to adorn my body just as she did. I met a sister
. . . who had lived, imagined, died and left beauty behind.
You never know where the transformational processes
of a compost pile will take you. Just as the shark’s flesh
provided nourishment for my body, and its vertebrae provided
artistic wonderment for my soul, so too your stories
can provide soul food for generations to come. Imagine a
descendant a few hundred years from now saying, “And
to think she wrote this in the 21st century!” a
Diane Taylor teaches memoir writing and has published
The Gift of Memoir: Show Up, Open Up, Write. She is part
of Spirit of the Hills Writers. For more information, visit
https://dianemtaylor.com.
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Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 13

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM

eye on the sky
Opposite page: Aside from increased wave action, a few squalls from Hurricane Isaias as it passed by and breezy conditions, the TCI survived
the worst the Atlantic could throw at the Caribbean this year.
Above: This satellite image shows Hurricane Isaias as it passed over the Turks & Caicos Islands on July 30, 2020. This was TCI’s closest brush
with a storm during this record-breaking season.
NOAA
Back in the Spring 2020 issue of Times of the Islands (what feels like a lifetime ago), warning was given
of the potential for an active season. Everything pointed to prime conditions for fairly frequent tropical
activity. What I did not anticipate was the busiest tropical season on record! In fact, the 2020 tropical
Atlantic season provided us with many record breaking systems. Let’s take a look back and reflect on
what occurred this year.
A Record Breaker
2020 hurricane season was the busiest in history.
By Paul Wilkerson
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 15

The 2020 season got off to a blistering start on May
14 with the birth of Arthur. During the period of May to
July, a record nine storms formed in the Atlantic. Tropical
Storm Cristobal would be the first of five tropical systems
to strike the state of Louisiana during the season, making
landfall there on June 7. The first hurricane of the season
would be Hanna, which developed on July 19 in the Gulf
of Mexico, making landfall in Texas on July 25.
The Turks & Caicos Islands would have their closest
encounter of the season on July 30, as Hurricane Isaias
moved south and southwest of the islands. Isaias wreaked
havoc across the Caribbean and the United States, causing
an estimated $165 million in damage to the Lesser
Antilles, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas. The
United States saw nearly $4.5 billion in damages thanks to
Isaias. Unfortunately two lives were lost in the Dominican
Republic as a result of this hurricane as well.
Late August through early October would prove to
be the most active time period for tropical activity during
the 2020 season. Activity historically peaks during the
month of September. Unfortunately, this period also coincided
with the worst land-falling hurricanes of the season
in the United States. Major Hurricane Laura (Catagory 4)
came ashore in southwest Louisiana on August 27, causing
extensive damage to the lowlands of south Louisiana
and the Lake Charles area.
As the season cruised into September, a record ten
named storms formed. This also served as the most
named storms in any month on record. Thankfully, the
majority of the the systems that formed in September
stayed out to sea. The exceptions were Hurricane Nana
which struck Honduras and Belize, Hurricane Sally which
moved through The Bahamas and southeast United
States, and Tropical Storm Beta which made landfall
along the Texas coast. Louisiana had another date with
disaster as Hurricane Delta made landfall on October 9
as a Category 2, at an estimated 15 miles east of where
Category 4 Laura earlier struck. Having already been
severely damaged during Laura, many of these same
areas were further destroyed by Delta.
Five systems formed during the month of October,
with Cancun, Mexico being impacted from three tropical
systems. Tropical Storm Gamma, Hurricane Delta
and Hurricane Zeta all brought heavy rains, damaging
winds and flooding to the Mexican peninsula. Hurricane
Eta formed on the last day of October and proved to be
the most interesting system in terms of track. Eta began
near the Windward Islands, then made its way to a landfall
in Nicaragua, where it caused severe flooding and
killed more than 178 people across Central America.
Eta emerged back into the Caribbean Sea and tracked
northeast across portions of Cuba before temporarily
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
16 www.timespub.tc

moving west into the Gulf of Mexico where it impacted
the Cayman Islands. Eta would finally make a last turn
to the northeast and impact Florida north of Tampa Bay
before heading out to sea once again off the east coast
of Florida.
November started off with Hurricane Eta still causing
issues, followed by the development of Tropical Storm
Theta on November 10 and the season’s most powerful
hurricane. Category 5 Hurricane Iota formed on
November 13 in the Caribbean Sea and became one of
the fastest-strengthening hurricanes on record. It made
landfall on November 14 as a Category 4 hurricane, a
mere 15 miles from where Hurricane Eta made landfall.
This proved to be catastrophic for Nicaragua, as many
locations were still suffering terribly from Eta that had
hit two weeks prior on the November 3. Severe flooding,
mudslides and heavy rainfall again impacted the region,
killing at least 54 people. Hurricane Iota would prove to
be the last tropical system of the 2020 hurricane season.
The hurricane season that was 2020 will possibly
stand in the record books for many, many years. So
many records were broken this season that it is hard
to assess them all! Twelve storms hit U.S. shores. Five
systems struck Louisiana alone. There were thirteen hurricanes
this season, while the average is six. Six major
hurricanes formed in 2020, with three being the average
per season. A total of thirty named storms was a record.
The National Hurricane Center had to utilize the Greek
alphabet to name them all for only the second time in history.
There were ten named storms formed in September
alone, which was a record. The 2020 season will also go
down as the fifth consecutive above-normal season.
For those who call the Turks & Caicos Islands home, I
hope you can appreciate just how blessed the Islands are
considering what the hurricane season brought this year.
Aside from increased wave action, a few squalls from
Hurricane Isaias as it passed by and breezy conditions,
the TCI survived the worst the Atlantic could throw at the
Caribbean this year.
While we don’t know what the 2021 hurricane season
has on tap for now, make sure to take the time to assess
your hurricane preparedness now, so you will be ready
when the season comes around again next year. a
Paul Wilkerson is an American meteorologist and tourist
who frequents the Turks & Caicos Islands. Along with
his wife and two daughters, the Wilkersons stay actively
engaged with Islanders throughout the year with his
Facebook page Turks and Caicos Islands Weather Info.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 17

ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY THEODORE MORRIS

talking taíno
Opposite page: The headdress worn by this cacique was made of brightly colored bird feathers. On December 30, Guacanagarí removed the
“crown” from his head and placed on Columbus’s head.
Above: The Santa María sunk off the coast of Haiti on Christmas Eve, 1492.
America’s First Christmas
For Columbus, the holiday did not bring “glad tidings!”
‘Twas the night before Christmas
Christmas Eve, 1492, sailing with a light wind, the Niña and Santa María exit the Mar de Santo Thomás.
At 11:00 PM, standing one league off Punta Santa, there was little wind, the sea was “as smooth as water
in a bowl,” and the launches sent to the King’s village toward which he was heading had cleared the
route. Columbus went to bed. The sailor who was steering the Santa María also went off to sleep and
the tiller was left to a ship’s boy. The currents of water carried the ship—“so gently it was barely felt”—
onto a sandbank. Awakened by “a sound that from a full league (about three miles) off could be heard,”
Columbus ordered the mast cut and the ship lightened, but it was too late. The Santa María was stuck
fast and the planking opened up. Later, upon reflection, Columbus claimed that the shipwreck was the
will of God. The only mention of Christmas is the name for what was to be the first Spanish settlement,
La Navidad (the nativity).
By Bill Keegan, Betsy Carlson, and Michael Pateman
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 19

and all through the house (caneye in Taíno) . . .
At the archaeological site identified as La Navidad
(En Bas Saline [EBS]) named for the modern Haitian town,
there is evidence for house walls constructed of wattleand-daub
(a network of interwoven sticks covered with
mud or clay). The Taínos built tall, circular to oval houses
with large wooden support posts and walls made of
smaller sticks. The Caneyes had high-pitched roofs made
of palm thatch, with an opening at the top to allow smoke
to escape. The Spanish chronicler Bartolomé de las Casas
described these houses as large enough to accommodate
40 to 60 people. Guacanagarí, the village chief (cacique)
at la Navidad, gave Columbus two houses for his men,
and promised more if needed.
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The common house mouse (Mus musculus) was introduced
to the Caribbean Islands from Europe, so no mice
were stirring in Taíno caneyes. In fact, mice have never
been identified in any archaeological deposits. It is possible
that they did stowaway on Columbus’ vessels, based
on solid evidence that a larger rodent arrived this day.
The study of animal bones from La Navidad (EBS) identified
the first appearance of Old World black rat (Rattus
rattus). This introduced species was so common that its
bones were present in two-thirds of the archaeological
excavation samples. Our colleague Kathy Deagan (Florida
Museum of Natural History) described these as “the first
rats to abandon a sinking ship in the Americas.”
A common element of Christmas celebrations in
Medieval Europe was sacrificing a wild boar. Pig bones
have been recovered at EBS, although they did not find
a pig skull with an apple in its mouth. The presence of
rat and pig bones at archaeological sites throughout the
Americas mark the beginning of the post-Columbian
era. Rat bones also were found at site MC-32 on Middle
Caicos which shows that Lucayans were living here after
Europeans arrived. Lucayan sites were repeatedly abandoned
and reoccupied so the bones provide important
evidence of the timing of their last occupation.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care ...
Columbus was a man of his times so we need to turn
back to the 16th century. Gift giving was a Christmas tradition
in Medieval Europe. Although instead of presents
for children, royalty expected gifts from their subjects
(read “tribute”). And gifts were not always exchanged on
Christmas Day. Giving gifts was far more common on
New Year’s Day. On December 30, after seating him on
a dais of palmwood, Guacanagarí removed the “crown”
from his head and placed on Columbus’s. The crown was
probably made of brightly colored bird feathers, as is still
the practice among Indigenous societies in Amazonia. In
return, Columbus presented Guacanagarí with a necklace
of fine agates and beautiful stones, a large silver ring, a
cape made of fine red cloth, and colored high-laced shoes
(and stockings?).
in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
We have reached the limit of the torture we can
impose on Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, “A Visit from St.
Nicholas.” Maybe we could find a way to tie in reindeer if
we worked in circumpolar regions, but this is the tropics.
Yet in the same way we look to the night sky to catch a
glimpse of Santa and his sleigh, on that Christmas Eve the
view from Guacanagarí’s village offered a similar vista.
Dominating the night sky at its zenith on the celestial
equator was the Orion constellation. Among the brightest
stars in the night sky—Rigel, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse and
Saiph—frame Orion’s belt (known today in Puerto Rico as
“Los Tres Reyes Magos,” the three wise men or Magi).
Orion is identified as the one-legged man in
Indigenous South American mythology and as the hunter
in modern astrology. His transit of the night sky marks
the passing of seasons between vernal to autumnal equinoxes.
During archaeological research at the MC-6 site
on the south coast of Middle Caicos, Dr. Shaun Sullivan
demonstrated that stone alignments on the site were
aligned to chart the summer solstice and the rising and
setting of Orion’s brightest stars. Bill Keegan has asserted
that the entire site is an on-the-ground representation of
the constellation. All manner of seasonal events (rainy
and dry weather, hurricanes, even fishing) could be predicted
by reading the night sky.
Christmas in Medieval Europe was celebrated for 12
days, as reflected even today in song. Christmas lasted
from the feast of the Nativity (first noted as December
25 on a Roman calendar from the fourth century) to the
Feast of the Epiphany (the coming of the Magi on January
6). So how did Columbus spend the holiday season?
In the days leading up to Christmas, Columbus
entered the Mar de Santo Thomás on the eponymous
feast day. He was effusive in his praise, claiming first
that the bay could hold “all the ships in Christendom” and
20 www.timespub.tc

During archaeological research at the MC-6 site on Middle Caicos,
Dr. Shaun Sullivan demonstrated that stone alignments on the site
were aligned to chart the summer solstice and the rising and setting
of Orion’s brightest stars. Bill Keegan has asserted that the
entire site is an on-the-ground representation of the constellation.
All manner of seasonal events could be predicted by reading the
night sky.
ISTOCK.COM

later all the ships in the world. Known today as the Baie
de l’Acul, it is indeed a huge anchorage, albeit spoiled
by a maze of shallow reefs and shoals. The inner harbor
is six square miles in area and the outer roadstead twice
that size. Today, the largest cruise ships in the world
stop at the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s watersports
facility at Labadee. Columbus could see no villages along
the shore, so he sent men to reconnoiter from higher
ground. Beyond the harbor was a huge valley, all cultivated,
and smoke from the villages, surrounded by very
high mountains that “reach to the heavens, most beautiful
and full of green trees.” At the mouth of the Baie
de l’Acul, Columbus named the sandy islet, seemingly
in the middle of the sea, “Amiga” (today called Île à Rat).
The Niña’s captain, Vicente Anes, claimed to have seen
rhubarb growing on the island so Columbus sent a launch
to collect this valuable Chinese medicinal herb (Rheum
palmatum) prior to his departure.
We conducted archaeological excavations on Amiga
in the mid-1990s and found that it had been a fishing outpost
with artifacts spanning hundreds of years, including
a Spanish ladrillo (brick) on the surface. Our trips to and
from this tiny cay showed us on a daily basis how difficult
it was to travel to the east against prevailing winds and
currents. Columbus departed at night for good reason.
It has been suggested that the sinking of the Santa
María was due to excessive partying by the crew on the
eve of Christmas. However, his son Ferdinand claimed
that Columbus did not drink alcohol and it is in any
event unlikely that the ships carried large quantities of
libations. After three months at sea and dealing with
incessant visitors to the ships, an exhausted Columbus
had let his guard down.
When the Santa María ran aground near the village of
a powerful cacique (chief), Guacanagarí and his kin, weeping,
consoled Columbus. Canoes were provided to salvage
This 1856 painting, “The Inspiration of Christopher Columbus,” by
Jose Obregon depicts the famous explorer as a young man who felt
the call of the sea at an early age.
the vessel, houses to store the cargo, and they were so
efficient that not even one agujeta was lost. Known in
English as a “lace-end,” these small brass tips keep the
ends of a cord from fraying (like the end of a modern
shoelace). They were enormously popular with the Taíno;
they are a common artifact in the contact period cemetery
at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba. Hawk’s bells, which were
one of the trinkets (along with strings of glass beads)
Columbus bestowed as gifts, were also highly prized by
the Taínos, who called them chuq chuque.
Columbus named the sandy islet at the mouth of the Baie de l’Acul, Haiti, Amiga Island—today it is called Île à Rat.
22 www.timespub.tc

TWATIMES_Layout 1 2/16/17 7:49 AM Page 1
FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Small brass “Hawk’s bells” were one of Columbus’s highly prized gifts
to the Taínos, who called them chuq chuque.
Columbus ordered the construction of a fortress,
tower and moat. He noted that these were not necessary
among such a loving and gentle people, but the creation
of a garrison would serve as a symbol of Spanish power.
Such power was reinforced by displays of weaponry—firing
guns and cannons—as well as a mock battle among
his men. He chose 39 men to remain at la Navidad, and
admonished them to trade for gold and to find the gold
mine. They would not survive the year.
The men were left behind because only the Niña
remained for the return voyage. Martín Alonso Pinzón,
captain of the Pinta, had set off on his own on November
27 in search of an island called Baneque whose beaches
reportedly were covered in gold. On December 27,
Columbus was informed that the Pinta had been sighted
at a harbor to the east. A week was spent on final preparations.
They reunited two days later on January 6, the
Feast of the Epiphany. Columbus makes no mention of
this holiest of days. He does describe his anger at the
mutinous Pinzón with his lame excuses, but also relief
that Pinzón could not return to Spain without him to
claim the glory.
Whether or not he was the first to “discover” America,
to the best of our knowledge Christopher Columbus was
the first Christian to reach the Americas. His historic first
Christmas in 1492 set the stage for the transformation of
human history. a
Dr. Bill Keegan is Curator of Caribbean Archaeology at the
Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida);
Dr. Betsy Carlson is Senior Archaeologist at Southeastern
Archaeological Research (SEARCH, Inc.) in Jonesville, FL;
and Dr. Michael Pateman is former Director of the Turks
& Caicos National Museum and currently Curator/Lab
Director of the AEX Maritime Museum on Grand Bahama.
Serving international & domestic clients in real estate, property development,
mortgages, corporate & commercial matters, immigration, & more.
TEL 649.946.4261 TMW@TMWLAW.TC WWW.TWAMARCELINWOLF.COM
Taino Paintings
by Theodore Morris
tainopaintings.weebly.com
mail:morristheodore@hotmail.com
3910 Longhorn Dr - Sarasota, Fl34233
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 23

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 https://www.gov.tc/decr/
Young green turtles spend several years feeding and growing fat on the seagrass beds and tidal creeks within TCI’s RAMSAR site.
Teenage Turtle Tales
Using satellite telemetry to study the lives of sea turtles.
Story & Photos By Dr. Peter Richardson and Amdeep Sanghera, Marine Conservation Society
Earlier this year, we finally published the results of 18 years of sea turtle research carried out with our
partners at the Turks & Caicos Islands Government’s Department of Environment & Coastal Resources
(DECR), the University of Exeter and a host of other partners. There’s something very satisfying about
publishing a scientific paper about satellite tracking sea turtles. The concise text, sharp figures and maps,
extended bibliography and acknowledgements create another neat little piece to be fitted into the enormous
jigsaw puzzle that makes up our knowledge of these fascinating marine reptiles. But the paper,
rather efficiently entitled “Spatial Ecology of Sub-Adult Green Turtles in Coastal Waters of the Turks and
Caicos Islands: Implications for Conservation Management,” only tells half the story.
24 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Dr. Peter Richardson (center) works with South Caicos fishermen Gilbert Jennings and Dave Clare to tag and release a turtle for tracking.
Gilbert and Dave have fished TCI waters for decades, and taught the researchers everything they needed to know about catching turtles.
Attaching a tag to a turtle in the Turks & Caicos
Islands and then tracking it is no simple task—it takes
a lot of effort, time, patience, people, learning, money,
project partners’ support and skill, as well as a heap of
anxious hope when you finally release the turtle back
where it came from with thousands of dollars worth of
tech on its shell. Occasionally, when the tag malfunctions
soon after release, and you receive no data from the orbiting
satellites—all of that effort, time, money and worry
amounts to nothing— that is a gut wrenching feeling, we
can tell you. But it is far outweighed by the majority of
successful tags that have provided incredible insights
into the submarine behaviours of these ancient animals
that have outlasted the dinosaurs. Through live-tracking
turtles you can literally experience scientific discovery as
it happens—and that feels magical!
At the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) we have
been using satellite telemetry to study the lives of sea
turtles with our partners at the University of Exeter since
2005, when together we attached a tag to Malliouhana,
the huge leatherback turtle after she nested in Anguilla,
and who went on to migrate to Canada’s waters and back.
Since then we tracked adult female green turtles from
their nesting beach in Sri Lanka, and more recently we
have tracked green and hawksbill turtles in the Turks &
Caicos Islands as part of the TCI Turtle Project. This last
paper focused on the tracking of 16 sub-adult (or teenage)
green turtles captured while foraging in the North,
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 25

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
This map shows the migrations of four tagged green turtles—Gilbert, Karman and the two that migrated to Cuba.
Middle and East Caicos Nature Reserve. The area is an
internationally recognised RAMSAR site, protected for its
complex and productive mosaic of wetlands, tidal creeks
and seagrass meadows and the fantastic wildlife that they
support, including an abundance of green turtles.
This satellite tracking research, combined with our
ongoing flipper-tagging programme, has highlighted how
important this protected area is to regional green turtle
populations. Young green turtles spend several years
feeding and growing fat on the seagrass beds and tidal
creeks within the RAMSAR site. One flipper-tagged turtle
spent at least five years there, from when we first caught,
measured, tagged and released it, to when we eventually
recaptured it, measured it and released it again. No
doubt they stay there for much longer than that, between
their arrival from the open ocean as dinner-plate sized
youngsters, until their eventual departure as large, bulky
teenagers.
Twelve of the sixteen satellite tagged teenage turtles
spent the entire time they were tracked within the site,
most not straying too far from where we captured them,
while three others spent at least 9 months there before
eventually migrating away. The other turtle headed off 13
days after it was tagged and released, so we were lucky
to catch it before it departed! The productive habitats
within the RAMSAR marine protected area clearly provide
crucial foraging grounds for these growing turtles. From
our previous genetic research we know that these turtles
mostly originate from nesting beaches used by the larger
nesting populations in Costa Rica, Florida and Mexico,
so the RAMSAR site, managed and protected by the TCI
Government, is regionally important for the conservation
of Caribbean green turtles.
So four of our sixteen tracked teenage turtles
migrated away from the Turks & Caicos Islands, and
when this happens our inner turtle-nerdery comes to the
fore. We check the data maps relayed by satellite on a
daily basis, get excited when they arrive at the shores of
another country, and then worry about them all the while
they are there . . . “Will they get caught in a fisherman’s
net today?”
At least one of us was present at every tracked turtle’s
capture, tagging and release, working closely with
our turtle fishermen friends Gilbert Jennings and Dave
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Clare from South Caicos. Gilbert and Dave are experts at
what they do, having fished TCI waters for decades, and
have taught us both an awful lot, including how to catch
turtles. From capture to release, the turtles are treated
with greatest care and respect, and in the short time the
turtles grace us with their company, we almost feel like
we get to know them—we even give them names.
Take Karman for example, named after Amdeep’s
niece. Karman was one of the bigger turtles—captured by
Amdeep, Gilbert and Dave on Boxing Day 2012. For more
than nine months after release, Karman stayed well within
the RAMSAR site, munching on seagrass and getting fat,
then one day she decided to go. We have absolutely
no idea how she decided it was time to move on, but
once the decision had been made there was no turning
back. Karman swam south, arrived at the shores of the
Dominican Republic, and headed west along the shores
of Haiti. Our hearts were in our mouths, for we knew
that delicious green turtle meat is a favourite in those
countries. But she safely passed through the Windward
Passage between Haiti and neighbouring Cuba and then
headed due south again, crossing the Caribbean Sea
and arriving at the shores of Colombia near Cartagena.
From there she headed west for about 600 miles along
the coasts of Panama and Costa Rica before doing an
abrupt about-turn and heading back to a foraging ground
in Colombia’s inshore waters, where she stayed for five
months before her tag ceased transmissions.
We believe we recorded Karman’s “developmental
migration,” a theoretical journey rarely recorded, that
green sea turtles take between their juvenile foraging
grounds and the adult foraging grounds where they
will likely spend the rest of their lives in between their
breeding migrations. Why did she travel the extra 1,200
mile swim to Costa Rica and back? We don’t know. We do
know that many of the juvenile green turtles in TCI waters
originate from Costa Rica’s beaches, and we know that
green turtles eventually return to breed on a beach close
to where they themselves hatched decades earlier. We
think that the developmental migration places the turtle
on an adult feeding ground much closer to the breeding
grounds to reduce the distance the turtles must migrate
for the rest of their adult lives when they breed. Maybe
Karman was just checking out the route to her breeding
grounds for when she has to make that journey in a few
years’ time?
A green sea turtle swims with a TCI Turtle Project tracking device
attached to its shell.
This thinking is backed up by the return of TCI turtle
flipper tags we have received from elsewhere—five turtles
originally flipper-tagged by us on the Caicos Bank
have been caught by fishermen on the vast seagrass
meadows of Nicaragua, some 900 miles away from TCI
as the crow flies. We know from other tracking projects
that, just as the RAMSAR site provides important juvenile
foraging habitat for the Costa Rican nesting populations,
Nicaragua’s seagrass meadows provide key adult
foraging habitat for them too. Seems like many of the
young green turtles we see in TCI’s waters will eventually
migrate to Nicaragua, where, incidentally, there is a turtle
fishery that catches an estimated 11,000 green turtles for
consumption each year.
Of the three other satellite-tagged teenage turtles that
migrated from TCI, two arrived at Cuba’s northern coastal
waters before their transmissions abruptly ceased. One
of these turtles was named David after Dave Clare the
fisherman. We will never know why these turtles went
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 27

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
and, importantly, their conservation
needs. The health of the
protected RAMSAR site on the
Caicos Banks is crucial for turtles
and many other species,
as is the health of a whole network
of marine protected areas
in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
That is why, through our UK
Overseas Territories (UKOTs)
Conservation Programme, we
are working closely with partners
in the TCI and the other
Caribbean UKOTs to ensure
that the management, monitoring
and enforcement of marine
protected areas such as this
special RAMSAR site are properly
supported and resourced.
This research wouldn’t
have been possible without the
generous support of many individuals
and organisations. We
received much-needed funding
from the People’s Trust for
Endangered Species, the British
Chelonia Group, the National
The TCI’s RAMSAR site is regionally important to the conservation of Caribbean green turtles.
Marine Aquarium, Amanyara,
quiet, but illegal turtle fishing is rampant in Cuba since it Princess Yachts, Big Blue Unlimited, Surfside Academy
was criminalised back in 2008, so we think they may well and the NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship. We were
have been caught. Another turtle named after Gilbert the also supported by many individuals including Anne and
fisherman headed north, swimming through the Bahamas Simon Notley, the Blavatnik Family, the Wiese Family, the
and then travelling up the southeastern coast of the USA Gerrity Family, Keith Anderson, Kenneth De Regt and
before catching the Gulf Stream at North Carolina and Alison Overseth, Patrick and Linda Flockhart, Stephen
heading out into the open ocean. After a few days in the Meringoff and Kim Charlton, Eiglys Trejo, Andrew Snead
Gulf Stream—when his swimming speed went from about and Kathleen and Simon Wood. Thank you for enabling us
50 km per day to about 90 km per day—he dropped out to better understand and hopefully better protect these
and started heading south back to the Bahamas before incredible creatures and their precious habitats.
his tag ceased transmission. Who knows what Gilbert was A link to the new paper can be found at https://www.
doing, but likely he was originally from one of the USA frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00690/
nesting beaches and he was looking for suitable adult full. a
foraging ground nearby. Maybe he settled in the Bahamas
where there are plenty of seagrass meadows.
To find out more about our turtle research contact
As with any good biological research, we have ended Amdeep Sanghera at amdeep.sanghera@mcsuk.org.
up with more questions than answers, but these teenage
turtles have helped us understand their maritime lives
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
The Piping Plover is a rare shorebird that migrates to the Caribbean for the winter, spending much time in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Coming Home to Winter
Shorebirds rebound after Hurricane Irma.
By Eric F. Salamanca 4, 5 , Elise Elliot-Smith 1 , Caleb Spiegel 2 , Jen Rock 3 , Craig Watson 2 ,
Bryan N. Manco 4 and Lormeka Williams 4
Photos By Eric F. Salamanca 4, 5
1
USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
2
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
3
Canadian Wildlife Service, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
4
Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks & Caicos Islands Government
5
Department of Energy and Utilities, Turks & Caicos Islands Government
The Piping Plover is a rare shorebird that breeds in the United States and Canada and migrates to the
southern US, Caribbean and Mexico for the winter. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) Red List has listed this bird as “Near Threatened,” while the US and Canada have it federally listed
as “threatened/endangered.” Wintering birds from US and Canada spend considerable time in the Turks
& Caicos Islands, probably due to the favourable climate and habitats. Piping Plovers prefer mudflat and
sandy beach habitats. Mudflats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that appear when shallow
flats are exposed by tides. These habitats were affected by Category Five Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 29

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
The Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small
migratory shorebird that nests on sandy and stony coastal
beaches and feeds along beaches and nearby sand and
mudflats. The Piping Plover’s diet includes marine worms,
fly larvae, beetles, insects, crustaceans, mollusks and
other small invertebrates. When it spots prey, the plover
will quickly run after it, stop suddenly and then snatch it
up.
While the wintering habitat in the Turks & Caicos
Islands remains in good condition for Piping Plover, the
population appeared to have declined in 2018 following
the two major hurricanes that passed through the
territory in September 2017. The massive storms could
have caused direct mortality or may have steered birds
off course, causing them to winter elsewhere. In early
2020, the total Piping Plover count was slightly over 140,
the second highest since the survey count of 193 in early
2017. It was noted that there was a low count in 2018 (62
birds) following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September
2017. The lower count in 2018 is not totally attributed
to Hurricane Irma because it may be due to shifts in use
of habitats after hurricanes. It has been noted that the
Piping Plover has the propensity to use the same areas
each winter, which include associated sand flats, smaller
cays or multiple beaches.
Surveys of wintering areas are vital for tracking population
trends and informing full lifecycle conservation and
management of declining and listed shorebirds. Further,
re-sighting of individually marked shorebirds can identify
migratory connectivity and elucidate population dynam-
ics, contributing to informed management. Since 2016,
comprehensive shorebird surveys were conducted annually
in TCI during January and February by an international
team. Over 30 banded Piping Plovers were resighted,
most banded at breeding sites from Newfoundland to
New Jersey. Re-sights suggest that TCI’s wintering Piping
Plovers are predominately from the Atlantic-nesting population,
and TCI supports a minimum 5% of that population.
Twenty-three shorebird species were documented,
with substantial numbers of federally listed (US & Canada)
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) and Rufa subspecies
of Red Knot (Calidris canutus) and non-listed, but declining
species such as Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus
griseus). The largest concentrations were found in areas
with minimal development and relatively undisturbed
foraging and roosting habitat. Bands of four species of
individually-marked shorebirds were re-sighted—Piping
Plover, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
and Sanderling (Calidris alba), connecting wintering
areas to breeding and migratory stopover sites in North
America.
One area discovered to have multiple nearby sites
used by a single flock is the large sandy flat area surrounding
a cay on the northern end of South Caicos and
McCartney Flats on the south side of East Caicos. Another
area where two neighbouring sites are used by the same
Piping Plovers is Conch Cay between Middle and North
Caicos and East Bay Island National Park just off the northeast
coast of North Caicos. The Piping Plover were also
noted to be using three cays northeast of Providenciales:
Piping Plover have the propensity to use the same areas each winter, which include sand flats, smaller cays or multiple beaches.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Dellis, Stubbs and Fort George. Some of the most important
sites seemed relatively unchanged, but storm erosion
can be insidious and is not readily apparent. One of the
most important shorebird sites in the TCI are a handful of
very remote, tidally exposed sand flats and a tiny island
south of Middle Caicos. At this site there is only a single
small rocky area exposed during high tides and birds
tend to roost in this spot until neighboring sand flats are
exposed for feeding.
In the five years of surveys, the team has observed
approximately 80 bird species and approximately 13,000
individual shorebirds, providing DECR and local partners
much needed information to assist in managing the natural
resources of the Islands.
Conservation status
The Piping Plover is globally threatened or endangered,
depending on the breeding location, with fewer than
9,000 individuals in the world. In the US Great Lakes
region, it has been listed as “endangered” and it is considered
“threatened” in the remainder of its US breeding
range. In Canada, the Piping Plover is considered “endangered.”
In the Turks & Caicos Islands, this bird is listed as
“rare and endangered” (Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection
Bill). It is globally recognized as “near-threatened” by the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Over 30 banded Piping Plovers have been resighted, most banded at
breeding sites from Newfoundland to New Jersey.
Threats
Many anthropogenic activities can negatively affect Piping
Plover populations in wintering areas. Some of the main
threats include human disturbance, habitat loss and predation.
Human disturbance to roosting and feeding birds
can be caused by an excessive number of human activities
and certain types of recreational activities, such
This team of international researchers has observed 80 bird species and 13,000 shorebirds over the last five years in TCI.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 31

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
as all-terrain vehicles. Habitat may be lost or degraded
by dredging activities, construction and installation of
structures including marinas, roads and swelling, oil
spills and oil spill clean-up. Also, beach nourishment and
storm water and wastewater discharge stabilization and
cleaning may degrade shorebird habitat. Predation and
disturbance by introduced animals such as feral cats and
dogs can have direct and indirect effects on resting and
feeding shorebirds.
It was observed by the visiting researchers that a high
tide roost known to support Piping Plover from last year,
was empty of Piping Plovers this year, possibly due to the
impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
There is definitely a need to protect habitat and
shorebirds in TCI. Tagging projects have highlighted the
fact that many Piping Plover return to the same winter
location year after year. If we want this endangered and
threatened bird to continue visiting the TCI, there is a
need to address the deterioration and destruction of
important bird habitat, including key roost sites where
shorebirds rest and sand and mudflats where shorebirds
feed. a
For more information, contact Eric F. Salamanca at
efsalamanca@gov.tc.
There is a need to protect habitat in the Turks & Caicos Islands so we
can continue to observe these amazing shorebirds in action.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
“Splashing down” into the ocean opens up a world of wonders just as exciting as space exploration—and much more accessible!
One Small Splash for Man
SCUBA diving revolutionized ocean exploration for all.
Story & Photos By Carmen Hoyt, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies
Late one summer night, nearly 51 years ago, half a billion people watched in anticipation as Neil Armstrong
was the first human to step onto the moon. An event embodied by the phrase “One small step for a man,
one giant leap for mankind,” marked the climax of the infamous space race playing out on (and beyond)
the global stage.
Less celebrated in pop culture, but equally as significant to the development of the US space program
was Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn and his spacecraft Friendship 7. In 1962, after three years of training,
he was the first American to orbit the Earth not once but three times, spending nearly five hours appreciating
our planet from afar. Upon his return later that day, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean
just off the coast of Grand Turk, where Glenn was transported for medical testing before returning to the
States.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Even further off the public radar were Navy Lieutenant
Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard. In
a similar five-hour feat, they became the first humans
to venture into a different frontier, equally as alien but
closer to home: the deepest depths of the ocean. Despite
a series of non-essential instrument failures the morning
of the proposed dive, Walsh and Piccard took the bathyscaph
(a deep-sea submarine of sorts) Trieste down into
the Marianas Trench 220 miles off the coast of Guam
and 35,856 feet below the surface, two years before the
launch of Friendship 7.
What was the equivalent of a “small splash for
man but a cannonball for mankind” never panned out
into a dramatic show of technological will and military
might, but it nevertheless captivated the minds of ocean
explorers, scientists and engineers all over the world.
Mankind’s quest to reach new heights is only paralleled
by our desire to go deeper, stay longer and experience
what we never have before. Ocean exploration shares its
foundational values with space exploration, but has taken
a backseat in political priorities. The responsibility has
fallen on the people—the ones curious enough to ask
questions and daring enough to find answers.
Aboard the Trieste, Piccard describes watching bioluminescence
at different points along the descent and the
shocking moment they encountered a fish upon reaching
the bottom. There had been previous debate as to
whether or not fish could live that deep, demonstrating
that there was some type of deep ocean current supplying
these great depths with oxygen.
In 2000, the US National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration claimed that as much as 95%
of our oceans remain unexplored. More recently, over
900 hours of video footage from sea floor mapping collected
during 2015 and 2017 captured 347,000 creatures
from the deep sea, less than 20% of which could be identified.
In 2018, Salinas-de-León and a team of researchers
found that a species of deep-sea skate, a relative to the
ray, was using warm water from hydrothermal vents off
the Galapagos Islands to incubate its eggs. The discovery
of such a nursery is important because hydrothermal
vents around the world are being targeted for mining,
as they are rich in mineral resources. There’s no telling
what other surprises lay in the deep oceans waiting to be
discovered, and it’s important we do so before they are
gone.
While much of this “final frontier” lies in the deep
sea, there is plenty of exploring to be done in our own
backyard. I would argue that the Turks & Caicos Islands
now play a much more important role in exploration than
they did in the 1960s, thanks to the invention of SCUBA
(Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus).
What we recognize as modern SCUBA equipment
has its origins in 1943, decades before we dreamt of a
space suit, yet a century after the first dive school was
established by the Royal Navy in 1843. We can thank
Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan for the original
Aqualung, an apparatus combining the inventions of
a portable air tank and regulator that freed humans of
rudimentary dive suits weighing as much as 200 pounds.
Though these previous iterations captured the attention
of the 1867 World’s Fair, it was Cousteau and Gagnan’s
Aqualung and subsequent improvements that expanded
the accessibility of the oceans from beyond military enterprises
and into the recreational realm. The regulator, or
breathing piece, was streamlined in 1952, followed by
the first buoyancy control device, or jacket-type compensator,
in the 1960s and improved upon by SCUBAPRO in
1971. Slowly SCUBA-training organizations such as NAUI
(1960) and PADI (1966) began to appear, all before man
set foot on the moon.
SCUBA divers are always hungry to expand their
dive repertoire, and the 340 miles of reef offered by the
Turks & Caicos serve up something truly special. The
secret recipe? An exciting mixture of underwater geological
features and charismatic megafauna. A huge draw
to the Islands is wall diving, and several of the top dive
sites offer this opportunity. The walls are just as their
name suggests: vertical slabs of rock that plunge anywhere
from 40 feet to 7,000 feet down, though you will
need special training to go anywhere beyond the PADI
Advanced Open Water limits of 100 feet. Dive sites like
these can be found virtually all over the Islands, including
Providenciales, West Caicos, South Caicos and Grand
Turk.
Besides the walls, it’s not uncommon to find canyons,
cracks in the wall, and a few interesting wrecks. A mixture
of hard corals, soft corals and sponges grow along
the wall, making for intricate hiding and feeding spots for
various marine life. TCI waters have been known to host
sharks, dolphins, whales (seasonally) and spotted eagle
rays, to name a few.
34 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Students at The School for Field Studies in South Caicos employ SCUBA diving to do data collection and research that ultimately helps to
sustainably manage the local ecosystem.
The best time to go diving is . . . well, all the time.
While late summer months bring calmer seas and better
visibility, hurricane season is a factor. During this time,
water temperatures peak at 86ºF (30ºC), but they drop to
about 75ºF (24ºC) in January when sea conditions can be
a bit choppier.
At The School for Field Studies’ Center for Marine
Resource Studies on South Caicos, university students
participate in an exploration of their own. They have the
opportunity to become PADI Open Water and Advanced
Open Water certified divers. We aim to equip them with
the necessary skills to meld SCUBA diving into their recreational
and scientific endeavors.
Here on the “Big South,” we are lucky to have exciting
dive sites along the wall, one of which contains wing
wreckage from an old airplane. SCUBA has become an
important tool for our young scientists to collect data,
and many of our long-term projects would not have been
possible without the necessary training and equipment.
Some of these projects include coral monitoring and fish
surveys. Students use SCUBA to assess coral diversity,
bleaching status and disease progression as well as identify
and tally reef fish abundance. This data is used to help
the community identify and implement tools to sustainably
manage the local ecosystem. Snorkeling has been
equally as important in data collection and an excellent
way to get out and see the wonders below the surface.
If you would like to participate in your own ocean
exploration, there are a few things to consider. Read up
on the health risks associated with SCUBA diving and
consult your doctor to make sure you are fit for such an
activity. Underlying respiratory and cardiac illnesses are
often barriers to diving but will not necessarily hold you
back from snorkeling. Always be aware of surrounding
ocean conditions and be sure to participate in the necessary
training before attempting any new dives. There are
a variety of centers certified to teach diving or lead snorkeling
trips scattered across the Turks & Caicos Islands,
and they can always help refresh or advance your skills
if you have been previously certified. If you own your
own gear, be sure to keep up on maintenance or have it
checked prior to use if it has been sitting for a while.
As the father of modern SCUBA, Jacques-Yves
Cousteau, once said: “The sea, once it casts its spell,
holds one in its net of wonder forever.” So, what will you
discover beneath the waves? a
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 35

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
This Google Earth imagery (above) shows the area where Sentinel 2 satellite imagery (opposite page) was analysed to categorize vegetative
habitats.
Plotting for Progress
Project increases mapping capacity with multiple uses.
Story & Images By B Naqqi Manco, DECR Terrestrial Ecologist/Environmental Officer
In March 2020, the TCI Department of Environment & Coastal Resources and partner organizations
Environment Systems Ltd. (UK), Virgin Islands National Parks Trust (British Virgin Islands), and Joint
Nature Conservation Committee (UK) completed the two-year project, “Mapping for Evidence-Based Policy,
Recovery and Environmental Resilience.” The project was funded by the Darwin Plus grant programme
under the UK Government’s Darwin Initiative, and its aim was to increase local capacity in the Turks &
Caicos Islands and British Virgin Islands through techniques training and building familiarity with open
source mapping software QGIS and similar programs.
This developed skill set allows DECR to carry out manipulation of satellite imagery internally without
requiring outside partners or contractors. Comparison of imagery over time with these skills allows for
evidence-based decision-making for environmental management and climate change resilience.
36 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
In order to deliver the training, a series of workshops
was focused on each participant developing their own
practical projects over the project’s lifetime. The collaborative
training workshops were held in Tortola, British
Virgin Islands in December 2018 and Providenciales,
Turks & Caicos Islands in March 2019. A master class for
selected participants was also held at the Environment
online, long-term monitoring projects for mangroves, forests,
beaches and coastlines, charcoal burning, carbon
storage, ecosystem loss and species range predictability
are possible.
A foundation for a simplified terrestrial habitat map
was also established, which can be updated by DECR
internally using QGIS software. The project also made
Systems Ltd. headquarters in Aberystwyth, Wales in June
2019. Separate follow-up workshops were held in Tortola
and Providenciales in February 2020.
Within the TCI, staff members from both the
Department of Survey and Mapping and Department of
Disaster Management and Emergencies also participated
in the training. Exposure to the wildly different terrains
of the steeply-sloped, 500 meter high British Virgin
Islands and the low, flat, rolling Turks & Caicos Islands
allowed expert Environment Systems and JNCC trainers to
show participants how the same techniques can be used
regardless of terrain, but also how to finely-tune interpretation
of imagery data in their respective territories.
The training sessions mainly focused on teaching
the use of open-source Geographic Information System
(GIS) software QGIS. This free program, under constant
improvement by users, allows the DECR to use high quality
mapping software without having to pay and renew
costly annual licensing fees. Using satellite imagery purchased
by the project and open-source imagery available
possible collection and interpretation of satellite imagery
and field-collected data from shallow marine areas, which
brilliantly complement the concurrent “Developing Marine
Spatial Planning (MSP) Tools for Turks & Caicos” project
between the South Atlantic Environmental Research
Institute and DECR, also funded by Darwin Plus. The project
also supplemented DECR’s capacity by supplying both
hardware for data storage and manipulation and software
in the form of years’ worth of satellite imagery from several
sources.
Development of skills for mapping Turks & Caicos
Islands terrestrial and marine areas and interpretation of
satellite imagery allows DECR and partner organizations
to make solid, evidence-based environmental decisions,
especially relating to recovery and resilience from hurricanes
and other severe weather events related to climate
change. DECR Director Lormeka Williams investigated
the use of GIS and satellite imagery in mapping locations
of illegal charcoal production in Providenciales. DECR
Terrestrial Ecologist B Naqqi Manco generated habitat
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 37

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
prediction maps for a rare endemic taxon of Encyclia
orchid, and was able to use the range limit to calculate a
probable International Union for Conservation of Nature
Red Data List status for the taxon. Demarco Williams,
Assistant Director of Department of Survey and Mapping,
analysed pre- and post- 2017 hurricane imagery to understand
impact and recovery of mangroves in South Creek,
Grand Turk. While the training course focused on natural
impact and recovery, Assistant Director Williams was
also able to focus the techniques on tracking unlicensed
development spread on Providenciales.
Students of the master class in Wales presented their
projects to Hon. Ralph Higgs, TCI Minister of Tourism,
Environment, Heritage, Maritime and Gaming in the
February 2020 follow-up meeting, demonstrating the
skills they have acquired through the course.
Following the completion of the courses, DECR team
members have been able to use GIS for additional projects
showing illegal development impact to Protected
Areas, loss of habitat from land clearance and changes
to land due to mining activity. These tools have resulted
in stronger capacity to enforce environmental law and
collaborate with other departments whose remits DECR’s
overlaps in these issues.
With several other Darwin Plus projects underway and
recently awarded funding, DECR is now far better suited
to collaborations with international partners through
these projects, and the recurrent environmental responsibilities
of the department. a
From top: GIS Master Class participants from Turks & Caicos Islands
and British Virgin Islands work through their projects with support
from expert trainers at Environment Systems headquarters in
Aberystwyth, Wales.
Using QGIS to manipulate Sentinel 2 imagery from Pine Cay shows
healthy, recovering Caicos pine forests (dark green-grey patch in centre
of image) around the Diamond Jubilee Pine Yard.
DECR Director Lormeka Williams learns to use a sounding device to
collect data on underwater terrain in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
38 www.timespub.tc

RAMONA SETTLE
40 www.timespub.tc

feature
Opposite page: You won’t leave Salt Cay without having a “donkey encounter.” These friendly beasts are the ancestors of donkeys who pulled
carts of salt when the industry was booming.
Above: This aerial shot shows the shark-tooth shape of Salt Cay, as the plane approachs from the northeast. Balfour Town can be seen in the
distance.
RAMONA SETTLE
Back in Time
Salt Cay is a remnant of the “Old Caribbean.”
By Debbie Manos
One side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a corporate nostalgia for the past. The global
upheaval and massive changes of 2020 have many yearning for the “good old days.”
In the Turks & Caicos Islands, there is a place referred to as “the island time forgot.” Besides being the
country’s smallest (2 1/2 by 3 miles) and southernmost island, Salt Cay is much like the “Old Caribbean”
of 30 years ago. As well, its amazing beauty if one of the best-kept secrets in the region, with miles of
white sandy beaches. Here, solitude and seclusion reign, with just enough activities available to pique
your interest.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 41

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
There are no paved roads, and the “wild life” of donkeys,
cows and chickens roam the island freely. There
are one-of-a-kind historical buildings with lovely (and
practical) Bermudian persuasion in their design. The people
have a reputation for being the friendliest people in
the Islands, and each new guest becomes a friend whose
return is eagerly anticipated.
With a population of only 75 (give or take a few),
Salt Cay residents know the importance of helping each
other in times of need. When COVID-19 reached pandemic
levels in the Caribbean it was mid-March 2020.
TCI Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, in conjunction
with Governor HE Nigel Dakin quickly closed the domestic
and international borders to protect the country’s most
valuable resource—human lives. As a result, Salt Cay’s
only industry these days—tourism—came to a halt, resulting
in a huge impact on the small businesses, as is true
in the rest of the world.
But Salt Cay resilient residents are familiar with
challenges. Community members “circled the wagons”
and did what they do best—help each other. We quickly
learned to “make do” with what we have on hand and get
very creative—especially with cooking!
Our community ferry was permitted to travel to Grand
Turk to pick up supplies. A few people volunteered to
order food for everyone who needed it and Jesrell from
IGA packed up each individual order and delivered it to
the ferry. Friends and family also dropped off supplies for
their loved ones living seven miles across the ocean. In
an island version of Uber Eats, volunteers would deliver
orders to the homes and leave the boxes on the wall. This
way, no one had physical contact with each other and
socially distancing was very easy.
There are no paved roads on Salt Cay and bicycles are the preferred
mode of transport. The stone walls lining the salinas are hundreds
of years old.
As of press time (mid-December 2020), Salt Cay
remains COVID-19 free! People used to say we are an
island of the four Cs—no crime, no cruise ships, no casinos
and no crowds . . . now we can add no COVID-19!
Community members continue to be extremely cautious
42 www.timespub.tc

1 (649) 342-3180
North Caicos Island, TCI
BottleCreekLodge.com
BottleCreekLodge@gmail.com
by masking up, hand sanitizing and social distancing.
The business owners have made safety their number one
priority in welcoming tourists back to the Turks & Caicos
when the Premier opened our borders on July 22, 2020.
In 2017, Salt Cay was hit by two Category 5 hurricanes—Irma
and Maria. No lives were lost and no injuries
sustained, as we believe in being well prepared. There
was, however, substantial damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Fortunately, in the last few years there has
been a tremendous amount of money invested into Salt
Cay.
The current government has provided funds to
repair the Mary Robinson Primary School, the District
Commissioner’s office, community shelters, cisterns,
the salt shed, sea wall and numerous other projects. The
latest improvment is the Salt Cay airport which recently
opened and was officially named the Leon Wilson Airport.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Premier and
several cabinet members in attendance. It is a stunning
new runway and apron, with space to park private planes
and a newly fenced area, along with a remodeled airport
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 43

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
Salt Cay: Now and then (inset).

On an early morning ramble on Salt Cay, photographer Marta
Morton discovered this donkey wandering by the old stacked stone
wall and colourful garden.
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
terminal—still small and quaint. Herzog Construction
completed the work and now we have a fresh new airport
to greet all of our new and returning passengers.
People often ask me, “What is there to do on such
a small island?” January 2021 is the beginning of our
Humpback whale season—much anticipated every year.
Salt Cay Divers and Salt Cay Whale Adventures have new
boats and excellent captains to take you on an adventure
of a lifetime. Salt Cay is considered the country’s “whale
headquarters” because the 7,000-foot deep Columbus
Passage is located directly in front of Salt Cay. This is
where the whales migrate on their way to warmer waters
to mate, give birth and carry their young. (There is some
evidence to suggest that the shallower water around Salt
Cay has become a birthing area for the whales.) This is
one of the last places in the world you can still swim with
these magnificent creatures.
Salt Cay Divers will take you diving on some of the
most pristine walls and reefs with brilliant sea fans, colorful
corals and rocks teeming with fish. The island also
offers snorkeling directly from its beaches or aboard a
boat trip to several nearby uninhabited islands. Salt Cay
46 www.timespub.tc

is positioned perfectly to provide you with a variety of day
trip opportunities, located just 7 miles from Grand Turk,
22 miles from South Caicos and 7 miles from the bird
sanctuary at Great Sand Cay.
Speaking of which, Salt Cay’s bird population is
another well-kept secret. We have over 36 species spotted
here, including herons, egrets and ospreys. The flamingos
have returned and are seen in the South Creek and
South Pond area daily. They come over from Grand Turk
to feed. (We say the food must be better here!)
The most common means of transportation on Salt
Cay are bicycles and golf carts. You can walk or ride to
most any of our spectacular beaches. Hiking, biking and
relaxing are very popular, as well as deep-sea, hand-line
or bonefishing in the South Creek. Going on a historical
walking tour, hunting for clams in the sand flats (then
having the local cafés cook them for you) or “hunting”
for shots on a photographic safari are just a few of many
activities that folks find to do on Salt Cay.
There are four bistros/cafés on-island, each with
their own specialties. The island has four small stores for
basics and most all of the 14 different accommodations
SCHEDULE
ROUND TRIP TO NORTH & SOUTH CAICOS
(Due to COVID restrictions, see in
yellow the TCI FERRY SCHEDULE
please visit www.tciferry.com or call
(649) 946-5406 to confirm
present schedule)
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 47

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
The beaches on Salt Cay are as lovely as any in the Turks & Caicos, and always more deserted.
available have some means of preparing your own meals
when you’re not dining around tasting the local cuisine.
We do not have any five-star hotels or fancy spas, but
we DO have private one, two and three-bedroom villas
or apartment-like options that are all quaint, clean, comfortable
and offer you a safe place to relax and rejuvenate
your mind, body and soul.
Once you experience Salt Cay you might be like many
others and want to move here or spend the winter months
on island to be out of the cold. There are currently several
oceanfront homes for sale at a fraction of the cost
of the other islands, as well as lovely homes in our small
neighborhoods. Or, find the perfect plot of vacant land
and build. The TCI Government is offering purchases on
Salt Cay to be charged only 6.5% stamp duty as a stimulus
to boost our economy. Other islands in the country have
to pay as high as 10.5% . (TCI’s stamp duty is a one-time
transfer tax. After that, there are no property taxes.) So
when you fall in love with Salt Cay, check with your local
real estate agent to make Salt Cay your new home.
We are open and ready for tourists to come and visit
our magical little island. Hope to see you in Salt Cay soon.
a
48 www.timespub.tc

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GARY JAMES—PROVO PICTURES

eal estate
Opposite page and above: The safe, healthy, uncrowded, “Beautiful by Nature” lifestyle possible in the Turks & Caicos Islands is attracting
more and more people from around the world. If you have the means and opportunity, who can resist?
GARY JAMES—PROVO PICTURES
Living Outside the Box
TCI’s sea, sand, sun and safety entices buyers.
By Kathy Borsuk
2020 feels like a year of boxes. We’ve tried to stay in our “home” box as much as possible. We’ve communicated
via our “phone” box or our “computer” box while peering at the boxes that hold our family,
friends’ and colleagues’ faces. We’re entertained by looking at our “television” box or “tablet” box. We
even worship by singing praises to the “screen” box that broadcasts our church service. And when we do
move about, even our vision seems boxed-in by the masks on our faces.
Now that the Turks & Caicos Islands have reopened to tourism, I can tell from watching people’s faces
as they exit the airplane that they realize they have finally burst out of the “COVID-19 life” box and into
a wide-open vista of sun, sand, sea and fresh air!
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 51

After closing its borders in late March, 2020 to
slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Turks &
Caicos Islands reopened on July 22, 2020, requiring
all visitors and returning residents to secure a Travel
Authorization document via the TCI Assured Portal at
www.TurksAndCaicostourism.com. This requires a negative
PCR COVID-19 test within five days of traveling and
proof of medical insurance.
At the same time, TCI Government implemented strict
protocols on the wearing of masks, social distancing,
hand sanitizing, limiting the number of persons in buildings
and at social gatherings and nightly curfews. Details
were fine-tuned based on the number of active cases of
COVID-19 at any given time. As a result of these measures
and extensive public testing and aggressive contact
tracing, the number of cases of COVID-19 throughout the
TCI has been maintained at a very low number.
TCI Government also introduced the TCI Assured
Certification Program to serve as a symbol of compliance
with all COVID-19 health protocols. The purpose is to give
assurance to both visitors and residents that businesses
are compliant with standards set by the Environmental
Health Department in collaboration with the TCI Tourist
Board, and that workers are trained, protocols are in place
The TCI Assured Certification Program uses this symbol to assure
visitors and residents that businesses are compliant with standards
set by the Environmental Health Department in collaboration with the
TCI Tourist Board.
and that they are being implemented. Eligible businesses
include accommodation providers, public transportation
operators, restaurants, spas and the golf course. For
more information on TCI’s response to the COVID-19
pandemic, visit www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/.
The doors to the country opened wider when in
mid-November 2020, the United Kingdom added TCI
back to its Travel Corridor List. This means that persons
traveling to the UK from the Turks & Caicos will not have
to self-isolate on return. In mid-December 2020, the
United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) downgraded
TCI’s COVID-19 risk rating to “Level 2 – Moderate
Risk.”
Earlier in the year, the World Travel and Tourism
Council awarded TCI the “Safe Travels Stamp.” This
denotes that the country’s existing safety protocols align
with the WTTC’s core requirements, designed to standardize
safe travel.
Feedback from the steady stream of visitors that have
come to TCI over the fall and early winter months of 2020
reflects that they feel protected without feeling like their
vacation experience is compromised. Best of all, these
early arrivals enjoyed an especially quiet, peaceful atmosphere
and careful, cautious, considerate service. TCI
quickly became the perfect place to refresh and revive!
By mid-December 2020, occupancy rates in resorts
topped 50% and were expected to continue to rise. Stays
in private villas—the perfect place for a family or small
group to social distance—were booming. The country’s
largest resort, Beaches Turks & Caicos, reopened on
December 21, 2020, utilizing a “Platinum Protocol of
52 www.timespub.tc

Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 53

GARY JAMES—PROVO PICTURES

Is it any wonder that the Turks & Caicos Islands has won the World Travel Award for “Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination” every year
since 2015?

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
TCI’s “Out Islands,” including North Caicos (shown above) are replete with opportunity, as they are much less developed than Providenciales.
The lot marked above is in the Major Hill area of North Caicos. The surrounding area includes a vacation rental villa and residential homes.
For more information, visit www.tcrea.com and reference MLS #2000436.
Cleanliness.” These measures include inspecting, cleaning
and sanitizing hard surfaces in common areas every
20 minutes, adding auto-dispensing hand sanitizing
stations throughout the resort, using hospital-grade disinfectants,
electrostatic sprayers for advanced cleaning
and air duct sanitization for each room before guests
arrive.
Realtors report an astounding volume of inquiries
as people around the world—especially luxury buyers—
search for a safe haven. Because the Turks & Caicos is
a high-end, uncrowded, safe and secure destination,
it fits the bill. TCI Government encouraged real estate
purchases by implementing a 25% stamp duty relief on
purchases closed by December 31, 2020. This meant as
much as a $6,000 saving on a $300,000 purchase and a
$25,000 saving on a $1 million transaction!
The Turks & Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA)
third quarter sales figures (based on MLS listings) indicate
a strong and fundamentally healthy market, especially
when compared to record sales in 2019. Noteworthy is
that of $147 million in pending MLS sales, $80 million of
these deals are expected to close before the end of the
year. This would bring projected annual total sales for
2020 to $273 million—approximately $10 million higher
than 2018 year-end sales! Not bad for a year marked by
great calamity and uncertainty!
TCI continues to stand as a luxury destination, with
the average home price now up to $2,032,666 and the
median price $1,100,000. Realtors note that TCI’s outof-country
client base are still purchasing homes at the
higher end of the scale. In fact, the Turks & Caicos is a
“beacon for luxury buyers seeking an escape,” attracting
celebrities such as DJ Khaled, Jennifer Lopez and Alex
Rodriguez.
On the other hand, during the third quarter of 2020,
condominium sales dropped. The average condo sales
price went from $931,730 to $469,666, while the median
price dropped from $690,000 to $350,000 and total sales
dropped from $13,664,000 to $1,300,000. Realtors attribute
this to limited resale opportunities, as owners chose
to hold on to their investment/vacation condominiums
with plans for more personal use this season. Realtors
believe that in 2021, the condominium sector sales numbers
will become normalized when the Ritz-Carlton is
completed and the sales of those units are posted in the
MLS system.
Land sales also saw a drop in the current marketplace.
The average price went from $474,878 to
56 www.timespub.tc

$274,314 and the median price dropped from $237,500
to $85,000 with total sales decreasing from $16,145,859
to $7,406,500. Analysts believe that during this time of
pandemic, more land is being purchased by island residents
at the lower end of the scale. For instance, land
sales in Long Bay continue to be strong—leaving a very
limited amount of beachfront and waterfront properties
in the active market.
At press time (mid-December 2020) Keller Williams
TCI released updated figures covering the period October
2020 to December 14, 2020. They note, “Our market is
showing that house sales are similar to the last quarter,
but that the average sale price went down from
$1,100,000 to $925,000. There were three sales in the
range of $300,000 to $599,999; five sales in the range of
$600,000 to $999,999; and eight sales over $1 million.”
The report adds, “Our condominium/townhouse report
looks so much better this quarter, with sixteen sales and
an average sale price of $1,280,687. There were six sales
over $1 million, totaling $16,391,000 of the $20,491,000
sold. Land sales did marginally better this quarter with
total sales of $7,938,500 and an average sale price
increase to $317,540. Luxury land showed one sale of
beach frontage at $2,500,000. It is getting very difficult
to find beachfront land, especially in Providenciales; we
have many buyers looking.”
This is a clue as to why the TCI real estate market
continues to flourish. There is not an oversupply of
inventory, so sellers can expect their asking prices are
not unrealistic. There are very few speculators in the
market, so properties that are purchased, even land, are
soon put to use. This is clear if you take a drive around
Providenciales and take note of the multitude of projects
currently under construction or renovation. There is no
doubt that the construction industry is flourishing!
The Turks & Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA)
includes 14 companies and over 100 agents, all highly
trained and ready to uphold standards of integrity and
good practice. TCREA agents have worked diligently—
many from home—to communicate and serve clients
and customers throughout the TCI border shutdown and
during the current months of pandemic upheaval.
With lots of practice in working with clients via
computer and telephone, having virtual meetings, conferences
and property showings with customers and clients
worldwide is nothing new to TCI realtors. In fact, the
variety of technological solutions, including virtual tours,
videos, photography, third party expert inspections,
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 57

IMAGE COURTESY TC SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
Dining al fresco can be a daily occurence when you own a home or
condominium in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Shown here is an outdoor
patio at The Somerset on Grace Bay.
effective documentation and diligent agent, broker and
legal follow-up has actually made purchasing and selling
real estate less complicated than in the pre-COVID era. As
more buyers “shop” online, virtual showings can shrink
the timeline for purchase, leading to greater sales and
reduced days on market.
This year marked a time of transition for many local
businesses, and the real estate sector was no different.
National Colony Realty, one of the TCI’s oldest real estate
companies (founded by Bengt Soderqvist in 1966), joined
Keller Williams, the number one international realty
agency in the world. Building on a solid foundation of
integrity, honesty and results, Keller Williams Turks and
Caicos gains a technological edge that is present throughout
every step of the experience. Unchanging is the base
of clients who have become friends over the years.
ERA Turks & Caicos, another of TCI’s venerable real
estate companies, used the pandemic shutdown to merge
into the RE/MAX Real Estate Group, a diverse team of
expatriates and native Turks & Caicos Islanders, with an
58 www.timespub.tc

excellent reputation of working with referred or repeat
clients.
As soon as restrictions and curfews were lifted, developers,
contractors and construction workers in the TCI
went back to work. Much progress has been made on the
newest projects on offer.
The South Bank residential resort and marina sprawls
over 30 acres, its borders the captivating 2,000 feet of
ironshore just east of the South Bank Marina and 230
feet of beautiful beach on Long Bay. Each of the various
neighborhoods offers residences featuring a unique relationship
with the water and having their own pools and
gardens to create private spaces within an embracing
enclave.
At press time in December 2020, the excavation of
the central South Bank feature—the 5.4-acre beachfront
swimming lagoon—has commenced and will reshape the
canvas significantly over the next three months, finishing
with the shaping of two lounging islands with intimate
beach coves and cabanas.
Surrounding the Lagoon, three Lagoon Villas were
showing different stages of completion. Lot 12 is evidenc-
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Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 59

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ing the iconic butterfly roof with windows scheduled for
installation in early January. Lots 4 and 7, each offering
beautiful sunset views across the lagoon, are well under
way. Along the Long Bay shoreline, there is progress at
the Ocean Estate. Shoal Villa 8 is now at roof level and is
showing off its impressive serenity pool. A Banks Villa,
another Shoal Villa and a Dune Villa are scheduled to commence
construction in the first quarter of 2021.
Each South Bank residence features generous kitchen
and living/dining areas, handmade for entertaining family
and friends. Homeowners and their guests can partake
of resort amenities including watersports, tennis, gym,
spa, restaurant and bar, along with multiple beach access
areas. Also available are in-villa dining and spa treatments,
with private chefs and wellness experts. The entire
South Bank property is security gated.
Now under construction, 2021 will bring the opening
of Grace Bay Resorts’ anticipated new luxury resort Rock
House. This cliffside Mediterranean-inspired hideaway—
located on a 14-acre oceanfront site on the north coast
of Providenciales—includes peaks soaring to 95 feet
above sea level. Its signature features are two pools: a
breathtaking 100-foot long infinity pool perched on a cliff
overlooking the ocean, and a limestone pool built into the
natural stone, surrounded by ancient trees.
Rock House offers guests privacy and space—two
things that will be most important to travelers in 2021—
through spacious studio suites and single-family homes.
The aesthetic at the five-star property will be comfortable
luxury, highlighting and protecting the landscape’s
natural elements. Glamorous amenities will include a serviced
beach club jetty reminiscent of those in Europe; a
secluded private beach and a signature cliff-top restaurant.
Reports are that Phase 1 is nearly sold-out.
Serenity, luxury, and beauty abound at the Sailrock
community on South Caicos. Spread over 770 acres in a
naturally preserved environment, the Sailrock Peninsula
includes a five-star resort and several private neighborhoods
with an array of unique homesites with varying
topographies, vegetation and shorelines to accommodate
all lifestyles.
To aid and assist the growing number of people who
are making the Turks & Caicos Islands their permanent or
part-time home, KR Logistics & Services offers complete
relocation services. They are well-able to professionally
pack, crate, load and ship your belongings anywhere in
the world or from anywhere in the world. They also offer
extensive consulation services to streamline the entire
process of starting a new life in paradise. a
60 www.timespub.tc

astrolabe
newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Front Street, PO Box 188, Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI TKCA 1ZZ
tel 649 247 2160/US incoming 786 220 1159 • email info@tcmuseum.org • web www.tcmuseum.org
Here’s a bit of “recent” history: an image of school teacher Eliza Simons and her students on Salt Cay back in 1964. I wonder what stories
those students remember?
TURKS & CAICOS NATIONAL MUSEUM COLLECTION
Continuing the Story . . .
I am always asked where my love of exploring unknown history comes from. Growing up, my godfather
Roosevelt “Roosie” Finlayson would entertain my cousin and me with Afro-Bahamian folk tales. He was
such a performer that I looked forward to my visits with Roosie just for his stories. While these stories
are tales of fiction, at the time I believed them to be real. It made me wonder about “once upon a time”
and inspired a thirst to learn and uncover more. As I grew as a researcher, I learnt that the story is never
finished. There is always more to uncover or another perspective to tell.
In this edition of the Astrolabe we present two examples of “continuing the story.” Jeffrey Dodge
continues and expands upon the story of 19 Californians who went to East Caicos in 1940 to establish
“utopia.” Eric Wiberg completes the story of the Fauna, which was torpedoed by a U-boat and sunk near
the Turks & Caicos during World War II, and the boat’s survivors.
Do you have an artistic, historic or cultural research question or article you would like to submit to
the Astrolabe? Contact us at info@tcmuseum.org. a
Dr. Michael P. Pateman, Ph.D., former Director, Turks & Caicos National Museum
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 61

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
INGRID POHL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS
Top: This is the yacht Spindrift tied up on the Miami River just before departing for East Caicos with the “modern Crusoes” on board.
Bottom left: Cletys Ackerman and Greta and Karl Kvanvig stand next to a cottage on East Caicos built of tabby concrete.
Bottom right: Margaret Lorntsen sits in front of a pile of conch shells which were burned to create lime. It was mixed with water, sand and
ash to make the tabby concrete.
Modern Crusoes
The rest of the story.
By Jeffrey Dodge
In 2017, the Astrolabe published a story I wrote about 19 Californians who went to East Caicos in 1940
with the intention of establishing a utopian colony there. (See: https://www.timespub.tc/2018/01/modern-crusoes/).
Since that article was published, I have been contacted by descendants of the group’s
leader, Richard Irvine. They’ve shared recorded interviews with Richard Irvine, two of his daughters and
100-year-old Alton Higgs of Middle Caicos. Higgs worked for the Californians on East Caicos in 1940 when
he was 18 years old. Here is the rest of the story.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Synopsis
By 1938, Richard Irvine, a traveling salesman living in
Pasadena, California, had become so distressed with what
he viewed as the Roosevelt Administration’s swing toward
socialism that he considered moving out of the country.
Later that year, Irvine’s political dilemma was solved.
In late 1938 while in Phoenix, Arizona on business,
Irvine made the acquaintance of James Lake. During their
conversation that evening at Irvine’s hotel, Lake mentioned
that his wife Grace had inherited land on East
Caicos Island in the British West Indies from her father
John N. Reynolds. Based on a trip Lake and his wife made
to the Turks & Caicos Islands in 1934, he told Irvine that
the abandoned island was abundant in valuable resources
such as hardwood forests, fruit trees, wild cattle and jackasses,
sisal and bat guano in caves that could be sold for
fertilizer. His description was so impressive that Richard
Irvine thought East Caicos might be the perfect place to
establish a colony far away from the politics at home.
James and Grace Lake moved to Pasadena and into the
Irvine home in late 1939 so they could more easily plan
forming a co-operative settlement on the island Grace
had inherited. Twenty-one people—fifteen strangers plus
six members of the Irvine family—were chosen for this
venture. They included a salesman, insurance investigator,
carpenter for Walt
Disney, a housekeeper for
Hollywood celebrities, a
nurse, a retired Standard
Oil engineer and a student.
Their ages ranged from
69 years to 18 months.
The group of twenty-one
signed an agreement
forming a closed corporation
they called the East
Caicos Trading Company.
Under the agreement,
Richard Irvine became the
group’s leader and could
only be replaced if found
to be incompetent and
a qualified replacement
identified.
The group left
Pasadena on January
17, 1940 for Cutler, Florida in four cars—one towing a
trailer—and a truck. While on the way, the Irvines saw the
group’s trailer, filled with their supplies, abandoned by
the side of a gas station near New Orleans. The trailer had
been towed behind a car driven by John and Jill Dowdle.
The group was so angry with the couple that they were
voted out of the corporation on the spot and sent away
by bus.
While camped at Cutler, Richard Irvine met and
contracted with Vincent Conley, the owner of the yacht
Spindrift, for transportation to East Caicos at a cost of
$800 and the rights to later establish a resort on the
island. Spindrift left Miami on February 18 and, after a
stormy two-week voyage that included layovers in Key
West and Cuba, arrived at East Caicos on March 2, 1940.
Trouble brews on East Caicos
Two days after arriving on their newfound paradise, the
Californians moved their belongings from the coast to
Jacksonville, a settlement abandoned by the East Caicos
Sisal Company 20 years before. This would become their
permanent encampment.
The “modern Crusoes” became more and more
disillusioned as they learned that none of the valuable
resources James and Grace Lake had promised them were
From left: Helene Irvine, Jane Irvine, Grace Lake, Dawn Irvine, Louise Irvine, Richard Irvine and baby “King”
Irvine review a map at the Irvine family home in Pasadena, California.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
INGRID POHL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH
him with divorce—if he
did not agree to return to
California. Richard reluctantly
agreed that night to
return home. Ernest and
Jill Lawrence also decided
they would return to the
U.S. and Boyce Phillips
told them he would leave
too once he was able.
The Lawrence couple
left for South Caicos on
March 23—one day ahead
of the Irvine family and
Ned Read. Once on South
Caicos, Louise Irvine realized
that in order to pay
for further transportation
home, she had to
sell everything the family
owned, including their
clothes.
Two weeks later, the
Irvine family and Ned Read
boarded a native boat
loaded with conch that
Grace and James Lake stand in front of their tent on East Caicos in March, 1940.
was headed for Nassau.
The trip was miserable—
found on their island home. In addition, members of the the boat smelled and there were no toilets. Louise and
group were already at each other’s throats complaining the girls had to use an umbrella for privacy when nature
that not everyone was doing their share of the work, that called. From Nassau, they took the SS Alleghany to Miami
some were selfish, or they didn’t like Irvine’s authoritarian
manner. Richard, in a letter to his parents, said “I get
arriving April 15, 1940.
blamed for everything.”
The last to leave
Two weeks after the group landed on East Caicos, On August 7, 1940, months after the Irvine family
returned to California, Louise received a note from
morale deteriorated to such a degree that Richard Irvine
was voted out of the East Caicos Trading Company, forcing
the Irvine family to move out of Jacksonville and Grace and James Lake were the only people left on East
Frances Wenstermann, a friend of the Lakes, saying that
relocate at Breezy Point about five miles away. They were Caicos. In all likelihood, Frances received a letter from the
joined by Ned Read, Ernest and Cecilia Lawrence and Lakes with this information. Passenger records showed
bachelor Boyce Phillips.
that Grace returned to Miami in February 1942. James
returned a little more than a year later.
Leaving “Paradise”
A newspaper reported that the last person to leave
By this time, Richard’s wife Louise was so miserable and East Caicos was “repatriated during WW II years partially at
fed up with the entire venture that on March 19 she had government expense.” This was confirmed by Alton Higgs
a knock-down fight with her husband—even threatening during an interview with Richard Irvine’s great-grand-
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
daughter in 2015 at his home on Middle Caicos. Higgs
said that he had worked for the California group while
they were on East Caicos when he was a teenager. Higgs
said that James Lake was alone on the island for over a
year and that he and Isaac McIntosh, also from Middle
Caicos, checked on Lake weekly and brought him food.
He added that Lake lived alone until he was “removed”
from the island.
MELISSA STEINMAN
Alton Higgs of Middle Caicos (who recently celebrated his 100th birthday)
worked for the California group on East Caicos when he was a
teenager.
Afterwards
This is what happened to some of the group of nineteen
after they left East Caicos.
Richard Irvine had to ask his mother for funds to
pay for food and transportation back to California from
Miami. Once home, he returned to his profession as a
salesman selling everything from candied nuts to plaster
figures. During the war, he worked at the Norris Stamping
& Mfg. Co. making shell casings. Richard continued his
fight against socialism, becoming the chairman of the
Constitution Party of California. He received 153 write-in
votes for governor in the November 1962 election.
Richard died in 1997 at age 100.
Louise Irvine suffered from poor health over the
years. Asthma she developed while on East Caicos
remained with her for the rest of her life. She died from a
heart attack in 1991.
These are “pioneers” Richard and Louise Irvine in 1977/1978.
Jane Irvine was 17 years old when she went to East
Caicos with her family. She was supposed to marry her
high school sweetheart, Ned Read, once they reached the
island. Ned’s parents agreed to let Ned join the Irvine
expedition and wrote a letter to Richard Irvine assigning
responsibility for their son’s well-being over to him. Ned
and Jane never married—their romance ended by the time
they landed on East Caicos. Jane returned to California
with her parents in May 1940 and married Robert
MacQuarrie seven months later. They had three children.
Jane and Robert were divorced in 1968. She passed away
in 1988.
Helene Irvine was just seven years old when she
returned to California. She was married three times, had
two children and completed college receiving an advanced
degree. She taught at the University of California at Irvine.
Helene died in 2008.
PIctured above are Helene and Jane Irvine circa 1958.
MACQUARRIE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH MACQUARRIE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Dawn Irvine was nine when she left for East Caicos.
Little is know other than she married Melvin Thompson
in March 1945. Dawn is alive today.
James Irvine, or “King” as he was known as a child,
was 18 months old when he went to the East Caicos. He
suffered from infected insect bites and the lack of appropriate
food while there. James worked as a policeman in
Torrence, California and later in the insurance business
in Fresno. Little else is known about James.
James and Grace Lake were the last people on East
Caicos. Grace left in 1942—James left 14 months later.
Both returned to Massachusetts, their home before moving
out West. Sometime between 1943 and 1949, Grace
conveyed ownership of the land she had inherited on East
Caicos to her daughter Alice Christensen, a Bermudian by
marriage. James Lake may have returned to the insurance
business when he returned home in 1943, however, he
would have been 72 years old. Both James and Grace died
in 1950 and were buried near Boston.
Ned Read returned to California in April 1940. He
went to trade school and then worked as a riveter at
Lockheed Martin. In 1941 he enlisted in the Army Air
Corps. Ned met his wife-to-be, Cindy Morgan, while stationed
in Ohio—they were married in 1943.
After the military, Ned completed his education at
Ohio State University, obtaining an engineering degree.
Ned and Cindy moved back to California where Ned
worked at Lockheed as an efficiency engineer. After he
retired, they moved to Oregon and raised Christmas
trees and built energy-efficient homes. Later, looking
for a warmer climate, the couple moved to a retirement
community in Southern California. Cindy passed away in
2008. Ned died in 2015.
Ned Read’s granddaughter said that her grandfather
did not talk about his experience on East Caicos, perhaps
because it was such an unpleasant one. She said that he
despised seafood for the rest of his life.
The Lorntsen family left East Caicos by August
7, 1940, leaving Grace and James Lake the only
remaining members of the group on the island.
Mr. and Mrs. Lorntsen and their daughter traveled
to Nassau where they took up permanent residency.
They remained there until at least 1959 when
Andreas passed away. In 1941, Sam Robinson
of Grand Turk wrote in a letter to the Irvine family
that Olaf, the Lorntsen’s 22-year-old son, was
working on a Norwegian salt vessel, a job he probably
secured before his parents left East Caicos. Olaf registered
for the draft in New York in February, 1942.
The other six members of the East Caicos Trading
Company returned to California after leaving East
Caicos. The men registered for the military and most
served in the army. Later, many of them returned to
the professions they left behind when they departed
California on January 17, 1940 for what they thought
would be a new life on a deserted island in the British
West Indies. Little else is known about them. a
READ FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH
Author Jeffrey Dodge has published a fascinating book
detailing the story of the modern Crusoes entitled,
Californians Seek Utopia on East Caicos Island. If you
are interested in a copy, please contact Mr. Dodge at
tinqua1512@gmail.com.
These are Cindy and Ned Read as newlyweds in 1943. They married
after Ned’s return from East Caicos.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
The German submarine U-558 was a Type VIIC U-boat in the service of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine during World War II. She sank 19 merchant
ships (including the Fauna) and military vessels totalling nearly 100,000 tons before being sunk by bombers in July 1943.
TCI in World War II
The Fauna, Part II, 1942
By Captain Eric Wiberg
In the Summer 2020 issue of the Astrolabe, the author detailed the first part of the tale of the Fauna, a
1,272-ton Dutch steamship. The Fauna left New York on May 6, 1942 destined for Grand Turk with a crew
of 29 men and a load of cargo, including 23 bags of mail! She was less than a day from her destination on
May 17 when she was found and intercepted by U-558 under Güther Krech in the Caicos Passage.
The boat was torpedoed and eventually sunk at 12:42 AM on May 18. A total of 27 men survived and
made their way by lifeboat to the unpopulated island of West Caicos at 11:00 AM on May 18. Finding no
one there, they set off to the north, rounded Northwest Point, and were eventually discovered by two local
fishing boats. Captain Ralph A. Ewing brought half of the crew back to Blue Hills on his schooner Sister
E. (also known as The Sisters), while Captain William Ewing returned with the rest of the crew aboard his
boat The Flirt. The men were found in poor condition and were cared for by Islanders.
The complete first part is available at: https://www.timespub.tc/2020/06/tci-in-world-war-ii/
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
During their overnight stay in Blue Hills, the Dutch
sailors were put up in the local schoolhouse, then were
offered a local sailing boat for onward passage. At the
time, the government in the colonial capital of Cockburn
Town, Grand Turk reimbursed local sailors for providing
assistance to stranded sailors. They also reimbursed
Islanders for returning items salvaged from torpedoed
shipwrecks on the coast, though in some instances, items
like tinned food and clothing were simply taken and used.
The Islanders faced great difficulty finding a market
for the salt they harvested, due to the danger to ships
in exporting it. “Although demand was up, delivery of
salt became difficult. With an enemy presence in the
Caribbean and North American waters, steamers stopped
their business and export of salt to the eastern seaboard
dramatically declined.” As a result, skippers in Blue Hills
were eager to take the survivors east to the capital, with
or without direct payment from the Fauna captain.
The men set out for a longer voyage to South Caicos
Island. After two days, in daylight on May 21 they reached
Cockburn Harbour, South Caicos, which is also known as
East Harbour. Historian H. E. Sadler, in his study Turks
Islands Landfall confirms that, “The K.N.M.S. Steamer
Fauna, bound for Grand Turk with supplies, was a victim
of submarine attack, but her crew of 27 landed safely at
South Caicos.” The men remained on South Caicos for
a week. During that time, three of them—Rab, who had
an injured leg, Noordveld, who was burned, and Oiler
Johannes Stroomberg, who had a cut foot, were treated
for their wounds. After a period of recuperation, the men
all set off again on about May 27 for Cockburn Town,
Grand Turk, which was their original destination. Again,
the three injured men were treated, and again they opted
to remain and recover for a week.
In the capital town, some of the Fauna sailors were
put up in a guest house named the Dora Do Do on
Middle Street on Grand Turk. Built in the 19th century,
its matron was Dora Williams. Because she was believed
to practice Obeah, or Voodoo, her nickname was “Dora
Do Do.” Another establishment where they stayed was
the Coverley boarding house, owned and operated by
Felicia Grant and her husband Vincent Coverley. Probably
SHERLIN WILLIAMS
This old schoolhouse in Blue Hills, Providenciales, is where Fauna survivors were tended to in 1942.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
In Grand Turk, some of the Fauna sailors were put up in a guest house named the Dora Do Do on Middle Street.
SHERLIN WILLIAMS
den Heyer and his officers stayed at the Coverley house,
as Sherlin Williams adds that it was “where VIPs visiting
the island lived.” The waterfront building, between the
Anglican Church and the sea, has since been demolished.
Despite taking pride in assisting the stricken seamen,
and also in harvesting the goods of value that washed up
on their shores as a result of submarine depredations,
the fact remains that the impoverished Islanders still very
much needed ships like Fauna to arrive with their cargos
intact. It was essential for their survival. During the war,
“staples such as rice, beans, hominy and lard became
scarce. Rice and grits that arrived had to be washed and
flour sifted to remove the weevils. [People] gardened,
although water was scarce due to the drought, and the
family fished, trolling along the Edge of the Deep. . . .
Sails were patched until the patches had patches.”
In a letter addressed to “The Commissioner of
Turks Island, Grand Turk, B.W.I.” from the Dutch Central
Transport Workers Union in exile in New York, dated 24
July 1942 and signed by P. J. van der Berge, Secretary, the
union thanked the Islanders “for the help rendered them
by your good office and the good people of West Caicos
and East Harbour.” The union was asked by the Fauna men
to “express their sincere and heartfelt thanks.” The letter
went on to tell the commissioner that “their assistance to
shipwrecked Dutch seamen will always be remembered
by the Dutch people and the Dutch labour movement. . .
. Our warmest thanks goes to the people of Turks Island
and your good self, who left nothing undone to mitigate
the hardships of our men and help them recover from the
ordeal to which they were subjected after the sinking of
their ship by enemy submarines.”
On or about June 3, 1942, the survivors set off for
Cape Haitian, a port city on the northwest coast of Haiti
separated from Grand Turk by 115 miles of open ocean.
The two British sailors, Dickenson and Eve, opted to
remain behind. Perhaps they didn’t feel up to another
open boat voyage. It is not clear whether the rest of the
survivors used the same local sailing craft or obtained
transit on another vessel—probably the latter, which
would have been safer. Taking another ship to Haiti
would also help explain the delay of a week, since they
would have been reliant on another skipper’s schedule.
Once they landed in Cape Haitian and reported their
predicament, the men were transported by automobile
to the capital, Port-au-Prince. Captain den Heyer was
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
debriefed by the US Naval Attache in Port au Prince. From
there, they were given another ride to the city of Saint
Marc. This meant a car journey over the mountains of at
least 75 miles and many hours. Again, two men opted to
remain behind: a Dutch fireman named Francisca, age 40,
and the English “servant” John White, age 42.
On June 11 1942, the 23 remaining men, led by
Captain den Heyer, boarded the ship Gatun bound for
New Orleans, where they arrived on the 20th of June. The
refrigerated steamship Gatun was built in 1926. She was
owned and operated by the Standard Fruit and Steamship
Company and her master at the time was Captain
MacLean. Aside from carrying bananas from Haiti and
other islands to its home base in New Orleans, she was
utilized by the US Army during the war. Presumably, the
Gatun was part of convoy that travelled via Guantanamo
and Key West. On arrival in New Orleans, Captain den
Heyer was interviewed by W. S. Hogg of the US Navy. He
then proceeded post-haste to New York, in order to report
on the loss of his ship to the owners. Presumably, the
remaining 21 Dutch crew were re-assigned to other Dutch
vessels by the Dutch consulate. Sam Sanny, the English
fireman, made it home to his wife Cornelia in Brooklyn.
1, 1942 bound for Brest, where the boat was based with
the First Flotilla. Günther Krech, 27 at the time, became
one of the better-known U-boat skippers of the war, made
famous in part by his over 20 ships and over 100,000
tons sunk and his activity off the American coast. He is
also remarkable for his youth and early recognition: he
earned the Knights Cross shortly after this patrol four
days before his 28th birthday on September 17, 1942. In
April 1941 he had achieved the rank of Kapitänleutnant.
On July 20, 1943 U-558 was sunk by Allied aircraft
in the Bay of Biscay, with Krech and four others surviving
and being kept in captivity by the Allies during the
balance of the war and sometime thereafter. Günther
Krech survived and lived until age 85, and died in 2000.
A member of the crew of 1933, he had served in the
Luftwaffe for four years before returning to the U-boat
arm in November 1939. Over ten patrols of 437 days,
Krech sank seventeen ships of 93,186 tons and damaged
two others for 15,070 tons, as well as effectively destroying
a further ship of 6,672 tons. a
Eric Wiberg has published over a dozen books of nautical
non-fiction. Contact him at: eric@ericwiberg.com.
Günther Krech became one of the better-known U-boat skippers of
WW II, made famous in part by his over 20 ships and over 100,000
tons sunk, and his activity off the American coast.
Günther Krech was amongst the first U-boat skippers
to utilize the Mona Passage between Hispaniola (the
Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico, which he did on
May 29. Over the next four days he steamed northeast
until the sub left the region north of St. Martin on June
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum Matters
National Heritage Month
October is National Heritage Month in the Turks &
Caicos Islands. The pandemic created the need for creative
thinking and the use of social media in lieu of
actual events this year to celebrate. The museum was
delighted to work with the Department of Culture to film
a series of videos celebrating the theme “Our Culture,
Our Heritage, Our People.” The videos were posted on
social media throughout the month of October.
These included
children-friendly
arts and crafts
videos on how
to create a Turks
Head cactus,
lighthouse, windmill
and kite.
The Grand Turk
museum deck
provided the perfect
location to
film the process.
The ripsaw
band Full Force recorded a video that included a tutorial
on how to play a ripsaw by Lindsey Butterfield (Zeus).
The other band members Kel Talbot (drums), Carl
Lightbourne (bass) and X Forbes (lead guitar/singer)
discussed the importance of each of their instruments
to the band. The band played well-known local tunes for
the Live Concert post.
The Department of Culture prepared videos on favorite
island recipes titled “Tasty Tuesdays” and interviews
about life “back in the day,” in “Through the Decades”
videos. These are similar to the “People of the Islands”
exhibit that we are working on and included some of
the same people interviewed.
If you are interested in seeing the post, go to our
Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/
TurksCaicosNationalMuseumFoundation and like
your favorite video. a
Educational presentations
Toby Barkworth-Knight from Providenciales Middle
School reached out to the museum to create three
presentations on history subjects. Toby explained,
“Students at Provo Middle School learn about the TCI’s
history and heritage each year as part of their local history
topics. The National Museum has always been a
wonderful resource in supporting this learning, with
classes visiting the Providenciales branch. Our Year 7s
would normally undertake a field trip to Grand Turk and
Salt Cay in early October but, sadly, that was not possible
this year.”
Together with our extensive collection of photos,
historical documents, books and articles we have the
necessary information to create informative and enjoyable
presentations for the schools. During the COVID-19
pandemic, schools are still doing on-line learning and
looking for ways to keep students engaged. I created
presentations on the Salt Industry, Cotton Industry and
Political & Economic Change. I joined the classrooms
virtually and showed the presentations. The students
To celebrate National Heritage Month, the museum created arts and crafts videos (top left), while the ripsaw band Full Force (above)
recorded a tutorial on how to play a ripsaw, and discussed the importance of each instrument in the band.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 71

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum Matters
This is a sample of the on-line presentation on the Salt Industry created for TCI students by Lisa Turnbow-Talbot using museum resources.
inquired with many in-depth questions afterwards,
some even requiring further research—so I found
myself learning along with the students.
As a result of the positive response, I decided that
the museum should create and offer additional presentations,
as we have done for the National Heritage
Quiz. The plan is to create resources on a range of
subjects and offer them to schools or for any other
educational use. Each history topic will include a 10–12
page presentation with photos and bullet points,
designed to be an introductory overview that will create
discussions from the students. a
Preparing for the return of visitors
“The world Is a book and those who do not travel
read only a page.” ~ Saint Augustine
The Turks & Caicos, along with many other countries
that rely heavily on tourism, await the return
of some normalcy to our day-to-day operations. The
reality is that it will not be the “old normal” we were
accustomed to. Businesses that deal with the public
have the task of keeping their visitors safe. The
museum has been updated with new COVID-19 signs
and reminders for our visitors. Grand Turk will be subject
to cruise ship requirements and our Providenciales
location will also implement COVID-19 protocols.
We are fortunate that both locations can arrange
tours so that visitors
can easily
social distance.
Along with the
usual protocols
of masks and
hand sanitizers,
we have
added signs
to remind our
guests to stay
six feet apart.
Interactive exhibits will be temporarily closed to avoid
repeated contact and we have limited the number of
guests in the smaller exhibit rooms.
Our Providenciales campus has separate buildings that
will allow a group of visitors to enjoy each building
independently of the others. Our Grand Turk location
has two floors, large rooms, many rooms as well as a
botanical garden, and a balcony which allows room for
distancing. The layout for both locations will allow us to
split up large tour groups if necessary and rotate them
through the exhibits.
The Turks & Caicos National Museum is ready and we
await your visit! Visit our website for updated information:
www.tcmuseum.org. a
Story & Photos By Lisa Turnbow-Talbot
72 www.timespub.tc

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.amnautical.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 43,000.
Getting here
There are international airports on Grand Turk,
Providenciales, and South Caicos, with domestic airports
on all of the islands except East Caicos.
TCI Assured is a quality assurance pre-travel program
and portal, to assist visitors and returning residents when
the country reopened its borders on July 22, 2020. The
TCI is now requiring a negative COVID-19 PCR test result
from a test taken within five days of travel. Children under
the age of 10 are not required to be tested. Additionally,
travelers must have medical/travel insurance that covers
medevac (insurance companies providing the prerequisite
insurance will be available on the portal), a completed
health screening questionnaire, and certification that they
have read and agreed to the privacy policy document.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 73

These requirements must be completed and uploaded
to the TCI Assured portal, which is available on the TCI
Tourist Board website (www.turksandcaicostourism.
com), in advance of their arrival.
Once travelers register on the TCI Assured portal and
complete the requirements as outlined, a travel authorization
notification will be given. The TCI Assured travel
authorization should be presented at the time of check-in
to the appropriate airline; airlines will not be able to
board passengers without this authorization.
Language
English.
Time zone
Eastern Standard Time (EST)/Daylight Savings Time
observed.
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
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 and community cabs are abundant throughout
the Islands and many resorts offer shuttle service
between popular visitor areas. Scooter, motorcycle, and
bicycle rentals are also available.
74 www.timespub.tc

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
FortisTCI supplies electricity at a frequency of 60HZ,
and either single phase or three phase at one of three
standard voltages for residential or commercial service.
FortisTCI continues to invest in a robust and resilient grid
to ensure the highest level of reliability to customers. The
company is integrating renewable energy into its grid and
provides options for customers to participate in two solar
energy programs.
Departure tax
US $60. It is typically included in your airline ticket cost.
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 on Airport Road. In Grand Turk, the
Post Office and Philatelic Bureau are 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.
Food for Thought provides free daily
breakfast to government school students.
A donation of $300 will provide breakfast
to one child for a whole school year.
To donate or learn more please
email info@foodforthoughttci.com
or visit foodforthoughttci.com
Food for Thought Foundation Inc. (NP #102)
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 Nigel John Dakin. He presides over an executive
council formed by the elected local government.
Lady Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson is the country’s first
woman premier, leading a majority People’s Democratic
Movement (PDM) House of Assembly.
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 75

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.
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. 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 in 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, Episcopal, 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 cot-
76 www.timespub.tc

ton 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. Single-use plastic bags have been
banned country-wide as of May 1, 2019.
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 18 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 33
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 is
a casino 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
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Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 77

where to stay
78 www.timespub.tc

where to stay
Times of the Islands Winter 2020/21 79

dining
80 www.timespub.tc

dining
Times of the Islands Winter 2020-21 81

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With the Resilient National Energy Transition
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new and ongoing investments in solar energy
generation, solar plus battery pilot project, and
an electric vehicle and charging station project,
FortisTCI is working every day to deliver resilient,
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Solar + battery storage
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www.fortistci.com | 649-946-4313 |

The Leading Private Bank in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Where values are growing
Wealth Management • Bonds/Fixed Income
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The Regent Village, Unit H102, Grace Bay Road, Providenciales
Tel: +649 941 4994
Email: services@tcbc.tc • www.tcbc.tc
Regulated by the Financial Services Commission, Turks & Caicos Islands