Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24

TIMES 

OF THE 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2023 /24 NO. 145 

ISLANDS 

PARADISE IN PERIL? 

Managing tourism 

BEYOND THE BEACH 

Experience adventure 

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contents 

Departments 

6 From the Editor 

21 Island Spotlight 

Blue Hills 

By Davidson Edens Louis 

24 Around the Islands 

Saving Lives, One Child at a Time 

Infant Self-Rescue lessons 

By Kathy Borsuk 

62 New Development 

The Loren at Turtle Cove 


68 History in Art 

Indian Cave, Middle Caicos 

Artwork By Richard McGhie 

85 About the Islands/TCI Map 

89 Subscription Form 

90 Classified Ads 

Features 

42 Who Gets a Piece of Paradise? 

Investigating the perils of expanding tourism 

By Ben Stubenberg 

54 Beyond the Beach 

By Rachel Craft 

70 A Sensational Sequel 

TCI Arts Foundation 


TIMES 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS WINTER 2023/24 NO. 145 

On the Cover 

Gary James at Provo Pictures (www.provopictures. 

com) used a drone to photograph this bird’s-eye view of 

Dragon Cay off Middle Caicos. It perfectly captures the 

myriad of colors and textures that make God’s works 

of art in nature so captivating. Gary has spent much of 

his 30 years in the industry doing high-end commercial 

work. These days, he prefers to focus on the stunning 

natural beauty around us in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Green Pages 

27 Orphaned Oceans 

By Dr. Eric Cole 

32 Do the (Bipedal) Locomotion 

Two-legged walking in octopods 

By Sidney L. O’Brien and C.E. O’Brien 

37 Diving into Diversity 

Empowering island youth 

By Alizee Zimmermann, 

Turks & Caicos Reef Fund 

54 

Astrolabe 

77 A Property Puzzle 

The controversial ownership of Breezy Point 

By Jeff Dodge 

ISLAND ADVENTURE 

4 www.timespub.tc

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from the editor 

MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM 

The Turks & Caicos Islands are known to host sunsets that take your breath away. Marta Morton photographed this natural artistry over 

South Side Marina in early January 2023. 

A Slipping Down Season 

“A slipping down season” is my made-up phrase for the time when winter finally comes to the Islands. It often feels 

like someone has turned down the temperature dial and miraculously lifted the humidity that was especially oppressive 

this year. The air clears and seems to turn golden as the skies shimmer robin’s-egg blue and the sea deepens 

into tones of azure. As the days shorten —“slip down” towards the Winter Solstice—early sunrises paint the sky in 

pink and the moon hovers high over the horizon in the mornings. Evenings come early, and the splendid orange, 

violet, and red tones in the photo above are an everyday occurance. On most days, it is glorious simply to be alive 

and living in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

As a result, we all have more energy, too. Many a project is launched and carried out during the comfortable 

days of a tropical winter. I hope you enjoy reading this issue’s collection of articles, a reflection of all that is going 

on in this small country nestled in the Caribbean. If you are a visitor, consider subscribing or visiting our website, 

www.timespub.tc, where you can always read the current issue on-line. 

I so look forward to the months ahead in 2024, the chance to brush off the challenges of 2023 and turn the page 

to a “rising high” season ahead. 

Kathy Borsuk, Editor timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 431-4788 

6 www.timespub.tc

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TIMES 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Kathy Borsuk 

ADVERTISING MANAGER 

Claire Parrish 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Kathy Borsuk, Dr. Eric Cole, Rachel Craft, Jeff Dodge, 

Davidson Edens Louis, C.E. O’Brien, Sidney L. O’Brien, 

Ben Stubenberg, Lisa Turnbow-Talbot, Alizee Zimmermann. 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Reginald Beckford Jr., Rayvon S. Bobb, CNN, 

Driftwood Studio, Sabine Frank, Kennon Higgs, 

Island Adventure, Gary James—Provo Pictures, Agile LeVin, 

The Loren at Turtle Cove, Jill Meyer-Swann, Marta Morton, 

C.E. O’Brien, Dodley Prosper, Laetitia Rossignol, 

James Roy—Paradise Photography, Ramona Settle, 

Shutterstock, TCI Arts Foundation, Turk’s Head Brewery, 

Lisa Turnbow-Talbot, Twin E-Bike Tours. 

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS 

Richard McGhie, T.C. Plein, Wavey Line Publishing. 

PRINTING 

PF Solutions, Miami, FL 

Times of the Islands ISSN 1017-6853 is 

published quarterly by Times Publications Ltd. 

Copyright © 2024 by Times Publications Ltd. All rights reserved 

under Universal and Pan American Copyright Conventions. 

No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without written permission. 

Subscriptions $28/year; $32/year for 

non-U.S. mailing addresses 

Submissions We welcome submission of articles or photography, but 

assume no responsibility for care and return of unsolicited material. 

Return postage must accompany material if it is to be returned. In no 

event shall any writer or photographer subject this magazine to any 

claim for holding fees or damage charges on unsolicited material. 

While every care has been taken in the compilation and reproduction of 

information contained herein to ensure correctness, such information is 

subject to change without notice. The publisher accepts no 

responsibility for such alterations or for typographical or other errors. 

Business Office 

Times Publications Ltd., P.O. Box 234, 

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI 

Tel 649 431 4788 

E-mail timespub@tciway.tc 

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Advertising tfadvert@tciway.tc 

20 www.timespub.tc

island spotlight 

RAMONA SETTLE 

Lined with humble homes and churches on one side and dotted coconut trees on the coast side, Blue 

Hills remains the most authentic and truest “Caribbean” part of Providenciales. 

Blue Hills 

An authentic seaside settlement. 

By Davidson Edens Louis 

Casting its shadow behind the illustrious neighborhoods of Grace Bay, Leeward, Long Bay, Turtle Tail, 

and Cooper Jack is Blue Hills. While often relegated to the sidelines, this timeless settlement has quietly 

nurtured and molded the lives of many Turks & Caicos Islanders. 

Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24 21

The Cuban crows outside Diane Taylor’s win 

Kenneth Williams was a PRIDE technician who fabricated an “experimental” 

fence for the fledgling conch farm out of Slinkies. 

KENNON HIGGS 

This aerial view of the shoreline along Front Road in Blue Hills at sunset perfectly captures the settlement’s authentic beauty. 

Stretching along the northwestern end of the island, 

this settlement stands as the oldest neighborhood on 

Providenciales, and at one point, the entire island bore 

its name, as noted on old French maps referring to 

Providenciales as “Blue Caicos.” Blue Hills, as we now 

know it, originated when returning fishermen at sea 

would witness the profound azure color of the water, 

saturating the entire coastline with deep shades of blue. 

The spectacle resembled an island painted in a palette of 

blues, and is the same natural wonder that draws exclamations 

from so many arriving tourists today. 

The historically rich settlement holds a special place 

for various reasons. After the salt industry took off on 

Grand Turk and Salt Cay in the late 1600s, a few individuals 

moved to Providenciales and commenced a livelihood 

through subsistence farming and fishing. 

In the late 1700s, Loyalists from the States came to the 

Islands to grow cotton and Thomas Stubbs built Cheshire 

Hall Plantation on Providenciales, the island’s most extensive. 

During this period, the settlements of Five Cays and 

The Bight gradually took shape. Blue Hills, being on the 

coast, became the hub of wreck salvaging in the Turks & 

Caicos. The numerous recorded wrecks serve as evidence 

of the perilous barrier reef off the north and west coast of 

Providenciales, well before the widespread use of GPS! 

Ironically, shipbuilding later played a significant role 

in Blue Hills. Before international trade became prevalent, 

hand-built boats were crucial in the lives of locals. Sloops 

for fishing and inter-island transport were mostly built 

in Blue Hills and the spirit of these early boat-builders 

and the brave journeys of the fishermen and traders still 

linger on the shores. 

22 www.timespub.tc

dow were typically raucous garblers. 

The coast is adorned with retired fishing boats, sections 

of sloops, and mature Casuarina equisetifolia 

(Australian pine). Cemeteries with white, chalky head 

tombs along the beach remain the final resting place 

for many locals, but between them, wild sea grapes, sea 

oats, and beach vines live triumphantly. The Blue Hills 

pier comes alive on weekends and summers with fisher-folk, 

children, and those reporting news from the 

coconut grapevine. A basketball court in Wheeland provides 

youngsters with a place to dream of fame. It’s a 

nostalgic spot, as I was one of those boys. 

On full moon nights, the sea sparkles like diamonds. 

As a child, I never knew sargassum was invasive; I simply 

enjoyed popping its green berries. The beach, filled 

with treasures deposited by the ocean, held a mysterious 

allure. Collecting crab carcasses, washed-out sea fans, 

broken shells, and old boat ropes formed cherished childhood 

memories, creating a sense of closeness to the sea. 

This is for everyone who shares a similar upbringing. 

It’s okay to have had a humble beginning in Blue Hills and 

Wheeland, for it is truly a piece of paradise that deserves 

more celebration. a 

Rachel Wolchin once said, “If we were meant to stay in 

one place, we would have had roots instead of feet.” 

On this quest to self-discovery, Turks & Caicos Islander 

Davidson Louis vowed to travel, write, paint, laugh, and 

forgive. Subsequently, he hopes to find himself and or, 

leave behind a few pieces of himself. Follow his weekly 

columns in the Turks & Caicos Weekly News and his art 

on Instagram @daviid.l2. 

The approximately 4.5 mile-long rugged coastline 

and beautiful rustic beach make for a unique beachfront 

with a deep history. Blue Hills, with its extended neighborhood 

of Wheeland, remains the most authentic and 

truest “Caribbean” part of Providenciales. A diamond in 

the rough, a hidden treasure, Blue Hills and Wheeland are 

one of my favorite places to be. 

Lined with humble homes and churches on one side 

and dotted with coconut trees on the coast side, the drive 

from Front Road to the end of Wheeland always brings 

back memories. Old shacks and huts of small businesses 

fill the area with a sense of commerce and hope after the 

onslaught of major hurricanes. Pockets of shaded areas 

on the beach serve as a refuge for potcake dogs and the 

occasional local who can’t resist the cool ocean breeze 

for a nap. 

Forgive the cliché, but a picture can truly be worth a 

thousand words. Kennon Higgs, a Turks & Caicos Islander 

and a self-taught drone pilot, photographer, and videographer, 

began his photography journey in late 2021. 

That’s when he, without any prior photography experience, 

bought his first drone and embarked on a mission 

of mastery. With the goal of showcasing the Turks & 

Caicos Islands’ beauty and culture through the most 

organic lens, Kennon aims to hone in on his craft and 

continue to capture and share moments that even a thousand 

words could not do justice. You can see more of his 

work on Instagram @tcidronestudios. 


around the islands 

MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM 

Infant Self-Rescue (ISR) is a course in survival swimming lessons for infants and young children to prevent drowning. Top right: Swimming 

teacher Jill Meyer-Swann works on self-rescue techniques with Marta Morton’s granddaughter Ava. Marta says that Jill has taught her five 

grandkids to self rescue and has done lessons with them every time they come to Provo for a visit. Ava was floating after just one or two 

lessons. 

Saving Lives, One Child at a Time 

Infant Self-Rescue swimming lessons keep drowning at bay. 

By Kathy Borsuk ~ Photos By Jill Meyer-Swann 

When a friend suggested an article about the availability of Infant Self-Rescue swimming lessons on-island, 

my imagination quickly conjured up visions of screaming babies thrashing about in the water, turning 

blue in the face. In fact, that’s exactly the scenario that instructor Jill Meyer-Swann is trying to prevent. 


Jill is owner of Provo Swim School, and among the 

lessons she offers is the Infant Swimming Resource’s Self- 

Rescue® program. I’ve known Jill for a long time, she and 

I both moved to the Islands from the United States several 

decades ago, pursuing our dreams (and love). Jill’s passion 

is the water, and she says that from her first job as 

a Club Med watersports guide, there’s barely been a day 

that she hasn’t partaken off the country’s aqua elixir. 

Jill’s always struck me as a no-nonsense, “tough love” 

sort of woman, but as we talked about her swimming 

programs and life in general, I immediately sensed her 

big heart and love for children and the Turks & Caicos 

Islands. She explained, “As a mother and person who 

spends a lot of time in the water, I realized that a lot 

of children were at risk of drowning. Many adults never 

learned to swim, nor even thought about teaching their 

children. You can’t keep your child away from water; they 

will find it or be around it for life. So I always say, the 

sooner the safer. Swim skills are life skills.” 

Jill felt so strongly about protecting young children 

from drowning that she enrolled in an extensive course 

in Infant Self-Rescue (ISR), to round out her American 

Red Cross and PADI training in swimming instruction and 

scuba diving, respectively. The course is offered by Infant 

Swimming Resource, the global leader in the industry it 

pioneered in 1966: survival swimming lessons for infants 

and young children. It took Jill two months to complete 

the course, including spending six weeks in Arizona 

practicing the techniques on twelve babies each day. She 

explains, “The basic concept behind Infant Self-Rescue 

is teaching children to become aquatic problem-solvers. 

I work with only one baby at a time, and what they learn 

depends on their age and stage of development.” While 

many parents feel they are protecting their child by strapping 

on a flotation device, Jill cautions this is a false sense 

of security because they won’t always be wearing it. 

The most basic skills are for an infant to learn to roll 

onto his or her back to float, rest, breathe, and maintain 

this position until help arrives. Jill has worked with 

babies as young as six months old, gently placing them 

in the water and helping them learn to turn over, creating 

the muscle memory that will allow them to eventually do 

it automatically. For children from one to six years old, 

Jill teaches the full Self-Rescue sequence of swimming 

until they need air, turning onto their back to float, then 

rolling over to continue swimming. Students repeat this 

until they reach the safety of steps, the side of the pool, 

or the shoreline. Jill explains, “While I always put safety 

first, my emphasis is teaching competence, which builds 

confidence, and leads to a lifetime of enjoyment in and 

around water. What more could you want in a country 

surrounded by the world’s most beautiful ocean?” 

Provo Swim School’s six-week ISR course includes ten 

minutes in the pool, five days a week. “So how do infants 

react?” I asked Jill. “And what about the parents?” This 

is where Jill’s abundant patience, positive energy—and 

tough love—come into play. “Some of them scream and 

cry because it is a new experience,” she bluntly states, 

“and sometimes the parents can’t take it and stop the 

lessons. But my motto is ‘Tears to triumph fears’ and 

when we stick to it, reinforcing the turning-over behavior 

over and over, these babies absorb the capacity to save 

their own lives. Most of them will swim before they can 

walk.” She has taught autistic and Down syndrome children 

using the same techniques. 

Jill also offers American Red Cross swimming lessons, 

both private, group, and maintenance, for older children 

and adults, including visitors, at select locations across 

TCI. Her goal? To save lives and make a difference in the 

community by teaching people to respect the water and 

learn the skills to prevent drowning for themselves and 

others. As a result, she spends much of the day, 10 to 20 

lessons, in the swimming pool at her home in Grace Bay. 

When she’s not in the pool, Jill takes to the seas via 

Total Adventures Company, her watersports excursions 

gig. (Which I think is as much fun for Jill as her clients!) 

Utilizing over three decades of life spent in TCI waters, 

Jill creates personalized boat excursions to deserted 

beaches and snorkeling spots and stand-up paddleboard 

trips through the mangroves. She also offers lessons in 

sailing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. 

Even when children learn to swim, or float, or save 

themselves, Jill reiterates the need to ALWAYS keep an 

eye on children when they are near the water. In fact, 

part of the check-out procedures for lessons is to have 

the child fall in the pool fully dressed in winter clothes, as 

most accidents don’t happen when you are prepared. It’s 

also important that you dress your child in bright colors 

so they stand out in the water. 

Jill puts out the call for corporate sponsors to fund 

lessons for children who might otherwise not be able to 

take advantage of them. You never know when you might 

help save a life! a 

For more information, visit www.provoswimschool.com, 

call (649)231-3122 or email j.swann@infantswim.com or 

jilltci@gmail.com. #notonemorechilddrownstci 

#drowningprevention, #isr_provoswimschool 

26 www.timespub.tc

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/ 

Top left: This island in the Lucayan Archipelago is gradually being 

invaded by the sea. 

Top right: Cottage Pond in North Caicos is a classic Lucayan blue hole 

where a massive cavern collapse has created a layered pond of fresh 

water riding over salt water. 

Bottom right: This fossilized sand dune is exposed in a road cut on 

Middle Caicos. Vertical dissolution channels are visible as dark stains 

around penetrating root masses. 

Orphaned Oceans 

Miniature inland seas offer refuge to a rich gallery of marine life. 

Story & Images By Dr. Eric Cole, Biology Professor, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 

Ten thousand years ago the last of the great glaciers receded from the continents in the North, and their 

meltwaters drained into the ocean basins. Far to the South, the rising seas crept upwards gradually submerging 

the Lucayan high-plateau. Their brilliant white dunes, fossilized by rain and sun, slowly sank 

beneath the rising sea. 


green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources 

Today, only the highest sweeps of the Turks & Caicos 

Islands remain above water. The carbonate islands have 

seen this languorous drama unfold many times before. 

Glaciers grew, and sea levels dropped far below today’s 

low-tide line. The steep-walled, flat-topped islands rose 

proudly 400 feet above their historic shores. Rainstorms 

raked the forested heights, leaching the carbonate soils 

as their waters percolated down, dissolving channels that 

would become vertical caves. As the rainwaters filtered 

through ages of former dune sediments, they pooled and 

floated on the denser marine stuff that forms the islands’ 

water table. Here the interface between fresh and salt 

waters digested lateral caves, creating an underground 

labyrinth. As glaciers continued to hoard their snowfalls, 

sea levels dropped further and the abandoned, dripping 

chambers grew draperies of flowstone, stalagmites, and 

stalactites. Occasionally, a cavern grew so vast that it collapsed 

inward, creating a sinkhole. 

When the glaciers melted once again, lifting the 

oceans, they flooded these caverns and gradually filled 

the sinkholes and deeper depressions across the landscape—creating 

ponds and blue holes. 

The ponds that populate the Turks & Caicos Islands 

exist along a spectrum of connectivity with the sea. Some 

ponds have no direct connection to the sea. In such 

ponds, evaporation exceeds rainfall and they become 

“hypersaline.” Though impoverished in the more familiar 

marine life, hypersaline ponds provided refuge for 

strange, pre-cambrian microbial reefs called stromatolites 

and occasional blooms of “sea monkeys,” or brine 

shrimp. The Islands’ flamingos and spoonbills value 

these occasional buffets, acquiring a richer pink pigment 

as a result. 

Left: This pinkish salt flat forms the shores of one of Middle Caicos’ hypersaline ponds, Farm Creek Salina. 

Right: A pristine, cavern-fed shallow pond lies deep in the interior of Middle Caicos. 

The Islands also boast ponds that are richly connected 

to the distant ocean through submarine caves. These 

caves can be so substantial that their so-called “anchialine 

ponds” rise and fall with the ocean’s tides, even though 

the coast may be a mile away. This can create substantial, 

even alarming, currents at the cave’s entrance. Tidal 

ponds also have enough turnover that their waters remain 

clean and fully marine. Rainfall may soften the salinity a 

bit, favoring the growth of marine life even more. 

Left and center: Erosion of karst along the shores of St. Thomas Hill Pond in North Caicos led to its attendant anchialine cavern. 

Right: Terrestrial Indian Cave in Middle Caicos displays its dissolution holes and roof collapse. 

28 www.timespub.tc


This diagram depicts four scenarios involving anchialine (cave-fed, near the sea) marine ponds. 

Top left: A layer of fresh water (turquoise) overlayers a deep, often anaerobic sea water bed (dark blue). The cavern causes this “blue hole” 

to be tidal, rising and falling with the ocean. There can be little marine life as the upper layers are fresh and the deeper marine waters have 

little or no oxygen. 

Top right: The cavern has been choked off (or never established), causing the pond to become hypersaline (saltier than the sea). Again, little 

marine life is found. 

Bottom left: With modest connectivity, a pond may be colonized by fortuitous inhabitants (cave shrimp, jellyfish, sponges), often without larger 

predators. These can be some of the richest habitats. 

Bottom right: Larger caverns can allow in predators and grazers that suppress the population explosions seen in some of the less-connected 

ponds. 

Anchialine (“near the sea”) caverns help their connected 

ponds maintain a constant marine environment, 

serving as an umbilicus to the Mother ocean. Twice-daily 

seawater exchanges through the unseen caverns prevent 

over-salination by evaporation during dry spells, and 

counter the effects of storm and hurricane-delivered rainwaters. 

One can almost imagine them “breathing.” Such 

ponds represent perfectly maintained miniature seas. 

The same subterranean caverns that balance and 

protect their ponds from change, also serve as wildlife 

corridors for colonization. Ponds with substantial cave 

connections can support incredibly rich marine communities 

with living sponges, jellyfish, macro-algae, annelids 

and mollusks. Some even provide harbor for pupfish, 

needlefish, mojarra, and the occasional barracuda, sea 

turtles, or juvenile Atlantic tarpon that somehow found 



These are scenes from cavern-fed ponds at Northwest Point, Providenciales. 

Clockwise from top: One of a small school of tarpon circles a cavern entrance. In this rich algal bed, red mangroves give way to the vertical 

walls of a sinkhole. This field of Cassiopea, (the “upside down jellyfish”) rests on lake sediments. This vertical sinkhole is lined with Caulerpa 

(a macro algae). A rich population of brilliant red Barbouria cave shrimp graze on green sediments of a tiny, cavern-fed pond. No predators! 

their way through the dark, anchialine caves, establishing 

a colony within the ponds as far as a mile from the sea. 

Orphaned oceans indeed. 

During our studies, we have learned that each pond 

represents a unique, precious “natural experiment” in 

marine colonization and community structuring. Some 

ponds are incredibly simple. A single species of cave 

shrimp, having negotiated passage through the network 

of submarine fissures and caves, finds a tiny surface 

pond with an unlimited supply of rich, green sediment. 

Left: A calcareous freshwater algae (Chara) dominates the shallows of Cottage Pond, North Caicos. 

Right: An incredible swarm of water bugs (Notonecta) hover in the reeds near shore. 

30 www.timespub.tc


Their population explodes. In the absence of competitors, 

and with no marine predators, they abandon their 

troglodytic (cave-dwelling) ways and forage the sunlit 

fields of phytoplankton in broad daylight. Another pond 

has become refuge to a single species of jellyfish. The 

enigmatic, “upside down jellyfish” has adopted the lifestyle 

of a plant, tentacles up, harvesting sunlight just as 

their distant coral relatives do with the same symbiotic 

algae living within their tissues. 

In North Caicos’ Cottage Pond, a favorite with visitors 

to the Islands, the pond is deep, cavern fed, and supports 

a substantial body of fresh water riding over the deeper, 

anaerobic layer of salt water. Snorkeling Cottage Pond, we 

discovered an incredibly simple world with one species of 

freshwater algae (Chara) and in the complete absence of 

fish, a population explosion of the endearing water bug, 

(Notonecta), a “back-swimmer.” This insect’s only concern 

seems to be a single pair of diving grebes. Cottage Pond 

is another example of a “species jackpot,” an anchialine 

Garden of Eden in which some lucky creature escapes the 

pressures of a more complex environment. 

It should be noted (and perhaps come as no surprise) 

that the greatest threats these endearing “orphaned 

oceans” face, each with their one-of-a-kind experiment 

in marine colonization, are man-made. Development 

without thoughtful planning can compromise not only 

the pond communities, but the subterranean network 

of caverns that serve as their circulatory system—their 

gills. Heavy equipment and incautious excavation near 

such fragile wonders can (and has) accidentally collapsed 

the caverns, severing their circulation with the sea. Even 

visiting them, one hopes to observe without impact. My 

team covers our skin with fabric, not sun lotion or insect 

repellent, recognizing that in close quarters, our very 

presence constitutes a bio-hazard. With respect, we hope 

to continue exploring and documenting this enchanting 

anchialine archipelago. a 

Professor Cole teaches and conducts research with undergraduates 

at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. 

During business hours, he conducts research into cellular 

and developmental Biology, but moonlights as an 

explorer of the natural history of marine habitats. One 

can visit his website (always woefully under-constructed) 

at: https://pages.stolaf.edu/colee/. 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

Octopods have the ability to “walk” or “run” on two arms across the ocean floor. 

Do the (Bipedal) 

Locomotion 

Two-“legged” walking in octopods. 

By Sydney L. O’Brien and C. E. O’Brien, The School for Field Studies 

Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos 

Have you ever seen a walking coconut? If you have, chances are it was actually an octopod, running on two 

arms across the sand. This may sound like an odd piece of science fiction or a Saturday morning cartoon, 

but keep reading and you will see just how versatile octopod locomotion can be. 

32 www.timespub.tc


What is bipedal locomotion? 

Walking and running on two feet, known as “bipedal locomotion,” 

is often thought of as a characteristically human 

or great ape behavior, since most amphibians, reptiles, 

and mammals walk quadrupedally (using four limbs), and 

many invertebrates use multiple limbs or none at all to 

locomote. However, bipedalism is occasionally observed 

in these other groups. For instance, bears will sometimes 

rear up on their hind limbs for a variety of reasons, 

including during fights or attacks, in order to prepare to 

climb a tree or to get a better view of the landscape. 

Bipedalism also occurs in animals you might not 

expect. The lowly cockroach, which normally scuttles 

around on six legs, switches to running bipedally when it 

needs to move at maximum speed, since the extra four 

limbs tend to get in the way and slow it down. Similar 

to the cockroach, many lizards can run at much higher 

speeds on two legs than four. The Common Basilisk 

Lizard (also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard) can even 

run across the surface of water on its two hind legs with 

the aid of air bubbles trapped under flaps between its 

toes. 

Bipedal locomotion has also been documented in 

octopods, those wacky, eight-armed molluscs known 

for their color-changing abilities, regenerating limbs, 

and surprising smarts. Bipedal “walking” or “running” 

has been recorded in four species of octopods so far: 

Abdopus aculeatus, the algae octopus of Australia; 

Amphioctopus marginatus, the coconut octopus of 

Indonesia; Callistoctopus furvus, the sand octopus of the 

Tropical Western Atlantic; and Octopus vulgaris, the common 

octopus of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. 

These original art diagrams show octopod anatomy with side (left) and top (right) views. 

This cuttlefish tentacle ends in a paddle-shaped tip. 

A tour of the armory: Octopus anatomy 101 

Although often referred to as “tentacles” in conversation 

and popular media, octopods do not have tentacles at all! 

The eight limbs of an octopus are actually referred to as 

“arms,” which is a more multi-purpose appendage than 

a “tentacle,” which specializes in food capture. Octopus 

relatives—squids and cuttlefish—also have eight arms, 

as well as two tentacles that can usually be ejected forward 

rapidly to capture prey. In addition to a difference 

in function, the anatomy of arms and tentacles vary: arms 

usually have two or occasionally one row of suckers along 

their entire length, while tentacles are smooth along most 

of their length, but terminate in a paddle shape with several 

suckers or hooks to capture prey. 

C.E. O’BRIEN T.G. PLEIN 



The eight arms of an octopus are used in a wide variety 

of tasks, including for locomotion, investigating their 

surroundings, and to aid in camouflage or mimicry, as 

well as for catching prey and passing it to the mouth. 

Intriguingly, the arms do not just have the ability to feel 

an octopod’s surroundings—they can also taste and 

smell, thanks to dozens to thousands of flexible suckers 

lined with receptors like taste buds. These sensory 

abilities help octopods navigate in their environment, 

identify mates, and flush out hidden prey. Individual octopods 

often favor particular arms for certain tasks, much 

the same way humans are usually right- or left-handed 

for writing and throwing. To help differentiate between 

them, researchers refer to the four arms on the left side 

of the octopus as LI, LII, LIII, and LIV from front to back 

and RI, RII, RIII, and RIV on the right. 

. . . And I would walk 500 (nautical) miles: 

Why an octopus walks bipedally 

When they move around, many species of octopods 

change their color and texture in order to blend into 

their surroundings or to disrupt their telltale outline as 

they pass over different types of sea floor, such as sand, 

coral, or rock. To prevent their motion from giving their 

presence away, they will also often move at a measured 

pace, taking their time and avoiding sudden movements 

that might attract a predator’s attention. Octopus cyanea, 

the day octopus, for example, spreads its webbed arms, 

creeps slowly, and changes its body pattern in order 

to appear to be a moving rock in order to traverse an 

C.E. O’Brien photographed this Octopus insularis off South Caicos at 

the moment when it inks and begins to jet away from danger. 

open stretch of territory. But sometimes octopods need 

something quicker. For instance, to escape an attack, an 

octopus may “jet” away by forcefully blowing water out 

of the siphon, propelling its body rapidly in the opposite 

direction, often expelling ink as it flees. 

There are also times when they need to move quickly 

but still want to remain disguised. This is where mimicry 

and masquerade, in which octopods pretend to be 

something they are not in order to avoid being noticed or 

recognized by a predator, can come into play. The aptly 

named Mimic Octopus is the octopod poster child of this 

ability, as it can impersonate several other species, ranging 

from deadly sea snakes to the prickly and venomous 

lionfish. This tactic, known as Batesian mimicry, allows 

the mimic octopus to appear dangerous or inedible to 

C.E. O’BRIEN 

LAETITIA ROSSIGNOL 

This Image of an octopod (left) and image of floating algae (right) show how the octopod can masquerade as an organism that is relatively 

uninteresting to predators. 

34 www.timespub.tc 

C.E. O’BRIEN


potential predators, while not having to go to the trouble 

of manufacturing sea snake or lionfish venom itself. 

But octopods don’t always impersonate something 

dangerous. Instead, they sometimes opt to masquerade 

as an organism that is relatively uninteresting to predators, 

such as a plant or a rock. By changing their shape, 

posture, and color pattern, octopods can take on forms 

that to an untrained eye appear to be a rock, seaweed 

(algae), or even a coconut. This is often when bipedal 

locomotion occurs: using only two of their arms as “legs” 

to “walk” or “run” allows them to use their remaining arms 

to craft the perfect disguise, contorting into what appears 

to be a tumbleweed of algae, or tucking them away to 

imitate the round shape of a coconut. These postures 

are often accompanied by color changes that enhance 

the effect, usually by turning a darker color to match the 

color of the object that they are imitating. 

While the effect appears comical to our eyes, all 

of these contortions and color changes enhance octopod 

crypsis, which is a fancy word for being sneaky 

and avoiding detection—an octopod’s primary form of 

defense. Walking bipedally helps octopods fool many 

fish predators into thinking that they are inedible algae, 

allowing them to move stealthily across the seafloor without 

becoming dinner. Pretty clever for a sea creature! 

While the coconut octopus attempts to resemble a 

round coconut when moving bipedally, the sand octopus, 

the algae octopus, and the common octopus utilize the 

“flamboyant display” during their bipedal locomotion. 

In this display, the octopus raises its front arm pair and 

twists them into a corkscrew shape, extends its mantle 

bumps, and holds its other arms close to or under its 

body. These contortions and texture changes, along with 

color changes, cause the octopod to resemble a piece of 

floating Sargassum or another seaweed. The flamboyant 

display is also seen in many other cephalopods, including 

cuttlefish and squid, where it can play a role in crypsis or 

in communication. Although it does not function exactly 

the same way in every species, the existence of this display 

in such distantly-related groups suggests that it is 

evolutionarily-conserved, meaning that it plays an important 

role in cephalopod survival. 

C.E. O’BRIEN 

Walk this way: 

How do octopuses walk bipedally? 

Octopods are molluscs, a group characterized by a soft 

The “flamboyant display” is another form of avoiding detection while 

moving bipedally, shown here in a squid (top) and octopod (bottom). 



body and a hard outer shell. However, over the course of 

their evolution, cephalopods lost this protective covering 

in favor of more sophisticated “squishy” defenses, such as 

crypsis, enhanced predator detection abilities (sight and 

“smell”), and a complex nervous system. Cephalopods 

do not have the rigid system of either internal or external 

hard structures (bones or exoskeletons) that we and 

many other animals use to get around. In human bodies, 

our bones work together with our cartilage, muscles, 

ligaments, and tendons to produce movement. The muscles 

are attached to the rigid skeleton which provides 

anchor points and support against which muscles can 

push and pull. Octopods, by contrast, lack this support, 

and instead utilize the pressure created by the fluid-filled 

tissues inside their bodies to provide support for limb 

movement. 

Instead of bones or an exoskeleton, octopods are 

composed almost entirely of soft muscle and tissue. The 

muscles of octopod arms are organized into two groups 

which perform opposing but complementary actions to 

produce movement: While one group of muscles contracts 

to provide force, the other group relaxes, causing it 

to elongate and stretch, thus causing limb extension. The 

general lack of hard parts in their bodies allows octopods 

a wider range of motion than other species, since they 

are not limited by the range of motion of a joint, but can 

bend a limb almost anywhere along its length. Moreover, 

the lack of hard parts in the octopod body (except the 

beak) gives them the ability to squeeze through any gap 

or hole in the substrate that is wider than that beak. 

So, if they don’t have any rigid structures, how do 

octopods use their limbs to walk or run? Rather than utilizing 

bendable limbs with a joint like vertebrates and 

arthropods do, octopods use either a smooth continuous 

rolling motion along the length of two arms, or alternate 

between a stiffened LIV and RIV. In the algae octopus, 

coconut octopus, and sand octopus, bipedal locomotion 

is achieved by the octopod rolling backwards along the 

rearmost pair of arms (IV), while the common octopus 

“hops” backwards on two arms of the same side, such as 

RIII and RIV or LII and LIII. 

Stepping into the light: 

Discovering bipedalism in other octopods 

Bipedal locomotion has now been documented in four 

genera of octopods living in three ecologically-distinct 

regions: the Indo Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the 

tropical western Atlantic. One of these was discovered 

recently by students and scientists at the School for Field 

Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies (CMRS) on 

South Caicos in the Turks & Caicos Islands in the Fall of 

2021. 

The research team (nicknamed “NoctoSquad”) 

“stumbled” upon this fascinating behavior while filming 

Callistoctopus furvus for a directed research project on 

octopus foraging and skin patterning. In these video 

sequences, three C. furvus can be seen “walking” bipedally 

using mainly arms LIV and RIV on fifteen separate 

occasions from anywhere between one and a dozen steps. 

While doing so, the octopuses turn brown and engage in 

the flamboyant display, causing them to resemble strands 

of brown algae floating nearby. Recognizing the importance 

of the first sightings of this behavior in this genus 

and species of octopus, faculty and staff of the CMRS 

published their observations in the Journal of Molluscan 

Studies. Their observations were also notable in that the 

individuals that engaged in this behavior were distinctly 

larger than was thought possible for bipedalism to occur 

in octopuses. 

Bipedalism is likely even more widespread among 

octopods than currently recognized. More observations 

of octopod behavior in the wild are needed, especially as 

new species of octopods are discovered or reclassified 

every year. (Currently there are around 300 species.) 

Formal research is critical to this effort, but so too is 

“community-” or “citizen-” science. Anyone living in proximity 

to an ocean can grab their mask, fins, and camera 

and non-invasively (no touching!) document cephalopods 

or other marine animals in their native habitats, no credentials 

needed. So, get out there and explore! a 

This article was originally published on OctoNation. 

com, https://octonation.com/bipedal-locomo- 

tion-two-legged-walking-in-octopods/?fbclid=IwAR2L- 

Hjf5Sf9tsHy5p_9HI04-zZlTFvvcsbN-2-XZbzgtGKfTFY- 

9JrEGHwFc. 

For detailed article references or more information 

about The School for Field Studies, contact Director Heidi 

Hertler on South Caicos at hhertler@fieldstudies.org or 

visit www.fieldstudies.org. 

36 www.timespub.tc


Sterling Henry practices his newly acquired diving skills in the pool. Equipping local youth with scuba diving skills opens doors to diverse 

career opportunities, not only within the marine sciences but in tourism as well. 

Diving into Diversity 

Empowering island youth: Scuba diving as a pathway to marine sciences. 

By Alizee Zimmermann, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund ~ Photos By Reginald Beckford Jr. 

Close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Descend. The light shimmers above, penetrating through crystal-clear 

water and creating patterns along the sand, rainbows that dance in and out of the schools of fish 

darting around the coral reef. If you’ve been diving or snorkeling, you know what I mean. There’s something 

magical about being suspended, harnessing anti-gravitational powers, observing and interacting 

with a whole new world—one full of colour and wonder. 



Scuba diving has a transformative ability and is a 

powerful means of unlocking potential and creating 

pathways to marine sciences. Above all though, seeing is 

believing. Diving creates a connection between divers and 

the environment that sustains us that can and will lead to 

a community of persons who care deeply for the ocean. 

Here in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI), the ocean is 

a part of our history and culture, not to mention the very 

key to our survival as a small island nation. The people of 

these Islands possess invaluable insights into the ocean’s 

resources, ecosystems, and sustainable practices that 

have been passed down through generations. However, 

there are a disproportionately small number of local dive 

instructors and an even smaller number of homegrown 

marine and environmental scientists. The Turks & Caicos 

Reef Fund (TCRF) wants to change that. 

Recognizing the significance of diversity within the 

marine and scientific community is crucial to a sustainable 

and equitable future for people and planet. This is 

known, but not emphasized enough globally and when it 

comes to islands like ours, empowering communities is 

even more crucial for fostering a deeper understanding 

and appreciation of marine sciences and current environmental 

issues. 

Back in March of 2022, at a small fundraiser, the 

concept of “22 in 2022” was born. TCRF committed to 

teaching 22 youngsters to dive before the end of the year. 

By December, we had, through a variety of small grants 

and private donations, funded and taught 28 students! So 

far in 2023, we have run 3 courses and have certified 15 

more. With opportunities for further dive training and by 

encouraging our students to get involved with our conservation 

work through volunteering and learning new 

skills, it has been inspiring to see a positive volunteer 

retention rate from our students. The next step is to create 

a club that goes shore-diving at least once a month, 

further helping with the continuation of individuals’ diving 

education. 

Students are learning to assemble and disassemble their gear at the Dive Provo pool. 

38 www.timespub.tc


Benefits of teaching 

scuba diving 

1. Cultural pride and preservation: 

Scuba diving education instils a sense 

of cultural pride among young people 

as they connect with their heritage 

and the marine resources that have 

sustained our communities for generations. 

It allows people to see their 

cultural practices and knowledge as 

valuable assets in marine sciences, 

fostering a sense of identity and 

empowerment. 

2. Environmental stewardship: 

Diving nurtures a deep sense of 

responsibility and stewardship 

towards the marine environment. 

By experiencing the wonders of the 

underwater world firsthand, it is 

almost impossible not to develop 

a personal connection and a vested 

interest in preserving the fragile ecosystems 

that surround these Islands. 

3. Career opportunities: Equipping 

our youth with scuba diving skills 

opens doors to diverse career opportunities, 

not only within the marine 

sciences but in tourism as well. As 

a country we import most of our 

dive instructors—early access to diving 

is how we start to change that. 

By nurturing talent and passion, we 

can create a pathway for people to 

contribute to the sustainable development 

of their own communities 

and economies. 

We can enable people to become 

active participants in scientific 

research. Sharks4Kids (www.sharks4kids.com) 

is a perfect example of 

this, as well as active involvement 

in conservation efforts. Several of 

our volunteers have been employed 

to work on projects with TCRF as 

well as with the TC National Trust 

(@tcnationaltrust_ on Instagram). 

The possibilities with dive tourism, 

marine resource management, and 

other related fields are endless. 

Above: Local artist Wellington Williams helps tend to the Reef Fund’s coral nursery. 

Top right: Mitch Agenor has just completed his first open water dive! 

Bottom right: Janisa Outten is getting ready to take the plunge with Dive Provo. 



Protecting, Preserving, and 

Restoring the Coral Reefs of the TCI 

Come visit our Coral Growing Facility 

and get your TCRF merchandise! 

Located at South Bank Marina. 

We are open 1-5pm 

Monday - Friday 

4. Community engagement and empowerment: 

Teaching scuba diving fosters a sense of community. 

People become ambassadors, sharing their knowledge 

and experiences with fellow community members, 

inspiring others to appreciate and protect the marine 

environment. This engagement strengthens community 

bonds and collective efforts towards sustainable practices 

and conservation. 

By encouraging inclusivity and breaking down barriers, 

we can unlock the untapped potential and unique 

perspectives that diversity offers, leading to innovative 

solutions and a more sustainable future for our oceans. 

Through scuba diving education, we offer pathways to 

career opportunities, environmental stewardship, cultural 

preservation, and community empowerment. 

Join the movement and invest in the next generation 

of local scuba divers. Our program has grown exponentially, 

in no small part thanks to a partnership with Dive 

Provo (www.diveprovo.com), a dive operation committed 

to environmental protection and community development. 

Join us today and together we can inspire people 

to become stewards and advocates for the marine environment, 

fostering sustainable practices and a brighter future 

for our communities and the oceans we all depend on. a 

Visit www.tcreef.org for more information or to donate. 

Rashguards, Stickers, BCD tags and more! 

All proceeds go to our environmental 

projects in TCI. 

DECR Environmental Officer/Terrestrial Ecologist Dodley Prosper is 

learning to conduct reef surveys. While he didn’t learn to dive with 

the TCRF program, he is a shining example of where dive training 

can take you. 

40 www.timespub.tc

JAMES ROY—PARADISE PHOTOGRAPHY 

feature 

Who Gets a Piece of Paradise? 

Investigating the perils of expanding tourism. 

By Ben Stubenberg 

Legend has it that the notorious female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read hid out in the sheltered coves 

of the Caicos Cays after raiding passing ships. The protective barrier reef provided a tranquil refuge after 

a stressful day of sword fights and cannons blazing. The turquoise waters gently lapping the long sandy 

beaches surely helped them unwind before dividing up the loot. For a while, this tropical paradise was 

their secret sanctuary at the tail end of the Golden Age of Piracy.

An aerial view of Grace Bay shows the extensive development that has taken place over the past two decades. 


Today, 300 years later, the challenge of finding a 

paradise hideaway remains as alluring as ever. Just like 

Anne and Mary, modern visitors walk the same beautiful 

beaches and plunge into the same dazzling sea. They too 

have discovered a tropical nirvana where they can relax 

and recharge while leaving the pressures of the world 

behind. 

Unlike the pirates who kept this paradise to themselves, 

TCI has been phenomenally successful at selling 

these Islands—notably Providenciales—as a high-end 

tourism destination with plenty of luxury condos, big villas, 

and a couple of private jet terminals. Treasures that 

any pirate would envy! But success spawns its own woes 

and comes at a steep cost that should give pause to the 

quest for relentless development and ever-more tourists. 

Rapid evolution 

In the 1980s, well before tourists arrived, Providenciales 

(Provo) was a sparsely populated island with around 

1,000 people, far less than Grand Turk, North Caicos, 

and South Caicos. Residents living in the small settlements 

of Five Cays, Kew Town, and Blue Hills depended 

largely on fishing and boat building for their livelihood. 

Now, 40 years later, Provo’s population has exploded to 

an estimated 40,000, and just about everyone depends 

on tourism, directly or indirectly. 

In fact, Provo sees around ten times as many tourists 

as the number of residents every year, one of the highest 

tourist-to-resident ratios in the world. The island’s 

journey from the tranquility of near-subsistence living 

to one of the most sought-after vacation and property 

investment spots on the planet has at once been highly 

lucrative for some and decidedly disruptive for others. 

Tourism’s boom also brought a sharp influx of people 

from abroad to live here—expatriates mainly from North 

America and the UK, as well as migrants from nearby 

island nations, especially Haiti. Immigration is a natural 

consequence of prosperity and can enhance society by 

bringing needed labor and through cultural exchange. 

But a flood of newcomers to a small island can also overwhelm, 

widen the gulf between rich and poor, and fray 

the social fabric, as has also happened. 

As property prices soar and wages fail to keep pace 

with the cost of living, the sense among Turks & Caicos 

Islanders of being squeezed out has become ever 

more acute and vexing. At the same time, TCI’s natural 

treasures, particularly the coral reefs, have become 

increasingly vulnerable, partly due to climate change, 

partly because of too many people. 

Overshadowing these simmering concerns is an apprehension 

that ceaseless tourism and building expansion 

is diminishing Provo’s relaxed vibe and uncluttered 

beaches—attributes that made it a luxury destination of 

choice. 

Indeed, the cyclical trajectory of tourist development 

and the impact on native populations worldwide has been 

well documented. What is happening in Provo is, in fact, 

a global phenomena in places where tourism dominates 

the economy—with similar ominous patterns. 

Life cycle of a tourist destination 

In 1980, a geography professor at the University of 

Western Ontario, Richard Butler, PhD, developed a model 

to study the life cycle of tourism. Referred to as the 

Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC), the model has become 

The pristine East Caicos shoreline represents what the 

Islands looked like before tourism development. An initiative 

is underway to designate East Caicos as a World 

Heritage Site by the United Nations. 

44 www.timespub.tc

one of the most widely used conceptual frameworks in 

tourism research. TALC identifies six or seven predictable 

stages that a resort destination goes through regardless 

of location. It is worth examining the elements of TALC, 

which have held up remarkably well over the decades, to 

see where TCI currently fits into the cycle and what to 

anticipate. 

The first stage is “Exploration.” That is when a place 

might see a only few adventurous travelers pass through. 

They are not really tourists, but explorers looking for an 

unspoiled, untouched paradise. 

The second stage is “Involvement.” This transpires 

when a destination starts to receive more visitors and 

accommodates them with small inns and cafés and may 

offer a few local activities. 

The third stage is “Development.” More tourist facilities 

are built to accommodate the additional tourists 

arriving. The place becomes recognized as a tourist destination. 

The fourth stage is “Consolidation.” Large multinational 

companies move in to build bigger hotels to 

support growing numbers of tourists. This is also the 

phase when tensions begin to emerge in the host population. 

The fifth stage is “Stagnation.” Tourist numbers peak 

and environmental damage sets in. The resort destination 

becomes less fashionable and some of the hotels become 

old and run down. 

The sixth stage is “Decline.” That takes place when 

the destination loses its luster. Fewer tourists arrive as 

they seek new places that are perceived to be more exciting 

and still “unspoiled.” 

AGILE LE VIN—WWW.VISITTCI.COM 


The seventh stage, if it happens, is “Rejuvenation.” 

Investment in new facilities and expansion of attractions 

potentially revives interest in the destination and reverses 

the decline. 

Provo appears to be in the “Consolidation” stage near 

the top of the cycle, especially in view of several new 

high-end developments under construction and scheduled 

to open in 2024/2025. That is both a testament 

to the attraction of Provo as an inviting destination but 

also a warning that development might be reaching a 

peak that could lead to the stagnation phase. If the TALC 

model holds true, an urgent question arises: How does 

Provo prevent succumbing to the fate of other resort destinations 

whose cycles started much earlier? 

Troubling scenario 

Successive TCI governments have rightly put in place policies 

from the beginning that promoted Provo as a low 

density, exclusive destination that maximized tourism 

revenue. That strategy set TCI apart from mass markets 

where lower revenue margins are recouped through much 

higher numbers of visitors. TCI’s focus on luxury clientele 

also set a higher bar for expectations that, so far, Provo 

and all of TCI have been able to deliver on. 

However, if Provo is no longer seen as special or 

unique or worth the luxury price due to any number of 

factors—road and airport congestion, crowded beaches, 

crime, dying reefs, and competition from other islands in 

the Caribbean region—stagnation becomes more likely. 

That’s when the carrying capacity of the island reaches a 

tipping point and the magic wanes. 

The direction of TCI tourism was the subject of study 

as far back as 2009 by Lehigh University professors John 

B. Gatewood Ph.D. and Catherine M. Cameron Ph.D. 

Entitled Belonger Perceptions of Tourism and its Impacts 

in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the study found that while 

Belongers (native Turks & Caicos Islanders) were generally 

positive about tourism, they also perceived some 

downsides. These included increased crime, rising costs, 

an influx of immigrant workers, and unevenness with 

respect to the distribution of financial benefits from 

tourism. In the past 14 years, it is safe to say these perceptions 

have only intensified. 

David Bowen, former TCI Director of Culture and a 

fierce advocate for promoting local culture, compared 

accelerated development to the concept of fast food 

versus “Slow Food.” The Slow-Food alternative strives 

to preserve traditional cuisine, takes longer to prepare, 

and costs more. But it tastes much better and promotes 

small businesses rather than corporate giants. This kind 

of food is intended to be savored, not gulped. In the same 

way, Mr. Bowen believes, TCI should not allow itself to be 

overrun with high-rises and other developments that take 

away the special flavor that is TCI. 

Extravagant development proposals that promise 

more tax revenue and more jobs look attractive, at least 

for the short term. But if development continues apace, 

one can envision a distressing scenario where too many 

resorts dissuade the higher spending and more discriminating 

tourists from vacationing here. That in turn could 

result in reduced revenue to address the very social and 

environmental concerns TCI is grappling with now. 

RAVON S. BOBB 

It is important for the future that Providenciales retain its 

reputation as a special and unique luxury destination. 

46 www.timespub.tc

Some may disagree with this cloudy outlook and point 

to high tourist satisfaction and return rates, which are 

indeed impressive. They might also note the brisk sales 

of luxury condos and townhouses yet-to-be-built based 

on little more than fanciful design renderings and vivid 

videos of fabulous views. As bright as new development 

appears today, it is imperative to anticipate the prospect, 

however unsettling, that Provo could slide into the ordinary, 

a beach resort town that resembles so many others 

that have opted for more big buildings over more open 

space. 

Disrupting the cycle 

In her compelling book, The Last Resort, author Sarah 

Stodola examines the rise and fall of tourist destinations 

around the world while delving into the darker aspects 

of beach resort culture. Drawing on Professor Butler’s 

tourism life cycle model, she exposes strangleholds of 

local economies, reckless construction, and erosion of 

beaches, among others painful realities of unfettered 

development. 

Notably, Ms. Stodola calls attention to locals feeling 

squeezed out and tourists reminiscing about how much 

better the place used to be—a refrain heard here as well. 

But she also suggests that life cycles can be disrupted and 

offers a basket of remedies for rejuvenation, the most 

urgent and necessary being the imposition of limits on 

tourists and zoning restrictions. Ms. Stodola concludes, 

“Without deliberately imposed limitations, the overdevelopment 

always follows, and overdevelopment leads to 

decline.” 

It is not too late for Provo to break the cycle by weaning 

itself away from ceaseless expansion, starting with 

new regulations that halt or at least drastically slow resort 

construction. A window remains open to re-imagine a 

more inclusive model for tourism—one that prioritizes 

natural treasures over high-rises, one that ensures that 

the country’s well-being and way of life stays at the center 

of every decision. 

At the 2023 Caribbean Tourism Organization “State 

of the Industry” conference held at Beaches Resort, TCI’s 

Minister of Tourism Hon. Josephine Connolly noted in her 

opening remarks that TCI is conducting the Caribbean’s 

first in-depth study of the entire tourism industry. In 

keeping with TCI’s commitment to sustainability, she 

affirmed TCI’s dedication to safeguard pristine beaches, 

lush landscapes, and vibrant culture for future generations. 

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At the same conference, keynote speaker Doug 

Lansky, a global tourism and travel expert, challenged 

stakeholders to find creative ways to incorporate sustainability 

into tourism operations. In an earlier interview, he 

colorfully summed up the problem of overdevelopment 

with another food analogy: 

“What we need to do is to redefine what success is 

in tourism. If I ask people what is success, they just 

think more visitors than we had last year. That’s a 

failed metric. It’s like one scoop of ice cream is good, 

and two scoops, maybe three, you could say is better, 

but 34 scoops isn’t better. It just ends up on the 

sidewalk and gives you a stomachache. There’s a 

finite amount of space to get into the key attractions, 

to walk on the street without feeling like you are in 

Times Square, to lay on the beach in a reasonable 

way.” 

TCI’s catchy slogan “Beautiful by Nature” certainly 

reflects the scenic charm of the Islands. What if those 

words could also invoke a deeper beauty that embraces 

the spirit of this exceptional archipelago? What if the 

blessings of luxury tourism could also be directly linked 

to protecting the environment and lifting up the most 

vulnerable in society—an approach that itself becomes 

the basis for enticing the cream of affluent visitors. 

Multiple studies indicate that luxury travelers are prioritizing 

environmental and social sustainability when 

booking trips—a more fitting target market for TCI. A 

2022 American Express Global Travel Trends Report 

notes that 81% of travelers want the money they spend 

while traveling to go back to the local community. 

According to a 2023 report by the International Luxury 

Hotel Association, “One of the most significant trends is a 

renewed interest in sustainable travel, as people become 

more aware of the impact of tourism on the environment 

and local communities.” 

For TCI that means embracing a “Green Economy” 

that complements the spectacular beaches and turquoise 

water. This course of action requires a pivot away from 

unbridled development, but the reboot need not be 

expensive or even require a major transformation. Most 

of the infrastructure for expanded environmental programs 

and social responsibility is already in place. 

Below are various possibilities for keeping and elevating 

TCI’s enchantment through minimal impact, ranging 

from the quick and easy to the bold and daring. While far 

from complete, these ideas can broaden TCI’s appeal to 

the discerning traveler—tourists who support and appreciate 

eco-friendly/environmental sustainability* initiatives 

and social responsibility programs and are willing to pay 

a premium. 

Small changes/big impact 

Ban the sale of non-reef-safe sunscreens, specifically sunscreens 

containing harmful chemicals like oxybenzone 

and octinoxate, among the ingredients. Several tropical 

locations have already either prohibited their sale and 

distribution or banned them outright because of the damage 

to marine life, particularly coral reefs. These include 

Hawaii, Key West, Florida, Palau, US Virgin Islands, Aruba, 

Bonaire, and Mexico. 

In TCI, several charter boat operators, such as Big 

Blue and Caicos Catalyst, already forbid non-reef-safe 

sunscreens on their boats and provide alternatives for 

their guests. In fact, TCI even has its own locally created 

reef-safe sunscreen, Wildflower, that is available for purchase, 

along with other mineral-based sunscreens such 

as Stream2Sea. Such a measure would immediately signal 

to every visitor that TCI takes protection of its marine life 

seriously and invite them to share in that goal. 

Expand the parks next to the beaches, as well as add 

new ones in all the Islands. Improvements could include 

native plants and shady trees landscaped to form lovely 

gardens for locals and tourists to enjoy. Sculptures by 

local artists could be included to further enhance ambiance. 

Parks catch the eye and offer a place for convivial 

gatherings and reflection that enhance TCI’s tranquility. 

Set up a daily open-air farmer’s market in Grace Bay 

modeled after the one in Kew Town. Both locals and tourists 

could take advantage of purchasing directly from 

local farmers that in turn could spur more farming in 

TCI. Tourists tend to delight in this kind of activity that 

facilitates greater interaction with locals, and 100% of the 

money spent remains in TCI. 

Bolster eco-friendly activities 

TCI already offers excellent scuba diving, snorkeling, 

bonefishing, and various tours around the Islands. Now, 

*Eco-tourism and sustainable tourism are sometimes confused, though they both stand for environmental protection. Industry consensus 

agrees ecotourism is more focused on ecological conservation and educating travelers on local environments and natural 

surroundings, whereas sustainable tourism focuses on travel that has minimal impact on the environment and local communities. 

48 www.timespub.tc

other exhilarating and eco-friendly excursions are springing 

up, notably birdwatching. TCI’s vibrant birdlife has 

long been known, but only to a few enthusiasts outside 

the country. 

The TCI National Trust and Department of Environment 

and Coastal Resources (DECR), in collaboration with UK, 

US, and Caribbean birdwatching organizations, have 

recently laid the foundation for expanding birdwatching 

throughout the Islands and begun training local guides. 

With scores of migratory birds stopping over on TCI’s 

wetlands, as well as year-around birds like flamingos, 

egrets, blue herons, and ospreys, TCI has plenty of potential 

for exciting experiences. 

Guided tours of this kind enhance local employment 

opportunities, especially for the outer islands that 

have not benefited nearly enough from tourism, and 

can mature into a dependable revenue stream. Indeed, 

birdwatching, also known as “avitourism,” generates 

$17 billion just in trip-related expenses in the US alone. 

This kind of eco-tourism further diversifies TCI’s tourism 

services and markets the Islands as environmentally 

sensitive—precisely what many high-end tourists want in 

their destination. 

One of TCI’s biggest proponents for a Green Economy 

based on diversified tourism is Levardo Talbot. Originally 

from Salt Cay, Mr. Talbot comes from a long line of local 

fishermen and boat builders who have passed down 

their knowledge and a love for TCI’s gifts of nature. In 

2007, after working as a DECR conservation officer, he 

started his own sportsfishing charter company, Talbot 

Adventures, on Provo. More recently Mr. Talbot has 

stepped up his advocacy for improving the education of 

young people about TCI’s natural resources. In particular, 

he has emphasized TCI’s eco-tourism potential through 

the certification of nature guides, especially for birdwatching. 

He has even become a certified birdwatcher 

himself and is preparing a series of nature programs with 

opportunities for TCI youth. 

Sports tourism 

TCI is widely known for being one of the best places 

on earth for the demanding and exciting sport of kiteboarding. 

Long Bay offers perfect conditions with steady 

onshore winds, a long sandy beach, and shallow waters. 

Beginners who learn the sport here, as well as seasoned 

kiteboarders, often plan their vacations around kiting and 

return year after year—and pay highly for the privilege. 

On the other side of the island, the very different ocean 

conditions of Grace Bay offer an equally lucrative opportunity 

to entice serious triathletes and master swimmers. 

Currently, very few serious swimmers travel to Provo or 

other islands specifically to work out or train for competition. 

The one exception is the Turks & Caicos “Race 

for the Conch” Eco-SeaSwim held on the last Saturday 

The Department of Coastal Resources held a week-long Sandals Foundation-sponsored workshop with Birds Caribbean in late October 2023. 

Twenty-four bird and nature guides were trained and certified in bird identification and guiding techniques. 

DODLEY PROSPER 


of June. (Disclosure: The author is the co-founder of the 

“Race for the Conch” and an advocate for the sport, as 

well as a swim instructor.) This international event draws 

more than 120 swimmers from the US and Canada who 

arrive with friends and family to savor the experience 

of swimming through the exquisite turquoise sea. With 

70,000 masters swimmers and some 400,000 triathletes 

in the US and Canada, there is a huge market to tap into 

for year-round swim training. Most of them are in high 

income brackets who often plan their vacations around 

where they can swim. 

It would not take much to encourage these athletes 

to vacation here. TCI would only need to specifically 

designate and mark-off a safe and boat-free swim zone 

running along the shore for a half kilometer. (The typical 

roped-off 200 yard swim areas in front of hotels are too 

short.) Just as important, a cordoned-off swim zone can 

benefit a fast- growing number of local competitive swimmers 

training for open water races. 

Indeed, only a handful of places in the world have 

open water swim zones. Designating one here would give 

TCI swimmers a competitive advantage and add to its 

one-of-a-kind natural tourism environment with minimal 

impact. In time, TCI’s young swimmers could apply their 

skills to become swim instructors and coaches, thus further 

diversifying employment opportunities. 

Go bold with global clout 

TCI has long demonstrated a commitment to environmental 

guardianship with 11 national parks, 11 nature 

reserves, and 4 sanctuaries. These protected areas cover 

174 square miles (451 square km) of land and ocean. 

In addition to multiple bird species, the parks also protect 

endangered iguanas and threatened marine species, 

most prominently the humpback whale. 

During the winter months of January through March, 

hundreds of humpback whales arrive in the warm waters 

of TCI to calve and mate before making the long journey 

back north to the east coasts of the US, Canada, and 

Greenland. During their tropical sojourn, tourists have 

the privilege to view these giant cetaceans in the wild and 

even experience in-water encounters if guides determine 

that conditions are safe and appropriate. 

As with birdwatching guides, the DECR is working to 

implement a Wildlife Tourism Accreditation program that 

would include marine mammal interaction protocol. Welltrained 

guides could heighten the visitor experience for 

whale-watching (as well as other wildlife activities) and 

further raise TCI’s profile as an international environmental 

protection leader. 

TCI could consider taking another step by limiting 

the number of visitors who can watch the whales and 

charging for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, somewhat 


The clear, clean waters of the Turks & Caicos are the ideal place 

for serious swimmers to workout or train for competition. 

50 www.timespub.tc

like a safari tour in game parks that is thrilling as well 

as educational. The revenue brought in could be applied 

to additional protection measures for all of TCI’s natural 

resources. At the same time, restricting the number of 

whale-watching tourists would augment the uniqueness 

of the attraction while leaving the whales more to themselves. 

One ambitious TCI initiative already underway is to 

designate East Caicos as a World Heritage Site by the 

United Nations. An act of this magnitude would make 

the largest and least disturbed of the country’s islands a 

crown jewel of TCI environmental stewardship. Presently, 

only a handful of explorers visit East Caicos, and they are 

conscious of never leaving a footprint of their presence 

behind. 

In preparation for the establishment of a World 

Heritage Site, the TCI National Trust is engaging the local 

communities in neighboring islands Middle Caicos and 

SABINE FRANK 

Witnessing humpback whales in the winter waters of TCI is a privilege 

tourists can enjoy with the help of well-trained guides. 

South Caicos to learn about and take into account their 

views. In particular, the traditions of local fishermen who 

have fished off the banks of East Caicos for two centuries 

need to be protected. As a World Heritage Site, all resort 

development plans would be taken off the table to ensure 

East Caicos remains pristine. Should that happen, access 

to the island’s dry tropical wilderness would likely be limited 

to small groups with trained and certified guides. 

Such restricted access could become a distinctive 

experience for eco-tourists who value protecting 

unspoiled places. Brazil, among other countries, has put 

in place strict regulations to protect certain offshore 

islands from any development but still enable the local 


population to benefit. A case in point is Fernando de 

Noronha off Brazil’s Atlantic coast, where a limited number 

of tourists are allowed to visit for a fee. 

Similarly, East Caicos could be promoted as an exclusive 

nature zone with empty beaches open to a few 

tourists and local groups for short stays with guides 

informing visitors about its rich history and fascinating 

flora and fauna. By closing East Caicos to any development 

forever, TCI can further ensure that Islanders are at 

the heart of tourism and retain control. Dr. Della Higgs, 

social scientist with the Turks & Caicos National Trust 

and one of the leaders in the effort stated, “Making East 

Caicos a World Heritage Site would keep the island in the 

hands of Turks (and Caicos) Islanders for generations and 

generations to come.” 

These and other specialized activities already in play or 

about to launch will not in and of themselves create revenue 

streams on par with fine villa and condo bookings. 

But what they can do is set the tone and image for what 

TCI should be to avoid the scourge of overdevelopment, 

loss of heritage, and danger of stagnation and decline. If 

tourism is going to continue to be the wellspring of TCI 

prosperity, it must connect with the changing interests 

of luxury tourists who align with TCI values and want to 

spend their dollars here. 

Promoting a more environmentally conscious TCI to 

high-end clients that focuses on luxury travel trends will 

require a shift in marketing emphasis that broadens the 

range of experiences beyond the beach. One local company 

ahead of the curve is Luxury Experiences, a top 

Destination Management Company (DMC) that caters to 

well-to-do clients. The founders/owners, Val and Susan 

Kalliecharan, have been planning highly customized itineraries, 

in addition to bookings, since 2008. 

Recently, they have taken that service to a new level 

by interacting with the clients well before they arrive 

to determine what they might be interested in. Luxury 

Experiences starts by surveying clients to determine their 

“travel personality”—what they enjoyed doing on other 

vacations and what they might want to see and do in 

TCI. At the same time, Luxury Experiences introduces the 

clients to uncommon, off-the-beaten-path, island attractions. 

The Kalliecharans then match clients with the appropriate 

operators/guides/instructors to give them a feel 

for what to expect. Sometimes these high-end clients just 

want to book a nice condo, resort/suite, or villa for quiet 

beach time, but more often they also want to explore, 

indulge in a special experience, or plan for a special 

moment. These could range from snorkeling over a field 

of starfish in South Caicos to a birthday party for kids 

that includes a visit by a mermaid. In this sense, Luxury 

Experiences promotes TCI as a destination with exciting 

and environmentally sustainable possibilities—ever mindful 

that these visitors choose to come here because it 

offers a special ambiance that also connects them with 

the Islands. 

Cap off with social responsibility 

Tourism has, of course, created jobs and raised money 

through room and activity taxes, as well as import duties, 

to fund government programs favorable to TCI residents. 

But more can be done to alleviate the struggles of the 

most vulnerable residents by engaging the enterprises 

that benefit most from TCI’s high-end tourism to contribute 

directly to social responsibility projects. 

Specifically, resorts, villas, real estate agencies, 

and law firms grossing over a certain amount could 

be required to earmark 1% of their gross revenue for 

selected non-profit charities serving the TCI community. 

As an alternative, the stamp duty on property sales over 

$1 million, for example, could be increased from 10% to 

11% with that extra 1% going to charities. These would 

include Provo Children’s Home, Ashley Learning Centre, 

Food for Thought, Footsteps4Good, Red Cross, Project 

Inclusion Turks & Caicos, the Edward C. Gartland Youth 

Centre, and the Reef Fund, among others. These and 

similar non-profits are serving urgent needs of the community 

and have an outstanding record of achievement. 

Notwithstanding the increase in development and tourist 

arrivals, however, most still struggle to pay their bills, 

thus limiting their effectiveness and reach. 

A proposal of this nature need not be a tough sell. 

Almost all large (and small) TCI companies already give to 

local charities, many quite generously. However, charities 

with the most intensive missions to offer a safe haven 

for children or care for the mentally and physically challenged 

require consistent funding they can depend on. A 

similar case can be made for more resources to support 

public education, particularly tech classes. Tying revenue 

from luxury tourism or high-end property sales directly 

to social responsibility initiatives also has the notable 

advantage of influencing vacation decision making. 

More tourists want to feel they have made a positive 

and visible impact on the place they are visiting. 

Promoting TCI as socially responsible through tourism is 

another compelling way to set it apart as a destination for 

tourists who share in the mission to lift up the community. 

52 www.timespub.tc

One thing is clear: TCI should not remain on the same 

endless path of development. TCI cannot take the risk of 

losing its soul to over-tourism should a reckoning come 

due. It’s time to question the current direction and reflect 

on how best to reorient tourism to preserve the natural 

beauty and revolve around the people and culture of 

these Islands. A number of promising initiatives and possibilities 

give rise to hope, but disquieting signs of excess 

should stir a foreboding in us all. a 

Ben Stubenberg is a story teller who writes regularly 

for Times of the Islands. He also teaches swimming and 

co-founded the vacation adventure company Caicu Naniki 

and the annual international swim competition, “Race for 

the Conch” Eco-SeaSwim. His articles on TCI and Caribbean 

history and current events, as well as comments on tourism, 

development, wealth, poverty, hope, and resilience 

can be found on his website BenStubenberg.com. 


ISLAND ADVENTURE

feature 

Clear-bottom kayaks offer both relaxing and adventurous options when you choose to spend some time away from the beach. 

ISLAND ADVENTURE 

Beyond the Beach 

There’s more to be explored when you dig deeper. 

By Rachel Craft 

It’s no surprise that most visitors come to the Turks & Caicos Islands for the beaches. TCI’s powdery soft 

sand, crystal-clear waters, and abundant snorkeling sites have landed it on “world’s best beaches” lists for 

years. But visitors who venture outside their resort will find a plethora of other activities, from outdoor 

adventures and art classes to local history and cuisine. Here are some of the amazing experiences TCI 

has to offer “beyond the beach.” 


Kayak through nature’s nursery 

The mangrove swamps on Providenciales’ northeastern 

corner are sometimes called “nature’s nursery,” because 

their clear, shallow waters provide a safe haven for juvenile 

sharks and sea turtles before they’re ready to brave 

the open ocean. A clear kayak or paddleboard tour of the 

mangroves is a great way to see and learn about TCI’s 

wildlife—and squeeze a light workout into your vacation. 

This was a highlight of my trip to Provo. Floating 

on foot-deep water in a mangrove forest is a peaceful, 

relaxing experience, but it’s also a fascinating window 

into TCI’s ecology. Our guide taught us about mangrove 

trees and the important role they play in protecting the 

coastline, as well as how their roots filter salt out of the 

seawater. (Did you know you can harvest salt from mangrove 

leaves?) We got up close and personal with Queen 

conch, kayaked alongside baby lemon and nurse sharks, 

and watched in awe as juvenile sea turtles swam beneath 

our transparent boats. 

Popular destinations for clear kayak and paddleboarding 

tours include Leeward Channel, Water Cay, and Half 

Moon Bay. My tour took us to Little Water Cay, (a.k.a. 

Iguana Island), home to the endangered Turks & Caicos 

rock iguana. There are many reputable tour operators to 

choose from, including Looking Glass Watersports and 

Rising Tide Tours. 

Above: Driftwood Studio regularly offers “Cork and Canvas” painting 

classes. This session focused on Breast Cancer awareness. 

Below: With Twin E-bike Tours and Rentals you can explore the quiet, 

lush islands of North and Middle Caicos on E-bikes. 

DRIFTWOOD STUDIO 

TWIN E-BIKE TOURS AND RENTALS 

56 www.timespub.tc

Take a class 

Adding an art or cooking class to your vacation itinerary 

can be a fun change of pace—and a great way to connect 

with locals. Making Waves Art Studio on Provo hosts a 

variety of creative classes for adults and children, complete 

with instruction from professional local artists. Past 

offerings have included making beaded bracelets, painting 

Christmas ornaments with gouache, and coloring 

sweatshirts with the ice-dyeing technique. They also have 

“drop in and make” sessions (or “toddle in and make” for 

the younger crowd), where you get full access to their 

creative stations and art supplies and can let your imagination 

run wild. Check out makingwavesartstudio.com 

for their upcoming classes. 

There’s also Island Mystique, a brand-new travel company 

based on Provo that’s preparing to launch in late 

2023. Described as a “cultural immersive tour experience 

company,” Island Mystique plans to offer paint-and-sip 

classes, birdwatching treks, and cooking classes where 

you can whip up traditional dishes like pear bush buds 

and rice. Follow Island Mystique’s Facebook page to stay 

updated on their launch date and new offerings. 

Go off-roading 

TCI may not have the lush rainforests or volcanic soils of 

some Caribbean nations, but its rugged interior is just as 

beautiful. A great way to explore the sandy scrubland of 

Provo or Grand Turk is on an ATV or dune buggy tour. 

Operators like Xhale Excursions and Island Adventure TCI 

offer tours of Provo’s western side, including Chalk Sound 

National Park, Northwest Point National Park, and West 

Harbour Bluff. You’ll find similar tours on Grand Turk, 

but instead of scrubland and mangrove swamps, you’ll 

explore abandoned salt ponds and other historic sites. 

If, like me, you’d rather ride something a little slower 

and cuddlier, try a horseback ride instead. Provo Ponies, 

a stable in Long Bay, takes you on a gentle trek down the 

street to nearby Long Bay Beach and into the shallows. 

There’s nothing quite like soaking up the sun while a 

horse carries you waist-deep in the ocean—and if your 

horse is feeling adventurous, you might even go for a 

short swim together. 

Heritage Tours and Horseback Riding is dedicated to 

sharing aspects of Island culture. Tours are based on historic 

industries such as fishing, sponging, and farming. 

You can follow a unique donkey trail ride to Sail Rock—a 

historical landmark for navigators. Based in Five Cays, 

you can experience an “off the beaten path” area of 

Provo, and top it off with a drink or meal at Boogaloo’s 


Restaurant or Omar’s Beach Hut. Experienced riders can 

sign up on a tour that allows them to canter or gallop! 

Adopt a potcake puppy for a day 

TCI’s street dogs are affectionately known as “potcakes” 

because people used to feed them the burned crust (“potcake”) 

from the bottom of their cooking pots. (Fun fact: 

The potcake is officially recognized as a breed by the 

Bahamas Kennel Club.) The charity Potcake Place has 

made it their mission to reduce the number of homeless 

dogs on the Islands by getting the potcake population 

under control and adopting as many potcakes as possible 

to loving homes. 

When visiting TCI, you can help the cause by visiting 

Potcake Place in Saltmills Plaza to play with the puppies 

or adopt one for the day. This benefits the dogs by helping 

them build crucial social skills—and it gives tourists 

their cuteness fix while on vacation. If you get attached to 

your new friend and decide to adopt them, Potcake Place 

will help arrange transportation back home with you. 

Sample local libations 

Turk’s Head Brewery, named after the iconic Turk’s Head 

cactus, offers TCI’s only home-brewed beer. Their brews 

have playful names based on local colloquialisms: I-AIN- 

GA-LIE lager, GON-TA-NORT amber ale, DOWN-DA-ROAD 

IPA, and I-SOON-REACH light lager, as well as the seasonal 

specials GONE-TA-SOUT stout and TA-RECT-LEY wheat. 

You can sample all of them—and learn the meanings 

behind the names—on a visit to Turk’s Head Brewery in 

Cooper Jack Bay Settlement (on “short cut” road between 

Leeward Highway and Five Cays) on Provo. Monday 

through Saturday, they offer tastings and tours where 

you can meet the people behind the brews and learn how 

they make the best beer in TCI. You’ll also get to sample 

some experimental new flavors (including, recently, a 

cider) that aren’t sold in the IGA grocery stores. 

Go spelunking 

Middle Caicos may be less visited than Provo and Grand 

Turk, but that just means it’s refreshingly uncrowded and 

filled with untouched natural beauty. It’s also home to one 

of the largest limestone cave systems in the Caribbean: 

the Conch Bar Caves. These caves were once mined for 

bat guano (an ingredient in fertilizer and gunpowder), but 

they’re now unused and open to visitors. You’ll see a variety 

of stalactites, stalagmites, sinkholes, and graffiti left 

by guano miners. If you’re lucky, you’ll also spot some of 

the caves’ many bats. 

58 www.timespub.tc

The Conch Bar Cave system is 

mostly flat, with no major ascents 

or descents, so you need only basic 

physical fitness to enjoy this natural 

wonder. However, because the 

caves are largely undeveloped, a 

guide is required. This is a strict rule 

designed to keep visitors safe and 

prevent damage to the cave and its 

occupants. Tour operators offer a 

variety of options—from a half-hour 

cave tour with a National Trust guide 

to a stop at the caves on a full-day 

tour of North and Middle Caicos. 

While you’re on Middle Caicos, 

don’t miss Indian Cave, a single-gallery 

cave that’s easy and free to visit 

(no guide required). Holes in the cave 

ceiling provide natural skylights, 

and ficus roots stretching down to 

the cave floor create an eerie, otherworldly 

backdrop. Indian Cave is 

home to a variety of flora and fauna, 

including birds, bats, and the giant 

blue land crab. It has also served as 

a shelter for humans over the centuries; 

recent archaeological digs have 

uncovered ancient pottery shards, as 

well as fossils of now-extinct animal 

species. 

Middle Caicos’ ruggedness is part 

of what makes this hidden gem so 

special—but it also makes it a little 

more challenging to get here. You’ll 

have to take a flight or ferry to North 

Caicos, then rent a car or hire a taxi 

and take the causeway to Middle 

Caicos. 

CNN 

Dig into history 

Like other islands in the Caribbean, 

TCI has a rich history spanning the 

native Taíno and Lucayan peoples, 

European colonization, and African 

slaves. There are many opportunities 

across the Islands to learn about 

the various time periods and cultural 

influences in TCI’s history. 

If you’re staying on Provo, it’s 

“Off the beach” options in Turks & Caicos include (from top): Taking a “potcake” for a walk and 

potentially adopting your new friend. Exploring the Islands on the back of a horse. Touring 

Cheshire Hall plantation on Providenciales. 


TURK’S HEAD BREWERY 

Top: You can see how the various Turk’s Head beers are brewed 

during a tour of the brewery, with samples available afterwards. 

Above: Visiting the iconic Grand Turk Lighthouse is a must when traveling 

to the nation’s capital. 

easy to get to Cheshire Hall Plantation, which served as 

a cotton plantation in the late 1700s and is now a prime 

spot for history buffs. For the $15 admission fee, you can 

explore the plantation’s stone paths to see the remains of 

buildings such as slave quarters and cotton press bases. 

Cheshire Hall is near downtown Provo, a short drive down 

Leeward Highway from Grace Bay. 

The smaller, less touristed island of Grand Turk offers 

several more historical sites. Cockburn Town, the capital 

of TCI, is the Islands’ oldest, still-existing settlement and 

a showcase of the British Colonial/Bermudian architectural 

style. The Turks & Caicos National Museum houses 

artifacts of the native Taínos, European shipwrecks, and 

the Islands’ salt and sisal industries. There’s also the 

Colonial-era Her Majesty’s Prison, which operated from 

the 1830s until 1994 and now serves as a small museum. 

The Grand Turk Lighthouse offers a dose of history as 

well as a gorgeous backdrop for photos—and a herd of 

wild (but friendly) donkeys who live in the area. 

As you can see, there’s plenty more to do in TCI than 

just swimming and sunbathing. So finish your daiquiri, 

peel off that snorkel mask, and spend some time getting 

to know the rest of the Turks & Caicos; you won’t be disappointed. 

a 

60 www.timespub.tc

SHUTTERSTOCK

new development 

Opposite page: The peaceful beach and pastel sunsets at The Loren 

at Turtle Cove are legendary. 

Top: The Loren occupies a prime location on the beach. Shown here 

is the hotel/condominium building, fronted by the private Beach Club. 

Above left: Culinary expertise will be on display at the signature 

restaurant. At right: The original Third Turtle Inn was the hub of 

Providenciales social life “back in the days.” 

The Energy of Authenticity 

The Loren at Turtle Cove reflects its deep roots. 

By Kathy Borsuk ~ Renderings Courtesy The Loren at Turtle Cove 

I don’t think there’s anyone more suited than Robert Greenwood to introduce potential investors to The 

Loren at Turtle Cove. As he talks about this most-anticipated addition to the luxury resort scene, his 

face lights up with memories of his early days on Providenciales when life was simple, sun-kissed, and 

carefree. As you drive north on iconic Suzie Turn Road towards Turtle Cove, The Loren is tucked away in 

a private “elbow” of land, encircled with lush hillsides of native greenery, a long span of pristine beach, 

and an endless view of turquoise sea. In this protected cove is an intimate collection of 6 beachfront villas, 

25 condominium units (including 2 spectacular penthouses), and a 33-room resort hotel, along with an 

exclusive marina, restaurant, and beach club. 


Robert Greenwood, partner/broker at Christie’s 

International Real Estate Turks & Caicos, has come a long 

way from the late 1970s when he moved to Providenciales 

with his parents as a teenager. He recalls that Turtle Cove 

was the “original heart of Provo,” and it holds a special 

place in his heart as well. 

Many know the story of the legendary Seven Dwarfs, 

a group of wealthy investors led by Fritz Ludington who 

“discovered” Providenciales in the 1960s on flights in 

their small planes around the Caribbean. They made a 

development agreement with government to excavate 

Sellar’s Pond and create Turtle Cove Marina, lay an airstrip, 

scrape roads to the small settlements, and build 

the Third Turtle Inn as an island getaway. Robert fondly 

remembers the inn as THE hub where expatriates and 

natives gathered to party and socialize. Its location at the 

marina made it privy to the arrival of newcomers, news, 

and all the latest gossip. There were no telephones at 

the time and information was communicated via coconut 

telegraph (mouth-to-mouth} and VHS radio. 

Robert is gratified to know that the developers of The 

Loren at Turtle Cove are striving to retain the authentic 

spirit of the area, reflecting the joyful energy of its roots. 

This requires a depth of thought, a care and attention that 

is well matched to the ethos of The Loren Group and its 

sister properties, The Loren at Pink Beach in Bermuda and 

The Loren at Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Robert Greenwood 

has spent time with its leader Stephen King, so he knows 

The Loren is in good hands. “I appreciate his authenticity 

and detail in design and execution, and I expect nothing 

short of exceptional.” 

The Loren’s design—inside and out—reflects the use 

of natural wood, native stonework, and light-filled space, 

inspired by the chic (for its time) flair of the Third Turtle 

Inn and taking it to a new level. This is only possible 

because The Loren is a low-density project, allowing 

plenty of room to blend sea, sand, sky, and greenery for 

an uncomplicated atmosphere much like the days when 

Provo was young. 

While Providenciales’ original adventurers were content—if 

not eager—to “make do” with a bare-bones hotel, 

modern owners will enjoy understated opulence. Because 

“privacy is the new luxury,” the six beachfront villas are 

accessed through gates off The Loren’s private road. 

Ranging in size from five to seven bedrooms, each invites 

the seascape indoors with stunning views of tranquil 

waters through floor to ceiling windows. Oceanfront are 

private pool decks, terraces, and balconies surrounded by 

secluded garden acreage. Robert notes that the two-story 

layouts not only maximize views, but are very operational 

for the clientele. “Each bedroom has its own bathroom, 

there is a dedicated office space, private garage, and a 

second kitchen and laundry area for staff.” 

The 25 luxury condominiums offer a variety of layouts 

with dramatic views from every direction from private balconies. 

They rise above the hotel, restaurant, and lobby 

on four levels, ranging in size from one to five bedrooms. 

At the top are two magnificent penthouses. 

This rendering of a condominium at The Loren displays both the magnificent view and its simple and soothing interior decor. 

64 www.timespub.tc

UNDERSTATED LUXURY 

AT THE WATER’S EDGE 

THE LOREN AT TURTLE COVE 

TURTLE COVE, PROVIDENCIALES 

EXCLUSIVELY REPRESENTED BY CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE - TURKS AND CAICOS: 

The Loren at Turtle Cove invites discerning residents and their guests to enjoy the ultimate in-island luxury living, poised at the 

water’s edge. And all in a place where the lines between water and land, indoor and outdoor, blend seamlessly, elegantly, and 

naturally. The clean lines of the modern architecture, highlighted by wood, natural stone, and lush native greenery, reflect, and 

accentuate the natural beauty surrounding it—from the foliage encompassing the property to the white sand shore to the very 

contours of the land. 

The resort seamlessly blends a luxurious, intimate complex of six exclusive beachfront villas, 25 condominium units (including 2 

penthouses), and a 33-room hotel, pool decks, the beach, and the ocean offering breathtaking panoramic views of violet-pink 

sunsets. The private marina, afforded to resident owners, offers boat slips ranging from 30 to 70 feet. Light-filled modern spaces, 

stunning panoramic ocean views, exclusive amenities, and impeccable service offer life in perfect harmony with the sublime 

surroundings—uncomplicated, simple, yet remarkable. 

VILLA DETAILS SQUARE FOOTAGE PRICE MLS 

Grand Villa 7 Bedroom / 11 Bath 10,127 $15,141,600 

Bougainvillea 5 Bedroom / 9 Bath 6,631 $9,831,900 2300422 

UNIT # DETAILS SQUARE FOOTAGE PRICE MLS 

2C 2 nd Floor – 1 Bedroom/1 Bath/ Half Bath 1,600 $1,280,000 2300531 

2A 2 nd Floor – 1 Bedroom/1 Bath/ Half Bath 1,800 $1,440,000 2300584 

2D 2 nd Floor – 2 Bedroom/2 Bath/ Half Bath 2,382 $2,620,200 2300585 

3F 3 rd Floor – 2 Bedroom/2 Bath/ Half Bath 2,353 $2,648,300 2300532 

4C 4 th Floor – 3 Bedroom/3 Bath/Half Bath 4,155 $4,690,500 2300534 

FOR OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT 

Robert Greenwood | +1 649 432 7653 

Walter Gardiner | +1 649 231 6461 

EMAIL: sales@thelorentci.com 

Member of 

Prices Subject to Change

The Loren’s six luxury villas are surrounded by secluded gardens, front the beautiful beach, and include private pools and beachfront terraces. 

Interiors of all the residences feature rich textures and 

calming colors, accented with limited edition artwork. 

Gourmet kitchens feature energy-conscious designer 

appliances, while elegant bathrooms and in-unit laundries 

include environmentally responsible fittings. Generous 

closet and storage space, including an owner’s lock-out, 

make it easy for owners to store their belongings should 

they choose to rent out their units. 

The Loren blurs the line between “boutique” property 

and franchise with an array of amenities available to owners 

and guests. All have access to hotel facilities such as 

the pool, fitness center, spa, meeting space, bar, wine 

room, and restaurant. Upon arrival they can partake in 

valet parking and airport transfers, 24-hour concierge, 

and on-site security. Owners enjoy access to a temperature-controlled 

wine storage unit and off-site covered 

parking when off the island. Property management by 

The Loren Hotel Group ensures that life at The Loren at 

Turtle Cove remains turn-key and hassle-free. 

The gorgeous, white sand beach fronting The Loren is 

known as Babalua Beach. Robert (and I) agree that it was 

one of the best places to gather “back in the days.” The 

waters are calm, sunsets spectacular, and the reef colorful 

and rich in marine life. Its location allows for limited 

foot traffic. These days, socializing will likely take place 

at the private Beach Club. Its two infinity pools seem to 

melt into the sea, there are luxury cabanas with private 

bar service, a pool bar and grill, and fire pits to add flair. 

Residents and guests will also enjoy access to water 

activities such snorkeling and paddleboarding. Pickleball 

and tennis facilities are on-site, along e-bikes to easily 

explore and move from place to place. The onsite concierge 

can plan hiking and nature walks and tours to 

discover local culture. 

Turtle Cove Marina was a Providenciales original, 

always bustling with scuba diving and fishing boats, 

attracting international yachts for the annual Billfish 

Tournament. In the same spirit, The Loren at Turtle 

Cove’s Marina offers 32 fully serviced slips ranging from 

30 to 60 feet. Villa and condo owners will be offered 

the first opportunity to secure long-term leases. Robert 

explains, “This gives owners and visitors the ability to 

travel beyond Grace Bay Beach and explore the many 

remote and pristine beaches on our out islands and cays. 

This was one of my favorite pastimes growing up.” Local 

charter boats and tour operators can also use the marina 

to pick up passengers for excursions and watersports. 

The signature Third Turtle waterfront restaurant stays 

true to its legacy with an open-air, inviting atmosphere 

and prime ocean and sunset views. It serves local seafood 

in the spirit of the ancestors but steps it up with a worldclass 

menu displaying culinary expertise. There is an 

expansive bar and lounge and glassed-in wine room with 

choices from the curated selection in its cellar. Guests 

can savor special occasions in a private dining area or 

plan a celebration at one of two event spaces. 

66 www.timespub.tc

Of special significance is The Loren Group’s 2% < 2º 

Initiative, where luxury meets sustainability. The Loren 

asks guests to contribute 2% of amounts billed towards 

acquiring and regenerating over 50,000 biodiverse acres 

of land and planting 10 million hardwood trees to offset 

the company’s carbon footprint. They agree with Roots 

Imperative experts that preventing a 2ºC increase in 

global temperature can preserve much of the character of 

the world as we know it. At The Loren at Turtle Cove, care 

is taken with the use of recycled and responsibly sourced 

construction materials, water-conscious appliances, and 

energy-efficient systems. 

Robert Greenwood is clearly a perfectionist when it 

comes to his trade and member of the Christie’s Master’s 

Circle. Every year, he travels around the Caribbean to get 

a sense of the real estate market in similar upscale markets. 

He says, “We’ve got it good here in the Turks & 

Caicos. Not only are prices more reasonable than elsewhere, 

but the overall environment is less crowded and 

more relaxing.” He has visited the other Loren properties 

and raves about their understated luxury, attention to 

detail, and authenticity as to place. 

The seasoned broker notes that TCI is in a phase of 

new development that has investors paying close attention. 

“Post COVID-19, Turks & Caicos was ‘rediscovered’ 

as an oasis of privacy and security for the wealthy, but 

we had very limited inventory to offer. Now you can see 

construction spiking on resorts, rental villas, and luxury 

properties. Having this new development in Turtle Cove 

will finally allow this special area to come into its own.” 

One of The Loren’s signature villas is currently under 

construction and can be seen listed for nearly $10 million 

in Christies’ current magazine. The Loren at Turtle 

Cove’s combination of privacy, location, and luxury suggests 

that few offerings will be left on the market after 

the traditionally busy winter season. 

The Loren’s grand opening is scheduled for January 

2026. Robert says the plan is to invite many of the island 

folk who were there when Turtle Cove was just an outrageous 

idea, likely conceived after one too many rum 

punches. He calls out bartender Watson Jolly, chef “Fast 

Eddie” LaPorte, builder David Ward, and surveyor (now 

realtor) Bengt Soderqvist. 

He adds “Every character who has passed through 

the Third Turtle has left a bit of their energy behind—an 

eclectic, eccentric “Caribbean cool” unmatched elsewhere. 

I feel that The Loren has captured this energy and 

expanded on it to make this a very special place, creating 

an authenticity all its own.” a 


history in art 

68 www.timespub.tc

Indian Cave, Middle Caicos 

Original Artwork By Richard McGhie ~ Text By Kathy Borsuk 

Looking at this painting by local artist Richard McGhie, 

I can transport myself back in time, when Indian Cave 

in Middle Caicos was a place of majesty and mystery. 

Imagine, over 1,000 years ago, the Lucayan people 

spent time in the same cave that residents and tourists 

visit today. They, too, may have stood under sunbeams 

coming from the natural skylights and marveled at the 

hanging ficus roots coming through ceiling. They enjoyed 

the dank, cool air as a relief from the uncomfortable heat. 

The tang of woodsmoke could have filled the cave, and 

may have helped keep mosquitoes at bay. The cave floor 

was a soft, elastic mat of “cave earth,” an accumulation of 

bat guano. If meals were eaten, they could have included 

tortoise, bird, and iguana meat, as bones of all of these 

creatures, as well as pottery artifacts, have been found in 

the cave. 

Belief is that the Taíno and Lucayan people who inhabited 

the Turks & Caicos Islands from AD 700 to 1500 had 

deep spiritual association with caves and used them as 

sanctuaries for religious rituals. They recognized three 

main divisions of the cosmos: a sky world, the land world 

of living people, and the world of subterranean waters. 

Caves were the portals to the subterranean world. Their 

mythology was that the Taínos are the one true people 

who emerged from the “sacred cave,” while everyone else 

came from a “cave of no importance”! 

Indian Cave is a “flank margin” cave formed when 

porous limestone becomes saturated with salt water. On 

top sits a layer of slightly acidic rainwater. At this mixing 

zone, caves are formed. They typically do not form with 

entrances; instead, years later, erosion of the hillside or 

collapse of the roof may create an entrance. 

Today, visitors to Middle Caicos can stop by the cave 

(located on the road after Mudjin Harbour) and tour it 

at their leisure. There is no entry fee or guide required. 

Indian Cave is a protected area, so please don’t deface 

the cave with inscriptions or graffiti or take any natural 

or historical objects. a 

Richard McGhie is a local artist who is currently painting 

a collection of works for an exhibition portraying the history 

of life and events in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 


SHUTTERSTOCK

feature 

Opposite page: The TCI Arts Foundation encourages residents to explore and expand their performance skills with professionals in live 

music, dance, and drama. 

Above: Following a series of puppet workshops in local schools, puppeteer/poet Patrick Osteen performed an intense, one-man, 90-minute 

performance of The Iliad at Tribe restaurant in mid-November 2023. 

A Sensational Sequel 

TCI Arts Foundation invigorates entertainment options in the Islands. 

By Kathy Borsuk ~ Images Courtesy TCI Arts Foundation 

It’s quite uncommon that I schedule an interview around the plans of a puppeteer. But Clare Jaget, executive 

director of the TCI Arts Foundation, was busy making sure Patrick Osteen got to schools on time. The 

renowned puppeteer was visiting from RhinoLeap Productions in North Carolina to conduct workshops 

for Providenciales schoolchildren. When Clare and I finally met up, she was bright-faced and ecstatic. 

“The children were so excited about making their own puppets and using their imagination in the Puppet 

Olympics. Some of the shyest children had their puppet ‘talking up’ a storm. Many of the kids, even the 

older boys, carefully carried their puppets home, treating them as if they were alive.” 


Although Clare trained as an actress at the Guilford 

School of Acting in London, performed on stage in 

England and America, and practiced her craft in Las Vegas 

for many years, it would be hard to “fake” her enthusiasm 

for bringing arts back to the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Passion exudes from her soul as she pours out her plans 

and describes the projects already accomplished over the 

last year. 

Many island residents remember the Turks & Caicos 

Friends of the Art Foundation (TCFAF) led by Mark and 

Barbara Pankhurst. From 2002 to 2019, TCFAF produced 

over 60 original performances using local and international 

talent. In the process, they raised over half a 

million dollars, used to build and outfit facilities (such as 

Brayton Hall) and provide scholarships, instruments, and 

training in performance and visual arts for local children. 

It seemed providential that in 2019, Clare and her 

family moved to Providenciales after vacationing in the 

Islands for years. Clare’s background made her the ideal 

person to lead the new TCI Arts Foundation. With the help 

of Michelle L’Heureux from L’Heureux & Co., Law Firm 

and the added enthusiasm of a group of similarly dedicated 

board members things started happening! 

Clare explains how it all got started. “After we lived 

here for a while, I realized there wasn’t a lot for residents 

or tourists to do beyond the beach. I missed going to the 

cinema, concerts, theater, art fairs and the like.” After 

talking to the Pankhursts, she learned that there was a 

wealth of artistic talent in the country just waiting to be 

reinvigorated. 

The foundation was launched in November 2022 and 

the first events took place around Christmastime: the 

annual Arts and Crafts Expo in Saltmills Plaza, a fair at 

the Edward Gartland Youth Centre, and a movie night. 

But Clare’s true love surfaced quickly: Shakespeare 

and drama. As co-founder of the Shakespeare Institute 

in Nevada, she reached out to her contacts, and Matt and 

Heidi Morgan were eager to help. Thus, the inaugural 

“Shakespeare in Schools” week-long event launched in 

March 2023. With assistance from Minister of Education 

Hon. Rachel Taylor, Director of Education Edgar Howell, 

and a handful of sponsors, the team worked with local 

schools to bring the classic plays alive. 

In the process, Clare Jaget discovered a truth. While 

her original intent had been to enliven entertainment 

options in the Islands, an unexpected side effect was 

the joy and enthusiasm the program brought out in the 

schools. She says, “Many of the children had never seen 

live theater before and they were entranced. Each class- 

From top: Local children enjoyed making puppets during the recent 

puppet workshop held by RhinoLeap Productions. 

The annual Arts and Crafts Expo in Saltmills Plaza is a popular showcase 

of items created by local artists, held just before Christmas. 

In 2022, children and teens at the Edward Gartland Youth Centre 

enjoyed a Christmas fair complete with music and dancing. 

72 www.timespub.tc

oom was packed, and the kids couldn’t take their eyes 

off the actors. They begged for them to return soon!” 

They didn’t have to wait long. In June 2023, Aesop’s 

Touring Theatre Company came to the primary schools 

for a workshop based on Aesop’s Fables. The youngsters 

were similarly drawn to such timeless tales as The Hare 

and the Tortoise and The North Wind and the Sun. 

The TCI Arts Foundation has also turned its sights 

on fundraising, selecting the Ashley Learning Centre 

as its focus. In April 2023, musicians from the New 

World Symphony held a concert themed, “We’re in this 

Together,” that raised money for the struggling school 

for autistic children. In October 2023, the foundation’s 

main fundraiser, “Halloween Spooktacular,” took place at 

The Palms resort. A spooky night of fun with food, drink, 

music, dancing, and costumes was a first-time treat for 

the island and will become an annual event. 

The longest established legal practice 

in the Turks & Caicos Islands 

Real Estate Investments 

& Property Development 

Immigration, Residency 

& Business Licensing 

Company & Commercial Law 

Trusts & Estate Planning 

Banking & Insurance 

1 Caribbean Place, P.O. Box 97 

Leeward Highway, Providenciales 

Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI 

Ph: 649 946 4344 • Fax: 649 946 4564 

E-Mail: dempsey@tciway.tc 

Musicians from the New World Symphony performed in the Islands to 

raise money for Ashley Learning Centre. 

As I wrote this, puppeteer Patrick Osteen (who also 

happens to be a poet) was concluding his visit to TCI 

with an intense one-man, 90-minute performance of The 

Iliad at Tribe restaurant in Ports of Call. “Life changing,” 

“Intense,” and “Inspirational” were some of the comments 

received from the audience. The excitement of live theater 

on-island was unprecedented. 

The Christmas Pantomime had for many years been 

a highlight of island holiday festivities but fell by the 

wayside with the disbandment of TCFAF and ensuing 

COVID-19 restrictions. Clare had plans to revive it in 

2023, but the illness of a lead player and lack of a venue 

has it postponed to 2024. The pantomime is a cornucopia 

of local players, many of whom have participated for 

years. With the script, soundtrack, scenes, and costumes 

already in place, Clare says rehearsals for the 2024 event 

will start well ahead of time. 

Cockburn House, P.O. Box 70 

Market Street, Grand Turk 

Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI 

Ph: 649 946 2245 • Fax: 649 946 2758 

E-Mail: ffdlawco@tciway.tc 

john redmond associates ltd. 

architects & designers 

construction consultants 

project management 

p.o.box 21, providenciales, turks & caicos is. 

tel.: 9464440 cell: 2314569 email: redmond@tciway.tc 


All of this underscores the need for a proper auditorium 

in which to hold future events. Many of the older 

venues need repair and updating, for which the foundation 

doesn’t have the money. Clare looks with hope to 

the state-of-the-art auditorium nearing completion at the 

Louise Garland Primary School in Long Bay as the ideal 

place to stage future events. 

At press time, the TCI Arts Foundation was finalizing 

the annual Arts & Crafts festival, a showcase of items 

created by local artists, highlighted with music and food. 

They were eagerly anticipating the Murder Mystery theater 

event on January 20, 2024. Clare had lured professional 

players from Las Vegas to work with local artistes including 

Tess Charles, Cora Malcolm, Christine McCann, and 

Ancy Dorsica. The group are rehearsing together via 

ZOOM. The performance will include a three-course dinner 

and drama with active audience participation. Tickets 

were expected to sell out quickly, with a possible second 

night in the making. 

Looking into 2024, Clare and her team are excited 

about the Valentine’s Fair on February 10, 2024. Children 

and teens at the Edward Gartland Youth Centre will enjoy 

a day of cookie decorating, crafts led by local artist (and 

Aesop’s Touring Theatre Company’s workshop based on Aesop’s 

Fables was a big hit with primary schoolchildren. 

THANKS THEIR 

GENEROUS SPONSORS . . . 

74 www.timespub.tc

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. 

These scenes are from the beloved Island Review, a compilation of 

local talent that will return in the spring of 2024. 

To donate or learn more please 

email info@foodforthoughttci.com 

or visit foodforthoughttci.com 

Food for Thought Foundation Inc. (NP #102) 


foundation board member) Lucie Stubbs, face painting, 

and entertainment. 

In the spring, board member David Bowen will again 

spearhead the beloved Island Review, a rousing compilation 

of local talent ranging from ripsaw bands to 

poetry readings and dance performances. The popular 

after-school Dance Workshop is expected to return in 

May, led by Louis Kavouras, a dance professor from the 

University of Las Vegas, and nine of his students. The TCI 

Art Foundation is currently in negotiations with them and 

seeking sponsors to make this happen. 

Back by popular demand will be Shakespeare Week 

in March with performances from Macbeth and Romeo 

and Juliet, and the Aesop’s Touring Theatre Company 

with Robin Hood Rescues the Forest. Targeted at primary 

school students, the interactive play is about ecology and 

the environment, and full of comedy and music. Clare 

says she’d also love to attract a professional magician 

from Las Vegas for a show and workshops. 

While the foundation is grateful for the many sponsors 

(see sidebar) who have already stepped up to the plate— 

donating rooms, meals, event space, and gift certificates 

for fund raising—there is always the need for more consistent 

funding and creative donations. For instance, 

property owners could allow visiting performers to stay 

in their villas and, perhaps, provide meals. Resort concierges 

could make sure visitors know about upcoming 

events. 

In this issue of Times of the Islands, writer Ben 

Stubenberg posits that one key to sustainable tourism is 

offering activities that help visitors interact with Islanders 

and residents. Clare notes the comments by a pair of 

tourists who attended the Island Review earlier this year. 

“We stumbled upon the event. It was so much fun and 

made us feel like we were a part of the island.” As well, 

the foundation is encouraging residents to explore and 

expand their performance skills with professionals in live 

music, dance, and drama. 

So if you have a hidden Denzel Washington or Whitney 

Houston in your soul, would like to volunteer to help with 

events, or are able to donate money or assistance, visit 

www.tciartsfoundation.com for more information. a 

76 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 

This close-up of the Breezy Point area on East Caicos today hides the controversy surrounding its ownership in the 1800s. 


A Property Puzzle 

The controversial ownership of Breezy Point on East Caicos–Part 1. 

By Jeff Dodge 

From J. Henry Pusey’s The Handbook of the Turks and Caicos Islands (1897 edition): “the large tract of 

land called Breezy Point was otherwise designated Cape Comet is also included in Grand Caicos. . .” 

Who were the legitimate owners of East Caicos Island, or more specifically, a tract of land at Breezy 

Point? The answer to this question turns out to be a convoluted story that is proving difficult to unwind. 

This is part one of a two-part story that begins in 1807 with the Ingham brothers of Bermuda. 


astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

This French map shows the Caicos Islands as they were represented circa 1780. Middle Caicos was previously known as Grand Caicos and 

included what was later called East Caicos. 

First to own land at Breezy Point 

John Ingham and his brother Thomas Jr. each received 

land grants for tracts of land at Breezy Point on East 

Caicos Island from the Governor of the Bahamas Charles 

Cameron Esquire. These land grants were certified on 

April 24, 1807. 

John’s land grant described his land as: 

“a tract containing four hundred eighty acres of 

vacant land situated at the Eastern Point of Grand 

Caicos Island called Greasy Point bounded northwardly 

by white or sandy sand beaches, eastwardly 

and westwardly by vacant land and has such shape 

and marks as are represented in the above plat.” 

Thomas Ingham Jr.’s land grant described his property 

as: 

“a tract containing eight hundred and eighty eight 

acres of land situated on the East or Grand Caicos 

bordering northwardly by the land of John Ingham 

and on all other sides by vacant land and hath such 

shape and marks as the above plat represents.” 

The two Ingham land plats are shown on page 79. 

Note that in the early 19th century, East Caicos was considered 

part of Middle Caicos, which was then known 

as Grand Caicos. Why the Bahamian Government official 

who prepared the Ingham land grant documents 

referred to Breezy Point as “Greasy Point” is bewildering. 

Nonetheless, it’s obvious what was intended. 

John and Thomas raised cattle on their Breezy Point 

holdings as well as other livestock. It is doubtful that 

either of them lived on East Caicos, however slaves owned 

by them must have done so. For example, the Slave 

Return of 1822 lists 13 slaves by name that belonged to 

Thomas Ingham Jr. 

John Ingham’s descendants and will 

John was never officially married. Nevertheless, he had 

two children by a slave woman named Eve. According to 

baptismal records, their son Robert was born in 1806 and 

their daughter Rose in 1808. John Ingham’s will states 

that Eve belonged to John McIntosh Esquire. 

John Ingham’s will, dated August 13, 1818, begins: 

“now residing in Grand Key [Grand Turk] one of the 

Turks Islands Bahamas, being sick and weak in body, 

but of sound mind and memory do make this my last 

Will and Testament in manner following . . .” 

His will goes on to list George Gibbs, Capt. Thomas 

Lea Smith, and John McIntosh as his executors. His will 

further states that: 

“I will and bequeath all my property real and personal 

of whatever description consisting of lands, negroes, 

live stock and other articles that my Executors George 

Gibbs, Captain Thomas L. Smith and John McIntosh 

78 www.timespub.tc


This aerial view shows the location of Breezy Point and the Ingham brothers’ land grants. 

as aforesaid and at present 

residing in Grand Key 

Turks Islands aforesaid the 

said property of whatever 

kind to be in trust and for 

the use of my natural born 

children Robert and Rose 

Ingham both Mulattoes, 

subject however to the 

unlimited management, 

direction and control of 

my said Executors until 

the youngest child Rose 

Ingham arrives at the age 

of eighteen years when the 

property is to be divided as 

following.” 

John’s will goes on to say: 

“that my real estate or tract 

of land at Greasy Point on 

the E. Grand Caicos with all 

the improvements thereon 

and all the live stock consisting 

of cattle, horses, 

This image shows the Ingham brothers’ land grants as drawn and approved by the Bahamian 

Government in 1807. The two adjacent land grants together formed a 1,368 acre tract of land at Breezy 

Point. (The original “boundry landmarks” have been typed by the author for readability.) 



hogs etc. are to be the joint property of Robert and 

Rose aforesaid and to be either occupied, and managed, 

divided or sold by my aforesaid Executors as 

they may judge proper.” 

John’s children, Robert and Rose 

Robert and Rose were baptized at St. Thomas Church on 

Grand Turk on April 27, 1818 by a visiting pastor from 

Nassau. The baptism took place just a few months before 

their father wrote his last will and testament. 

Since Eve, the mother of Robert and Rose, was a slave 

owned by John McIntosh, her children were also slaves 

belonging to McIntosh. In the early 19th century, it was 

unlikely that a slave could own or inherit real property. 

To remedy this situation, John manumitted (freed) his 

son Robert in 1816—his daughter Rose was manumitted 

a year later. The manumission documents freeing them 

were actually receipts showing the amount of money John 

Ingham paid McIntosh to free each of his two children. 

Rose Ingham’s manumission document was signed by John McIntosh 

and dated May 27, 1817. 

Rose Ingham was freed (manumitted) in 1817. Note 

that in the document above, John McIntosh refers to Rose 

as “Rose Johnson” and further on as “Rose Ingham” suggesting 

that the last name of Rose’s mother, Eve, may 

have been Johnson. Being free persons, Robert and Rose 

would be entitled to inherit the property at Breezy Point 

that their father bequeathed to them. John’s will stipulated 

that his Breezy Point property was to be put in trust 

for his children. His executors were to manage the property 

until Rose’s 18th birthday in 1826. John McIntosh’s 

will dated March 22, 1817 directed that Eve was to be 

freed upon his death—McIntosh died in 1819. 

On June 4, 1829, Rose married Benjamin Wood, “a 

carpenter and a free person of color.” It is not known if 

Robert Ingham ever married. 

Thomas Ingham Jr. and his descendants 

Thomas Ingham Jr. married Deborah Place Stamers—it 

was her second marriage. They had no children of their 

own, but there were three children from Deborah’s first 

marriage to Benjamin Stamers. Her children (Thomas Jr.’s 

stepchildren) were Elizabeth M. Stamers, Jane S. Stamers, 

and Copeland John Stamers. 

Thomas Jr. died on April 1, 1823. His wife Deborah 

died eight weeks later. To complicate matters, Thomas 

Jr. died intestate (without a will). The administration of 

his estate was granted to his stepson, Copeland John 

Stamers, by the acting governor of Bermuda on May 26, 

1823. 

Thomas Jr.’s father, Thomas Ingham Sr., survived 

his son by eight years—he died on January 6, 1831. His 

will bequeathed his property, both real and personal, to 

his third wife Frances (red circle in the family diagram 

at right), and to his granddaughters: Mary Jane Ingham 

Frith and Eliza Deborah Frith (blue circles). Nowhere does 

his will specifically mention his son’s property at Breezy 

Point, suggesting that his son’s land on East Caicos never 

conveyed or belonged to him. If there was an inventory of 

his estate, it hasn’t been found. 

Since Thomas Jr.’s wife Deborah died before his 

estate could be probated, his father would probably have 

been next in line to inherit it. Instead, however, Thomas 

Jr.’s land at Breezy Point went to his stepson, Copeland 

John Stamers. Exactly why is unknown. Was the fact 

that Stamers had been appointed the administrator of 

the estate have anything to do with it? Did Thomas Sr. 

indicate he didn’t want the property? We can only guess. 

Nevertheless, Thomas Ingham’s 888-acre parcel at Breezy 

Point ended up in the hands of Copeland John Stamers. 

Rose and Robert and their inheritance 

No records have yet surfaced to indicate that John 

Ingham’s two children, Rose and Robert, ever took possession 

of their father’s 480-acre parcel at Breezy Point. 

No documents have been found showing that they or 

John’s executors sold the property. 

Copeland John Stamers and his will 

Copeland John Stamers was born in Bermuda in 1802 and 

by 1825 was living on Salt Cay where he owned salt properties. 

He married Caroline S. Smith of Bermuda in 1830. 

They had three children: Benjamin H. Stamers, Copeland 

80 www.timespub.tc


Place Stamers, and Susanna D. Stamers. His wife Caroline 

died in 1840. 

Copeland J. Stamers died in August 1866. He left his 

property, both real and personal, to his three children 

to be divided among them equally. In his will, his Breezy 

Point holdings were described as (underlining by author): 

“all of my lands Situated at the Caicos Islands, one 

portion by original Grant containing one thousand 

three hundred and sixty acres, situated at Breezy 

Point, East Caicos, and all other portions situated 

thereon known as Breezy Point East Caicos my right 

by continued occupancy, together with all Horned 

Cattle & other Stock thereon, and all houses and 

buildings on the said land . . .” 

This description is puzzling. “One portion by original 

grant containing 1,360 acres” clearly refers to both 

parcels of land originally granted to the Ingham brothers 

in 1807. The other land at Breezy Point “by right of 

continued occupancy” could refer to the vacant land surrounding 

those 1,360 acres, or was Stamers trying to 

justify his claim to the 480 acres that had been granted 

to John Ingham and was to have gone to his two children? 

Inventory of the Copeland J. Stamers estate 

In January 1867, the Court of the Ordinary on Grand Turk 

empowered George Jones and Benjamin Wood of Salt Cay 

to inventory and appraise the properties in the estate of 

Copeland J. Stamers excluding those located on Bermuda. 

(Jones had witnessed Stamers sign his will. Benjamin 

Wood was probably Rose Ingham’s husband). See the 

inventory on page 82. 

Notice that the inventory includes the 888 acres at 

Breezy Point that Stamers inherited from his stepfather, 

Thomas Ingham Jr., but doesn’t include the adjacent 480- 

acre parcel that was to have been left in trust to Rose and 

Robert. Why Jones and Wood didn’t include John Ingham’s 



Value 

Total of value of Personal Property (not itemized) £484.1 

Blue Hills (Caicos) (Providenciales) 3,490 acres of Land £150.0 

Breezy Point Caicos 888 Acres of Land with about 80 Head Cattle 380.0 

1 Lot at Grand Cay (Grand Turk) 10.0 

6 lots at this Cay (Small) (Salt Cay) 12.0 

3 Plantation lots at this Cay (Salt Cay) 12.0 

8 Acres Salt Pond at this Cay (Salt Cay) @ £100 ea. 800.0 

Amount Book Debts (money owed estate) 25.0 

Dwelling house Lot, Salt house & Improvements this Cay (Salt Cay) 200.0 

Total appraised value of real estate and debts owed to the estate £1,589.0 

Grand Total of real and personal property (on the Turks & Caicos Islands) £2,073.1 

480-acre parcel in the inventory is curious. Did they 

believe the property didn’t belong to Stamers or did they 

know it had been left to Rose and her brother Robert? We 

don’t know. 

Was deception involved? 

Copeland J. Stamers was a member of the Legislative 

Council of the Turks & Caicos Islands and the fact that he 

knew that the 1,360 acres (1,368 acres) of land at Breezy 

Point were originally land grants from the Crown suggests 

that Stamers had seen or knew of the Ingham brothers’ 

land grant documents clearly showing that Thomas Jr. 

received 888 acres and John 480 acres. 

As a member of the Legislative Council, Stamers 

would have been acquainted with the law of adverse possession 

or “squatter’s rights” as some call it. It is the legal 

principle by which a person who doesn’t own a property 

can obtain legal ownership of it based on his continuous 

possession or occupancy of it for a certain length of time 

without the permission or knowledge of the owner. 

Adverse possession appears to be one explanation 

that would justify how Stamers could legally claim ownership 

of John Ingham’s land. Since Stamers was raising 

cattle on the 888 acres he inherited from his stepfather 

it seems logical he would graze his cattle on the vacant 

property adjacent to it as well. He could have done this 

without the knowledge of its owner. Or, did he purchase 

John’s land from John’s executors unbeknownst to Rose 

and Robert? Did his children sell their inheritance? We 

don’t know as no documentation has been found to support 

or refute these possibilities. 

Stamers’ children lease land at Breezy Point 

In March 1871, almost five years after the death of 

Copeland J. Stamers, his three children leased property 

surrounding the original Ingham land for 99 years from 

the government of the Turks & Caicos Islands. The lease 

agreement described the Ingham land as being 1,288 

acres in size. Keep in mind that the Inghams’ two land 

grants totaled 1,368 acres. This 80 acre discrepancy was 

never explained nor was the size of the land they leased 

from the government specified. Perhaps the 80 acre discrepancy 

was the result of a survey. The leased property 

was described as: 

Tract of vacant land hereby leased is bounded as follows 

on the North and East by the sea, on the South 

by Swampy lands and the sea and on the West by a 

Creek known as Lorimer’s Creek . . . 

In December 1871, Copeland Place Stamers and his 

two siblings sold the 1,288 acre parcel at Breezy Point 

plus the 99-year lease for additional land on East Caicos 

to John N. Reynolds, the owner of salt properties on South 

Caicos. This indenture described the 1,288 acre parcel as 

(underlining by author): 

“certain valuable lands of which he [Copeland J. 

Stamers] was then possessed and held by him in fee 

simple and which said lands are situated at Breezy 

Point in the Caicos Islands and contain twelve hundred 

and eighty eight acres and whereas the said 

Copeland John Stamers after having so made his 

aforesaid Will departed this life . . .” 

82 www.timespub.tc


A little further on, the indenture describes the 1,288 

acre parcel as: 

“all those certain tracts of land situated at Breezy 

Point East Caicos originally granted unto Thomas 

Ingham and John Ingham and containing twelve hundred 

and eighty eight acres bounded on all sides by 

Vacant lands . . .” 

Those nasty unanswered questions 

Shouldn’t Copeland Place Stamers, acting as attorney for 

his two siblings, have wondered at the time he sold the 

property at Breezy Point to John Reynolds whether his 

father had legal ownership of the 480-acre parcel since it 

was not recorded in the inventory of his father’s estate? 

No documentation has yet been found proving that 

Rose and her brother ever became the owners of their 

father’s property. Did their father’s executors fail to form 

the trust or did they sell the land before establishing one? 

Was the fact that Rose and Robert were mulatto explain 

why they might not have been informed about their inheritance? 

Adverse possession laws could have justified 

Copeland J. Stamers’ claim that he owned John Ingham’s 

480 acre Breezy Point property. 

Whatever the answer to these unanswered questions 

might be, one could draw the conclusion that somewhere 

along the line Rose and Robert were wronged. 

Part II of this story will bring the chain of ownership 

of Breezy Point up to the present. It so happens that it is 

presently for sale for $25,000,000. a 

The author thanks the following for their invaluable contributions 

to this story: Linda Abend of Bermuda for her 

extensive research digging up original source material 

from the Bermuda Archives; John Adams of the United 

Kingdom and former Bermuda Government Archivist for 

his many contributions and insights; and Deborah Dodge 

for her valuable editorial suggestions. 



Museum Matters 

Providenciales campus 

• New plant identification cards have been installed for 

the Heritage House Garden. 

• We are always looking for more volunteers to be able 

to expand opening hours at this location. Please contact 

us if you are interested in donating a day or two of your 

time each month. a 

Grand Turk campus 

• Progress continues on the People of the Island 

exhibit. New photos have been added, information 

about the banners and photos has been added and 

additional enhancements are planned. 

• The Donkey Exhibit as part of the Salt Industry 

Exhibit has been completed. It includes information 

about the role these “beasts of burden” played in the 

salt industry and their current presence on various 

islands. 

• The Queen’s Exhibit has been updated with new 

informational posters and better recognition for those 

that contributed to restoring them. 

• Do you have an upcoming celebration? The Museum’s 

deck is a great place to hold your birthday party, 

shower, or other event. We have made many improvements 

to the deck and it is available for rent for your 

special occasion. 

• The Museum continues to be the premier stop on 

Grand Turk land tours. Our gift shop is often complimented 

as the best on the island. Be sure to stop in and 

see our various new products, T-shirts, and locally made 

items. On-island guests continue to visit the Museum 

and shop and we appreciate the support from hotels 

and vacation rentals. a 

Current days & hours of operation: 

Grand Turk (Front Street): Hours vary daily, but in general 

open on all cruise ship days 9 AM to 1 PM. When 

a ship arrives on or after 9 AM, we will open one hour 

after arrival for three hours. 

Providenciales (The Village at Grace Bay): Open 

Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM to 2 PM. 

Both locations include interesting exhibits and artifacts 

related to the history and culture of the Islands. 

Visit our gift shops for souvenirs, history books, and 

locally made products such as baskets, jewelry, salt 

products, and more. 

Days and times of operation are subject to change so 

please check our website or email us for updated information: 

www.tcmuseum.org 

info@tcmuseum.org 

Story & Photos By Museum Manager Lisa Talbot 

84 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. 

As of April 1, 2023, all COVID-19 related travel 

restrictions have been removed for travel to the Turks & 

Caicos Islands. There is no vaccine, testing, or insurance 

requirement. On August 12, 2022, the last day of statistics, 

32,338 people were vaccinated in the Turks & Caicos 

against COVID-19 (at least one dose). This was approximately 

73% of the total population. For more information 

and details, visit www.visittci.com. 

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 roundabouts 

at major junctions. 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. 

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 

connections. 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, 

86 www.timespub.tc

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 are 

located downtown on Airport Road. In Grand Turk, the 

Post Office and Philatelic Bureau are on Church Folly. The 

Islands are known for their colorful stamp issues. 

Media 

Multi-channel satellite television is received from the U.S. 

and Canada and transmitted via cable or Internet. Local 

station WIV-TV broadcasts on Channel 4 and Island EyeTV 

on Channel 5. There are a number of local radio stations, 

magazines and newspapers. 

Medical services 

There are no endemic tropical diseases in TCI. There are 

large, modern hospitals on Grand Turk and Providenciales. 

Both hospitals offer a full range of services including: 

24/7 emergency room, operating theaters, diagnostic 

imaging, maternity suites, dialysis suites, blood bank, 

physiotherapy and dentistry. 

In addition, several general practitioners operate in 

the country, and there is a recompression chamber, along 

with a number of private pharmacies. 

Immigration 

A resident’s permit is required to live in the Islands. A 

work permit and business license are also required to 

work and/or establish a business. These are generally 

granted to those offering skills, experience and qualifications 

not widely available on the Islands. Priority is given 

to enterprises that will provide employment and training 

for Turks & Caicos Islanders. 

SEE 

THE 

DIFFERENCE 

OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINIC 

Ophthalmologist Dr. Sebastian Guzman is now available 

for consultation in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Dr. Guzman and his team are a group of doctors 

representing three generations of ophthalmologists. 

They specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of eye 

diseases and those linked to the throat, nose, and 

ears. At MD OJOS, we have our own equipment, 

with all the advantages of a private clinic. We offer 

a fast, complete, and comprehensive response to our 

patients. We are trained in the application of the 

latest technological advances for the correction of 

different visual dysfunctions. 

NOW OPEN IN REGENT VILLAGE 

CALL 809 880 2020 

WWW.OJOS.COM.DO 


Government/Legal system 

TCI is a British Crown colony. There is a Queen-appointed 

Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam. She presides over 

an executive council formed by the elected local government. 

Hon. Charles Washington Misick is the country’s 

premier, leading a majority Progressive National Party 

(PNP) House of Assembly. 

The legal system is based on 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 submitted at port of entry to obtain clearance 

from the TCI Department of Agriculture. 

National symbols 

The National Bird is the Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). 

The National Plant is Island heather (Limonium 

bahamense) found nowhere else in the world. The 

National Tree is the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. 

bahamensis). The National Costume consists of white cotton 

dresses tied at the waist for women and simple shirts 

and loose pants for men, with straw hats. Colors representing 

the various islands are displayed on the sleeves, 

sashes and hat bands. The National Song is “This Land 

of Ours” by the late Rev. E.C. Howell. Peas and Hominy 

88 www.timespub.tc

(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. There is also a 

ban on importation of plastic straws and some polystyrene 

products, including cups and plates. 

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, snuba, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, 

mermaid encounters and beachcombing. Pristine reefs, 

abundant marine life and excellent visibility make TCI 

a world-class diving destination. Whale and dolphin 

encounters are possible, especially during the winter/ 

spring months. 

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 

subscription form 

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ISLANDS 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS 

One year subscription 

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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. Birdwatching is superb, and there 

is a guided trail on Grand Turk. 

There is an excellent national museum on Grand 

Turk, with an auxillary branch on Providenciales that 

includes the Caicos Heritage House. A scheduled ferry 

and a selection of tour operators make it easy to take day 

trips to the outer islands. 

Other land-based activities include bicycling, horseback 

riding and football (soccer). Personal trainers are 

available to motivate you, working out of several fitness 

centres. You will also find a variety of spa and body treatment 

services. 

Nightlife includes local bands playing island music 

at bars and restaurants and some nightclubs. There are 

two casinos on Providenciales, along with many electronic 

gaming parlours. Stargazing is extraordinary! 

Shoppers will find paintings, T-shirts, sports and 

beachwear and locally made handicrafts, including straw 

work, conch crafts and beach jewellery. 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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WE ARE LEADING THE WAY TO 

A CLEANER ENERGY FUTURE 

Our executive team: (L-R) Vice President of Corporate Services and CFO Aisha Laporte; Vice President 

of Grand Turk and Sister Island Operations Allan Robinson; President and CEO Ruth Forbes; Senior Vice 

President of Operations Devon Cox; Vice President of Engineering and Energy Production and Delivery 

Don Forsyth (seated); and Vice President of Innovation, Technology and Strategic Planning Rachell Roullet. 

In a rapidly evolving electricity sector, energy leaders of today are 

focused on driving the transformation to cleaner, more sustainable 

energy sources. 

At FortisTCI, our purpose and passion are unwavering – to serve our 

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Every day, we are working towards an energy future that is cleaner, 

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Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24

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