Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
South Caicos. Low-lying vegetation now covers the uninhabited sections of these islands.
The larger islands are in a much more pristine state, with vegetation and a higher degree
of rainfall prominent on North, Middle and East Caicos. Small creeks, inland lakes - often
home to flamingos - and wetlands make up the interior of these larger land masses.
On Providenciales the most common sight on land is not anything natural but the explos-
ive degree of development. Everywhere you look, there seems to be another new property
and resulting heap of construction garbage. The scrubby landscape is still visible among
the fresh buildings - but for how long?
All the islands are rimmed with stunning beaches. Most are great and some are excep-
tional - truly world-class stretches of sand worthy of every accolade and hyperbolic de-
scription of sun, sand and gentle surf.
Walking down a dusty laneway and coming upon a donkey is a quintessential T&C ex-
perience. Their forebears once carried 25lb burlap bags of salt from the ponds to the ware-
houses and docks.
Iguanas once inhabited much of the Turks and Caicos until they lost their lives to intro-
duced dogs and cats, and their habitats to development. Now Little Water Cay, Fort George
Cay and the Ambergris Cays are all protected iguana reserves.
The waters are favored by four species of turtle: hawksbills (an internationally en-
dangered species, although sadly not recognized in this region), green, loggerheads and,
occasionally, leatherbacks.
Countless species of sea birds and waders have been sighted, both migra- tory and non-
migratory. Ospreys are numerous and easily spotted, as are barn owls and sparrow hawks.
Flamingos - once numerous throughout the chain - are now limited to West, North and
South Caicos, where you may also see Cuban herons.
A flourishing population of bottlenosed dolphins lives in these waters. Also, some 7000
North Atlantic humpback whales use the Turks Island Passage and the Mouchoir Banks,
south of Grand Turk, as their winter breeding grounds between February and March. Manta
rays are commonly seen during the spring plankton blooms off of Grand Turk and West
Caicos.
