Times of the Islands Spring 2020

TIMES 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS SPRING 2020 NO. 130 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

CAVE ART 

Lucayan Petroglyphs 

HIDDEN LEGACY 

Slavery in Grand Caicos 

THE BATTLE BEGINS 

Fighting Deadly Coral Disease

T U R K S & C A I C O S ’ U LT I M AT E 

FA N TA S Y F O O D FA C E - O F F 

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contents 

Departments 

6 From the Editor 

15 Getting to Know 

Gustarvus O’Neil Lightbourne 

By Carlton Mills, Willette Swann & Tanya Parnell 

22 Eye on the Sky 

Nature’s Ephemeral Vortex 

By Paul Wilkerson ~ Photos By Marta Morton 

28 Creature Feature 

Armadillos of the Sea 

By Brian Heagney ~ Photo By Marta Morton 

71 Around the Islands 

Not Your Average Golf Course 

By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Tom Rathgeb 

73 About the Islands/TCI Map 

77 Subscription Form 

78 Where to Stay 

80 Dining 

82 Classified Ads 

Features 

44 Hidden Legacy 

By Ben Stubenberg 

54 Inclusion Matters 

By Norah Machia ~ Photos By Anthony Machia 

Green Pages 

30 The Battle Begins 

By the Staff of the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund 

34 The Elusive Octopus 

By Dr. Caitlin E. O’Brien 

38 Phoenix from the Ashes? 

Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco 

TIMES 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS SPRING 2020 NO. 130 

On the Cover 

Turks & Caicos Islander Dominique Rolle made a special 

trip to the Caicos pineyards (under the guidance 

of B Naqqi Manco) to shoot this thriving “parent tree” 

that is producing cones and seeds that are the hope of 

reforesting the area. See the inspiring story on page 38. 

Dominique is one-half of the industry-changing media 

firm Caya Hico Media (www.cayahicomedia.com). 

Astrolabe 

64 Cave Art 

By Dr. Michael P. Pateman 

67 The Layers of History 

Story & Photos By John Galleymore 

Correction: 

In the Winter 2019/20 issue, the article “Ice Cream in 

Parrotice” commented, “A previous restaurant that sold 

ice cream had gone dormant . . .” Longtime North Caicos 

entrepreneur Karen Preikschat quickly dispelled this 

notion! She says, “We started making homemade ice cream 

at Silver Palm Restaurant in 2012/2013 with a borrowed 

ice cream maker. We tested and created our signature 

all-natural flavours: Toasted Coconut, Butter Pecan, Rum 

& Raisin, Vanilla and Chocolate, all best-sellers. We also 

offer Strawberry, Red Raspberry and Blackberry sorbet. In 

2014 we opened Silver Palm Bistro at Horse Stable Corner 

in Whitby. My husband Poach has made some changes to 

the bistro and is now offering local cuisine at the Two Fat 

Brothers Restaurant. We are a seasonal business, never 

dormant. Our clients are still enjoying our ice cream at 

the restaurant where we serve scoops, cups and pints. We 

have customers bringing coolers from Provo to fill with 

our ice cream! See our Trip Advisor site for the restaurant 

and bistro for comments about our ice cream.” 

KAREN PREIKSCHAT 

4 www.timespub.tc

TurksAndCaicosProperty.com 

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Bernadette has lived in the Turks and 

Caicos Islands for over 21 years and 

witnessed the development and transition 

of the islands into a significant tourist 

destination. Based on independent 

figures her gross transaction numbers 

are unrivalled. Bernadette has listings on 

Providenciales, Pine Cay, Ambergris Cay, 

North and Middle Caicos and is delighted 

to work with sellers and buyers of 

homes, condos, commercial real estate 

and vacant undeveloped sites. 

Turks and Caicos Property is the leading 

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and Caicos Islands with offices located 

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locations to reside. The 2 storey, 4,200 sq. ft. property is perfect for large families and 

is currently operated as a successful rental income property with two separate, 2 bedroom 

2 bathroom suites with breathtaking views of the tranquil beach and turquoise waters. 

The property provides an owner with the option to rent the entire property, or live in the 

upper or lower level while continuing to operate the vacant level as a vacation rental. 

US$4,500,000 

Bernadette’s reputation and success 

has been earned over time through her 

dedication, enthusiasm and passion for 

real estate. Her personal experience 

as having practiced law in the islands 

for more than 10 years together with 

owning and renovating a number of 

properties means she is well-placed to 

advise her customers and developers on 

what to anticipate in the purchasing and 

construction process. 

Bernadette delights in working in the 

real estate industry and her humor and 

energy make her a pleasure to work with.

from the editor 

DOMINIQUE ROLLE—CAYA HICO MEDIA 

This pine cone, and the seedlings that are sprouting from its seeds, represent the hope of reforestation for the imperiled Caicos pine yards. 

A Seed of Hope 

Folks around my age, give or take a decade or two, reminisce about the sprawling, majestic “pine yards” that 

flanked the southern rock flats of North and Middle Caicos. They had a mysterious and awe-inspiring aura, representing 

a wild, unexplored part of the Caribbean. The Caicos pines themselves —TCI’s National Tree — are a unique 

species found nowhere else in the world. I was sad when I first heard 20 years ago that an invasive scale insect — 

likely introduced via imported Christmas trees — was devastating the pine yard, followed by the “perfect storm” of 

fire, flood and hurricane. I recall weeping on a trip to Middle Caicos when the tall, lush forest that used to hover in 

the distance like a mirage was gone. To me, it was a symbol of an old way of life that was rapidly disappearing as 

development, immigration and social change swept through the Turks & Caicos. 

With great joy I read B Naqqi Manco’s article in this issue’s Green Pages. Thanks to his devotion with others 

through the Caicos Pine Recovery Project, many leaps of faith and a great deal of hard work, the first once-damaged 

tree is finally thriving and producing cones with their seeds spouting anew. I pray a similar resurrection is possible 

for corals coming under attack from Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, finally under treatment thanks to the persistent 

efforts of Don Stark and the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, requiring much help from volunteers. 

Thanks to Naqqi, Don and all those whose tireless labor and love, enhanced by a touch of God’s grace, are helping 

to keep the Turks & Caicos Islands “Beautiful by Nature,” inside and out. You are my heroes. 

Kathy Borsuk, Editor 

timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 431-4788 

6 www.timespub.tc

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TIMES 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Kathy Borsuk 

ADVERTISING MANAGER 

Claire Parrish 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Kathy Borsuk, John Galleymore, Brian Heagney, 

Norah Machia, B Naqqi Manco, Carlton Mills, 

Dr. Caitlin E. O’Brien, Tanya Parnell, Dr. Michael P. Pateman, 

Jody Rathgeb, Ben Stubenberg, Willette Swann, 

Turks & Caicos Reef Fund Staff, Paul Wilkerson. 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Almay Ltd., V. Di Miccoli, John Galleymore, Heidi Hertler, 

International Slavery Museum Liverpool, Anthony Machia, 

B Naqqi Manco, Mat Matlock, Marta Morton, NOAA, 

Dr. Caitlin E. O’Brien, Tanya Parnell, Dr. Michael P. Pateman, 

Karen Preikschat, Tom Rathgeb, Dominique Rolle— 

Caya Hico Media, Barbara Shively, Bengt Soderqvist, Turks 

& Caicos Reef Fund, Wikicommons, Amano Williams, 

Yale University Press. 

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS 

Claire Parrish, Wavey Line Publishing 

PRINTING 

PF Solutions, Miami, FL 

OF THE 

ISLANDS 

Times of the Islands ISSN 1017-6853 is 

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14 www.timespub.tc

getting to know 

From top: Gus walks with HM Queen 

Elizabeth II prior to receiving the Queen’s 

Commendation of Member of the British 

Empire (MBE) on January 1, 1966. (Also see 

bottom right photo.) 

Gus stands with Deacon James Dean. Gus was 

an active leader of the TCI Baptist Union’s 

Deacon’s Board for 30 years. 

Clockwise from top: Kathleen (“Katie”) Howell Lightbourne was Gus’s wife for 50 years. 

Livingstone Swann was Gus’s “regarded brother,” longtime business partner and friend. Gus 

was one of the country’s first taxi drivers. Gus stands with his grandsons Gregory and Elry 

and son Tom. This is the front road in Blue Hills in 1967, with one of the three bicycles that 

was on Providenciales. A sloop is under construction in Blue Hills, probably around 1970. 

A Remarkable Journey 

The life and times of Gustarvus O’Neil Lightbourne. 

By Carlton Mills, Willette Swann & Tanya Parnell ~ Photos Courtesy Tanya Parnell & Bengt Soderqvist 

Times of the Islands Spring 2020 15

Early life 

Gustarvus Lightbourne (affectionately called Gus) was 

born on January 27, 1921 to Mr. and Mrs. Emmanuel 

Lightbourne of Blue Hills, Providenciales. He attended 

the Blue Hills School in High Rock and was taught by Mr. 

Aaron Gardiner. Boys usually attended school until they 

reached the age of 14, when they would learn a trade or 

go fishing for a living. Gus was brought up by his grandparents, 

who made sure that he attended school. 

Gus’s life was filled with challenges and hardships. On 

November 30, 1934, the General Express, a boat carrying 

his father, his mother and two sisters, disappeared from 

his sight in rough weather, never to be seen or heard from 

again. This must have been a horrifying experience for 

this young boy who had just become a teenager, yet he 

still managed to move on. Those who knew Gus say, “He 

always prepared for the worse.” Perhaps this early experience 

influenced that attitude. 

Another attitude apparent in Gus and his sons was 

confident self-reliance. In the 1980s, when the flight 

instructor consistently failed to show, Gus’s younger son 

taught himself to fly an airplane. Gus’s elder son taught 

himself plumbing with the new materials marketed in the 

1970s. 

Young men look forward to owning a boat and in the 

1930s, Gus took on the job of building one. Gus and 

his “regarded” brother Livingstone Swann had gone into 

the interior of Providenciales and found the branches 

they considered suitable timbers for framing the size he 

wanted. They had all the timber in the backyard when Gus 

engaged a boat builder who was too busy to get to his 

job. While waiting, Gus set the stern and transom into the 

keel. When Gus’s grandfather Thomas Lightbourne (“Ole 

Olemer”) saw what the boys had done he heaped encouragement 

on them. Gus finished the boat and, at age 18, 

was the owner of the G.L. Progress. 

This boat made several trips to Haiti which was one 

of the TCI’s main trading partners. Gus would take conch 

and other marine products from the local fishermen to 

Haiti to trade. In return, he brought back essential equipment, 

food items, clothing, etc. His bold initiative opened 

the gateway for a variety of goods and services to reach 

the previously neglected Caicos Islands. During World War 

II, when Turks & Caicos would otherwise be shut off from 

the rest of the world, boats like the G.L. Progress made 

several trips to Haiti to keep supplies coming in. 

As it stood then, the bulk of the Islands’ international 

trading activities took place at the ports of Grand Turk 

and South Caicos. For people in the other Caicos Islands 

to purchase items for their survival they had to travel to 

South Caicos or Grand Turk by small sloops. With Gus’s 

initiative, they now had direct contact with international 

trading partners — The Bahamas, Dominican Republic and 

Haiti. 

Gus loved building boats. He built several and bestowed 

on them fancy names such as the Glancing Shadow, the 

Smack, K.C.M. Orlando (Livingstone Swann, Gus and 

Livingstone’s brother Barrymore went on to marry three 

of Edgar Howell’s daughters—Kathleen, Christiana and 

Myrtle, and Barry spent time picking oranges in Orlando, 

hence the boat’s name) and the Cassius (from the boxing 

champion Cassius Clay). The Cassius was not a sailboat, 

but was built for an outboard motor. Her faster speed 

(from the same horsepower) and easier manoeuvrability 

made her competitive for all-around efficiency with the 

larger longboats built by Daniel Delancy. Gus not only 

loved to build boats he also loved to race boats. He piloted 

from the lee side and his competitors thought, “What nonsense” 

until after the race. 

Gus Lightbourne had a character larger than life. He is 

described by many as a man who would tell you a piece 

of his mind in a heartbeat. He was a no-nonsense fellow, 

straightforward and plain-speaking, who did not stand for 

foolishness. You knew where you stood with him because 

he cut no corners. He was also described as being a sharp 

fellow for his intellectual/engineering ability. This earned 

him the nickname “Sharper.” He fell in love with Kathleen 

“Katie” Howell and on September 28, 1944 they were married. 

This union produced four children. Only two of them 

survived past infancy. 

Life’s challenges 

Gus’s life was filled with challenges. He got shipwrecked 

aboard the Lady Austin in 1941 while on a trip to 

Mayaguana, Bahamas. In September 1945, while fishing 

off Blue Hills on the G.L. Progress with a crew of five men, 

a dangerous hurricane impacted the Islands. They were 

totally unaware of the hurricane’s approach because, at 

the time, they did not have modern warning systems. 

Their mast broke and they drifted at sea for 12 days without 

food and water. Through it all, God was with them. 

Gus named the first land they sighted Atwood Cay 

(Samana Cay is the more popular name today). With this 

inspiration they struggled with wind and current, without 

success, to get to Acklins. They finally ended up on 

Crooked Island, Bahamas. They may have sold whatever 

equity was left in the G.L. Progress to get themselves 

16 www.timespub.tc

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treated and back home. This was a test of his faith which 

did not stop him. 

In 1946 Gus, still undeterred by his previous losses, 

launched the 10 ton General Progress. This boat was used 

to take passengers to Pine Ridge, Grand Bahama (Freeport) 

and bring back lumber and remittances from family members 

living and working there. Because of hardships at 

home, many men from the TCI sought economic opportunities 

in The Bahamas to be able to provide for their 

families. This link provided an opportunity for people to 

travel to and from The Bahamas and fostered the opportunity 

for trade. This was another vital service that Gus was 

instrumental in providing. 

It is through this initiative that Gus was able to establish 

a long-lasting relationship not only between The 

Bahamas and the TCI, but specifically with Pine Ridge and 

the Caicos Islands. There was a labour agreement between 

the two country’s governments; these trips serviced that 

agreement. Many of the men from the Islands found 

employment opportunities in the Pine Yard in Freeport. 

As Freeport developed, they found work in the hotels and 

taxi business. 

Unfortunately, after more than 40 trips, the General 

Progress was wrecked in July 1954. Another misfortune 

for Gus, but despite this major setback the trade continued 

using a leased boat called the Cherry Top. Most of the 

lumber was consigned to the Turks & Caicos Government— 

still repairing 1945 hurricane damage. Perhaps the most 

important cargo was not lumber though, but remittances 

to family members of those employed in Pine Ridge. 

In mid-1958 the famous 20 ton K. C. M. Orlando 

was launched. The Orlando served Turks & Caicos well: 

Customs officials say she was 21 tons—she always came 

home overloaded. During Hurricane Donna in September 

1960, Gus watched as two year-old K. C. M. Orlando parted 

moorings at Wheeland. Recognising her importance to the 

life and livelihood of his people he gave chase on foot. She 

smashed one side and ended up on Piece-O-Bay (a small 

piece of sandy beach between what is now Thompson 

Cove and Turtle Cove Marina). Because she was badly 

needed, a praiseworthy repair effort was exerted and by 

December she was back at sea. In February 1967, after 

35 trips to The Bahamas and 3 to Puerta Plata, she was 

wrecked in a storm with 26 adults and 16 children aboard. 

Not one of the passengers or crew was lost. 

Church life 

Gus was a devoted Christian who spent much of his time 

18 www.timespub.tc

while not at sea participating in his church—Bethany 

Baptist in Blue Hills. Every time you met him, he would 

speak of the goodness of his God. He was baptized in 

March 1939 and served as a Sunday School teacher and 

secretary from 1939 to 1955. 

In July 1954, his faith was tested. While he was in his 

field, he got the news that his first-born son had suffered 

a serious wound. Ironically, there was no boat to 

take him to South Caicos to see a doctor. The following 

night, the house caught fire. Despite these unfortunate 

circumstances, which would have provided good reason 

for others to remain at home, Gus was present in church 

on Sunday morning. 

After teaching Sunday School that day, there was no 

preacher present and the congregants encouraged Gus 

to take the pulpit. One member argued with him when he 

said he felt “unfit for the position,” telling Gus, “If you’re 

not fit for one thing, you’re not fit for any other.” He took 

the pulpit and from that day, never looked back. When the 

new church building was dedicated on March 25, 1955, 

Gus was ordained as a deacon by itinerant minister Rev. 

R.E. Rhynie. 

In 1964, Gus was seconded to lead the congregation 

at Jericho Baptist Church in The Bight. Having met that 

need and returned to Bethany, Gus was instrumental in 

getting electricity to the church in 1971 with its own generator. 

He was the first without formal theological training 

to become president of the Turks & Caicos Islands Baptist 

Union from 1966–1973 and vice president from 1973– 

1981. 

In 1969 Gus, along with Rev. E.N.S. Hall, represented 

the Turks & Caicos Islands Baptist Union at a regional 

conference in Jamaica. During this time, the TCI Baptist 

churches were supported by the Jamaica Baptist Union. 

At this meeting, he made an appeal for help with training 

local ministers, and by the following year training would 

be provided for the first five ministers from TCI to take 

over the running of the churches. This is what he was agitating 

for in his speech and daily actions for many years. 

His dream had come true and he credited his God for all 

of his successes. 

Politics 

The island of Blue Hills (Providenciales) that Gus lived on 

in the early 1950s was undeveloped. Residents traversed 

via footpaths. There was no electricity, no banking, no 

running water and no indoor plumbing. Commercial and 

economic life was centred around Grand Turk, Salt Cay 

and South Caicos—the Salt Islands as they were called. 


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HUGH G. O’NEILL 

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ATTORNEYSN 

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L AW 

P.O. Box 267 

Hibernian House 

1136 Leeward Highway 

Providenciales 

Turks and Caicos Islands 

B.W.I. 

Tel 649-946-4514 

Fax 649-946-4955 

Email hugh.oneill@hgoneillco.tc 

C 

CO. O 

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I 

A 

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The Salt Islands had some form of political representation 

in the form of nominated members. The other Caicos 

Islands were not really considered part of the family of 

Islands. The country, being governed from Jamaica, was 

far removed from direct political involvement. No political 

figure considered visiting the other Caicos Islands 

because of their remoteness. Gus was one who set about 

agitating for social and economic changes. 

When Governor of Jamaica HE Sir Hugh Foot visited the 

Caicos Islands in 1953, he held a town meeting where all 

Caicos Islanders should attend. Paul Higgs and Gustarvus 

Lightbourne stood out as potential leaders. When invited 

to Grand Turk to meet with Governor Foot, both men 

challenged him for provision of political representation to 

the Caicos Islands. After much persuasion, the governor 

agreed and by 1956 held a trial general election. 

Members of the Caicos Islands were involved in the local 

government. This was regarded as TCI’s first Legislative 

Assembly. Because of the nature of the 1956 government 

(unsupported by a Constitution Order) the new members 

could not receive any form of compensation. They got 

themselves to and from meetings in Grand Turk. This did 

not matter to these men, who were about country, not 

self. They worked for three years putting together a new 

constitution which came into force in 1959. 

This was a significant political milestone for the TCI as 

things were happening rapidly in the British West Indies. 

The constitution that these men designed accommodated 

authority for the Administrator (local government), 

Jamaica (the administrator of record), the West Indian 

Federation and the UK. Soon they were back to the drawing 

board as Jamaica was withdrawing from the Federation, 

opting for independence. Then the Federation itself collapsed. 

This provided the opportunity for TCI to break 

away from Jamaica. Five elected representatives from the 

Caicos Islands voted for improved status with the UK; four 

from the Salt Islands voted to be part of Jamaica. Gus was 

a part of the team that went to Jamaica and to the UK to 

discuss the logistics of implementing this change. The 

new constitution came into force on August 6, 1962, a 

clear indication of the team’s vision. 

The new constitution included: 

• A Legislative Body consisting of some ex-officio 

members, some nominated members and a number of 

members elected by universal adult suffrage. 

• An Executive Council consisting of officials and 

elected members of the Legislature with whom the 

Commissioner would be required to consult. 

This was the beginning of a new political direction for 

20 www.timespub.tc

the TCI. Local members were now involved in discussions 

about the direction in which the country should go. 

During Gus’s 1962 term in office, times in the Islands 

were tough. The salt industry was on the decline and 

there were talks of a merger with The Bahamas. This 

failed in 1964. Our leaders felt that The Bahamas needed 

to better develop their own southeastern islands before 

the TCI could consider becoming a part of them. They 

also remembered their past experience with The Bahamas 

which led to the Separation Act of 1848. However, they 

agreed to meet with officials of The Bahamas and continue 

talks after two years. While they waited, an opportunity 

arose. 

A group under the leadership of Fritz Ludington was 

attracted to Providenciales while flying over, amazed at its 

natural beauty. They saw the potential for development 

and immediately submitted a proposal to the government. 

Of course, one of the first persons they met with 

was Gus. He believed that if Providenciales were to move 

forward, government would have to sacrifice land. Almost 

single-handedly, Gus brought this opportunity to fruition. 

Despite his conviction and eagerness, Gus had a major 

obstacle. Mr. Wood, who chaired the council of the day, 

adamantly opposed the development—but Gus did not 

give up. Members of Bethany Baptist Church remembered 

Gus preaching that God’s Word accomplishes that 

for which it is sent, even though that fact might not be 

immediately apparent. He spoke that Word in the House 

of Assembly, then went to his abode to rest. He later 

described how he received a vision from God to go and 

see Mr. Wood. He obeyed. As Gus walked towards the 

north, Chairman Wood was walking south to see him to 

indicate his approval. 

The Assembly voted in favour of the development—the 

initiative that jump-started the economy of Providenciales. 

Gus fought for this because he believed that once 

Providenciales developed, it would positively impact the 

Caicos Islands and eventually the entire Turks & Caicos 

Islands. 

Gus Lightbourne had a passion for his country. He 

was a true patriot. He served for three consecutive terms 

(1956, 1959 and 1962) giving him nearly a dozen years 

of providing representation for his people. 

Other achievements 

Gus’s life was blessed with several major achievements, 

including being Providenciales’ first trucker, first frozen 

grocer and first taxi driver. He was the recipient of the 

Queen’s Commendation of Member of the British Empire 

(MBE) on January 1, 1966 and the Order of the British 

Empire (OBE) on June 13, 1998. He was also appointed as 

Justice of the Peace. 

Gustarvus Lightbourne was an outstanding Turks & 

Caicos Islander. He was certainly a man committed and 

dedicated to country. He was relentless in his efforts to 

make the Caicos Islands a place where his people could 

live comfortably. His actions clearly demonstrated that he 

believed that Turks & Caicos Islanders should play their 

rightful roles in their country. 

Gus enjoyed sharing his experiences with anyone 

who found the time to listen. He held a treasure trove 

of historical knowledge and I am honoured to have had 

the opportunity to sit at his feet. He passed away on 

September 24, 2005. It was great loss for the Turks & 

Caicos Islands. a 


eye on the sky 

Opposite page: Waterspouts form rather infrequently under general thunderstorms over the open ocean. 

Above: In the Turks & Caicos Islands, spotting waterspouts has been a bit more common over the last several years. 

Nature’s Ephemeral Vortex 

The spin on waterspouts. 

By Paul Wilkerson ~ Photos By Marta Morton, www.harbourclubvillas.com 

Waterspouts have been occurring for as long as memories have been recorded. On August 19, 1896 a 

waterspout developed over Vineyard Sound near Cottage City, Massachusetts. While at the time, it was 

rare for these to be seen from land, especially in the Northeast, mariners often saw these twisting clouds 

over the open waters of the Atlantic. These sailors would return with their stories, and often regaled locals 

about their close encounters with this strange phenomenon. 


Here we are, some 124 years later, and we remain 

just as fascinated with these meteorological wonders. 

Waterspouts happen across the globe, with most occurring 

in tropical and sub-tropical locations. It is however, 

not out of the question to see waterspouts form over 

large lakes as well as in northern latitudes, such as off 

the coast of Maine and Massachusetts. 

In the Turks & Caicos Islands, spotting waterspouts 

has been a bit more common over the last several years. It 

isn’t necessarily that they are occurring more frequently, 

but that with advances in technology, people can more 

readily can capture these events with their cell phones 

and transmit photos around the world in seconds. 

Are waterspouts the same as tornadoes? 

We need to first take a look at how waterspouts form and 

how they relate to their more sinister cousins, tornadoes. 

Waterspouts form rather infrequently under general thunderstorms 

over the open ocean. They also occur under 

towering cumulus clouds and even form at times under 

fair weather cumulus. Waterspouts that form at the base 

of a thunderstorm tend to be stronger than those that 

develop under other forms of cumulus clouds. 

In order to get waterspouts to form, there needs to 

be a clockwise turning of the winds in the atmosphere 

starting at the water surface. It is common to have winds 

out of the southeast at the surface in the Islands. Two 

hundred feet above the water, winds may be from the 

south. Four hundred feet above the water, winds could 

be from the southwest. It is this turning in the winds as 

you ascend into the atmosphere that causes a column of 

air to rotate. As this column of air rotates and contracts, 

speeds increase in response. 

The first indication of a waterspout may be the formation 

of a clockwise swirl on the water’s surface. Once 

the column of air begins to rotate faster, a spiraling spray 

ring may become noticeable as water is lifted off the surface 

and becomes airborne around the whirling vortex 

itself. As the vortex matures, moisture may condensate, 

causing cloud formation within the vortex and giving 

NOAA PHOTO LIBRARY 

On August 19, 1896 a waterspout developed over Vineyard Sound near Cottage City, Massachusetts. This is believed to be one of the first 

photographs of a waterspout. 

24 www.timespub.tc

TWATIMES_Layout 1 2/16/17 7:49 AM Page 1 

viewers a complete view of the rotating column of air 

from the base of the cloud all the way to the water. In 

some cases, the funnel may not fully condensate, leaving 

those watching only a view of the funnel at the water’s 

surface and directly at cloud level. 

Waterspouts usually are not a long lasting event. 

They generally will dissipate after warm air is no longer 

being pulled into the vortex. This can be caused by rainfall 

cooling the air directly around the funnel or the inflow 

of cooler air in the area. 

On occasion, if waterspouts form close enough to 

land, they can come ashore and are then called tornadoes. 

Conversely, tornadoes that move over water 

become waterspouts. Thankfully, waterspouts are not 

nearly as strong as their more formidable cousins that 

form frequently each year in the United States. The life 

cycle of a tornado almost always starts with a very strong 

thunderstorm and generally occurs over the central and 

southern plains of the United States. For tornadoes to 

occur, very strong upper level winds are necessary, along 

with a sharp drop in temperatures as you ascend in the 

atmosphere. When these ingredients come together, they 

can produce strong thunderstorms that sometimes produce 

tornadoes. Tornadoes are classified on the Enhanced 

Fujita scale with winds ranging from 65 MPH on the low 

end to more than 200 MPH on the high end. 

Thankfully, tornadoes are extremely rare in the 

Islands. In general, the only time tornadoes occur in the 

Turks & Caicos is during hurricanes. Several tornadoes 

reportedly occurred during the thrashing Hurricane Irma 

inflicted on the country in 2017. Also, a rare tornado was 

observed at the Providenciales International Airport on 

April 8, 2011 that lasted ten minutes. It caused no damage 

but raised dust on the runway. 

Serving international & domestic clients in real estate, property development, 

mortgages, corporate & commercial matters, immigration, & more. 

TEL 649.946.4261 TMW@TMWLAW.TC WWW.TWAMARCELINWOLF.COM 

Are waterspouts dangerous? 

Yes, waterspouts can be dangerous. While they are not 

as strong as tornadoes, wind speeds in waterspouts 

generally can reach as high as 67 MPH. (However, photogrammetry 

has theoretically determined wind speeds 

of 180 to 190 MPH occurring 10 meters [32.8 feet] from 

the center of the waterspouts.) Imagine you are on a fishing 

vessel on the ocean and you encounter one of these 

waterspouts. It would not be uncommon to be encountering 

winds of less than 10 MPH on the open ocean and 

suddenly find yourself encountering 40 to 50 MPH winds 

with a waterspout! 

Marine vessels are at significant danger when 

encountering waterspouts. If you are a marine operator, 


Ferry Fall 17_Layout 1 8/22/17 12:52 PM Page 1 

* * 

Temporary suspension PROVO NORTH 12.30pm & 1.30pm Sept 1st to Oct 31st 

* 

Resumes Nov 1st 

it is always advisable to check the weather forecast for 

the day and be mindful of any clouds developing in the 

area. By keeping an eye on the skies, you can keep your 

vessel safely away from developing danger. As a sailor, 

if you find yourself staring at a waterspout in close proximity, 

you would do well to seek safe harbor. If that is 

not available, give the waterspout as wide of a bearth as 

possible, as their movement can be unpredictable. 

A common myth is that waterspouts will dissipate 

when encountering land. This is 100% NOT TRUE. 

Waterspouts do routinely come ashore, sometimes with 

disastrous results. Beachgoers marvel at the appearance 

of a waterspout and falsely assume that it won’t come 

near the shore and affect them. There are plenty of documented 

stories where people have been caught on the 

beach as these watery beasts start causing damage to 

waterfront homes, condominium complexes and the surrounding 

grounds. 

If you find yourself on the beach and taking in the 

wonder of a waterspout, you need to be aware that you 

are likely at risk of injury should the waterspout transition 

to land. It is always best to exercise caution and 

take cover inside a building or other sturdy structure. 

Waterspouts that transition to land can pick up beach 

umbrellas, turning them into spears. They can pick up 

lounge chairs and turn them into blunt force objects that 

can severely injure people. They can also pick up sand 

and cause sandblast injuries to the eyes of folks caught 

too close by. When in doubt, seek a safe way out. It is 

important! 

My family and I have not been privy to seeing a waterspout 

in the Turks & Caicos during our visits, but we have 

seen images of them from those who have photographed 

them. Waterspouts are one of the most spectacular visual 

displays Mother Nature offers. Respect this show of power 

and view them from a safe location to ensure your ability 

to enjoy all that the Turks & Caicos Islands have to offer, 

including the lovely weather. 

(By the way, one thing you will NOT see in the TCI 

is a winter waterspout, also known as a snow devil or a 

snowspout. This is an extremely rare instance of a waterspout 

forming under the base of a snow squall. Very little 

is known about this phenomenon.) a 

Paul Wilkerson is an American meteorologist and tourist 

who frequents the Turks & Caicos Islands. Along with 

his wife and two daughters, the Wilkersons stay actively 

engaged with Islanders throughout the year with his 

Facebook page Turks and Caicos Islands Weather Info. 

26 www.timespub.tc

If you find yourself on the beach and 

watching a waterspout, be aware that you 

are at risk of injury should the 

waterspout transition to land.

creature feature 

MARTA MORTON — WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM 

Chitons are recognized by eight overlapping armor plates surrounded 

and held together by a leathery girdle. 

Armadillos of the Sea 

Chitons possess a range of amazing qualities. 

By Brian Heagney, B.Sc Marine Biology 

Tucked away in intertidal rock pools on the southwest point of Gibbs Cay in the Turks Islands, there are 

clusters of tiny dinosaurs called chitons. These ancient mariners are easily overlooked by the untrained 

eye, but they do deserve a second glance if you have the chance to visit “Stingray Island.” With a fossil 

record stretching back to the Devonion period 400 million years ago, these surprising little critters have 

a design that has successfully stood the test of time. 

28 www.timespub.tc

Chitons, commonly referred to as Coat of Mail shells 

or Sea Cradles, are a relatively small marine mollusc easily 

recognized by eight overlapping armor plates (valves) 

surrounded and held together by a leathery girdle or 

mantle. Small nodules of the mineral aragonite embedded 

in the shell provide a lens through which the aesthetes 

(unique light sensitive cells) lying below can detect light, 

movement and possibly even discern shapes. The chiton 

essentially “sees” through these opaque rocks in its shell, 

visual equipment unlike that of almost any other creature. 

The girdle is often ornamented with hairy tufts, bristles, 

spikes or scales that provide camouflage and may 

also aid in defence. In some species including the largest 

(the Gumboot Chiton or Wandering Meatloaf), the mantle 

actually covers the entire shell. 

The armor plates themselves are articulated and can 

flex and move over each other, offering both protection 

and freedom of movement over the jagged intertidal 

rocks on which they choose to make their home. When 

a chiton dies, the girdle decomposes and the individual 

plates fall apart. These may be discovered by keen-eyed 

beachcombers and are referred to as Butterfly Shells. 

Most chitons are herbivorous grazers, roaming the 

rocks under cover of darkness, feeding on encrusting 

algae by scraping it into their mouth with a tooth-covered 

tongue called a radula (from the Latin radere “to scrape”). 

There are, however, some carniverous chitons, competing 

with all the suspense and horror of a good Ridley Scott 

movie. The predatory species Placiphorella velata waits 

patiently in ambush, its body held aloft. Smaller animals 

seeking shelter and shade under this murderous cave 

are crushed to death and consumed should they inadvertently 

touch the sensitive tentacles below and spring the 

deadly trap above. 

The chiton’s teeth are of significant interest to science 

as their microscopic structure and composition—a 

matrix of organic tissue and inorganic minerals—makes 

the teeth incredibly wear-resistant, allowing the chiton to 

nonchalantly chew through rock. A chiton literally makes 

its home (scar) in the rock by eating the rock away. The 

teeth contain magnetite or iron (II, III) oxide, a crystal 

compound that is also found in the beaks of homing 

pigeons and is the most magnetic of all the natural minerals. 

These highly magnetic inorganic teeth are found 

nowhere else in the animal kingdom and may explain the 

chiton’s remarkable homing ability, after a night of foraging, 

to use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate back 

to precisely the same home scar in the rock. 

Their taxonomic class name is Polyplachophora 

(many plated). Unlike most molluscs, conch for example, 

chitons cannot withdraw back into their shell. Instead 

they use their very powerful, muscular foot to cling to 

the rocks like a limpet and are almost impossible to prise 

off. When dislodged from the substrate, the chiton can 

roll up into a protective ball, like a tiny marine armadillo. 

The chitons’ main predators are man (naturally), 

seagulls, starfish, crabs, lobsters and fish. Chitons 

are eaten in several parts of the world including the 

Caribbean islands of Trinidad, Tobago, The Bahamas, 

Aruba, Anguilla, Bonaire, St. Maarten and Barbados. The 

foot of the chiton is prepared in a manner similar to abalone. 

They don’t seem to be on the menu in the Turks & 

Caicos though, conch being the much-preferred option. 

Next time you look into a rock pool you may see a 

little armored snail, present from the dawn of time with 

magnetic teeth that can pulverize rock with its tongue 

and see through eyes of made of stone—an amazing little 

animal that you probably didn’t even know was there. a 

A native of Ireland, Brian moved to the Turks & Caicos 

with his wife Sabine in 2016 where they opened The 

Humpback Dive Shack on Grand Turk. 


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/ 

BARBARA SHIVELY 

A healthy, thriving star coral formation is a beautiful sight to behold. We must fight Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease NOW. 

The Battle Begins 

Treatment program to fight Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease underway. 

By the Staff of the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF) 

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is a new coral disease that was first discovered off the coast of 

Florida in 2014. Over the past five years it has spread rapidly up and down the Atlantic coast of Florida 

and well into the Florida Keys. It is a devasting disease affecting 20 species of very slow-growing corals 

that are the foundation of many coral reef systems. In some coral species monitored in Florida, the disease 

reportedly had an 80% mortality rate. 

30 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources 

COURTESY TURKS & CAICOS REEF FUND 

The cause of this disease is suspected to be bacterial. 

The troublesome thing about bacterial diseases is that 

they can be easily transferred from one area to another 

via currents, marine life and even by divers picking up the 

disease’s causative agent on their dive gear and spreading 

it by using that same gear on other sites where the 

disease has possibly not yet been observed. 

SCTLD first appeared in TCI waters in January 2019 

on the reefs of South Caicos. Then in May 2019 it was 

found on the southern reefs off the coast of West Caicos 

and within six weeks it had spread to the reefs covering 

the entire length of West Caicos. The disease has moved 

eastward and has been observed on the Northwest Point 

reefs and even in Grace Bay. In November 2019, SCTLD 

was confirmed on the reefs off the coast of Grand Turk. 

The “sort of” good news is that the extremely high 

water temperatures observed on TCI’s reefs this past 

summer appears to have slowed the progression of the 

disease. This is only “sort of” good news as the high water 

temperatures caused a major bleaching event, putting a 

new stress on the same corals that are susceptible to 

SCTLD. Many corals will recover from bleaching and many 

appear to be doing so as cooler water temperatures have 

returned. But the cooling water is bringing SCTLD back to 

life. 

Since August 2019, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF) 

staff and the Department of Environment & Coastal 

Resources (DECR) have been monitoring the spread and 

progression of the disease on West Caicos, Northwest 

Point, Grace Bay and all the way to Pine Cay. Although the 

disease outbreak on South Caicos and West Caicos has 

been severe, other reefs around Providenciales and Pine 

Cay appear to have only minor infections at the present 

time. So NOW is the time to act to do something about 

SCTLD and prevent severe damage to our valuable and 

important coral reefs. 

At right: These are the symptoms of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. 

It affects 20 species of corals that create much of the structure of 

TCI’s coral reefs, including brain corals, pillar corals and boulder corals. 

Once a stony coral dies, the structure of the reef begins to decline. 



COURTESY TURKS & CAICOS REEF FUND 

These volunteers will be the underwater army in the fight against 

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. They will be applying a special antibiotic-based 

paste to prevent the spread of the disease across TCI’s 

beautiful reefs. Prior to entering the “battleground,” they were trained 

(from top) in roving diver survey techniques and the proper way to 

apply the treatment. Training included an extensive workshop held at 

the DECR’s headquarters in The Bight. 

In late January 2020, the TCI Government’s 

Department of Environment and Coastal Resources 

approved a treatment plan for SCTLD proposed by the 

Turks & Caicos Reef Fund. This treatment protocol is 

based on research conducted by scientists in Florida who 

have been dealing with the consequences of this disease 

since 2014. We happily will benefit from all this research 

and not have to reinvent the wheel. 

Our proposed treatment protocol involves making a 

paste of a base (either shea butter or a special base created 

by a pharmaceutical supplier in Florida) incorporated 

with amoxicillin, a penicillin antibiotic. That antibiotic 

paste is then spread on a coral head around the margin of 

the infected area. If the base is shea butter, it is then covered 

with modeling clay to hold it in place. In Florida, this 

treatment has been shown to be between 67% and 80% 

effective in stopping the disease progression. The coral 

head will have a dead spot where the infection started, 

and that area will not likely grow back any coral polyps 

as algae quickly takes over, but the rest of the coral head 

can be saved in many cases. 

TCRF and DECR are now training volunteers and team 

leaders on how to identify the susceptible coral species, 

how to identify SCTLD and differentiate it from other coral 

diseases, how to prepare the antibiotic treatment and 

how to administer the treatment. The first team of eight 

volunteers was trained on February 6, 2020. Treated coral 

heads will be tagged with a yellow or green numbered 

tag so that the effect of the treatment can be monitored. 

Each treated coral head will be monitored approximately 

monthly. In many cases one treatment does the trick, but 

in some cases, retreatment will be needed. 

“Because this is a treatment done on a coral head by 

coral head basis, it is very time consuming,” said Alizee 

Zimmermann, Project Manager for the TCRF’s treatment 

effort. “We are going to need more volunteers who are 

experienced divers, who have flexible schedules and who 

do not have a penicillin allergy to tackle this potentially 

devastating problem. We also need a lot of eyes on the 

reef, so we will be conducting special training sessions 

for volunteers who may not fit the requirements to be one 

of the treaters, but who can help us gather data on the 

extent and progression of the disease by doing what we 

call roving diver surveys.” 

Roving diver surveys are a simple technique which 

involves swimming in a line at a fixed depth for a min- 

32 www.timespub.tc


imum of 10 minutes and counting all the corals in an 

area approximately six feet wide. The susceptible species 

are tallied as undiseased, potentially diseased, diseased 

or dead. A large number of volunteers are needed to 

conduct these surveys all around the TCI. Any diver interested 

in becoming a roving diver surveyor should contact 

the TCRF at info@tcreef.org. 

SCTLD affects 20 species of corals that create much 

of the structure of our coral reefs. These include brain 

corals, pillar corals and boulder corals. It is not thought 

to affect sponges or soft corals such as sea whips and sea 

fans, but these species do little to provide coastal protection 

or habitat for fish and other animals that live on the 

reefs. When a stony coral dies from SCTLD, it begins to 

erode and the structure of the reef begins to decline. 

Obviously, this treatment approach is very laborintensive, 

time-consuming and costly, but it has to be 

done to save the TCI reefs. TCRF’s goal is to be out on 

the water at least two days a week treating and monitoring. 

This means we will need a fairly large group of 

volunteer divers who have flexible schedules and can go 

out to work with TCRF on this project. Any experienced 

diver (over 100 dives) who is not allergic to penicillin and 

who is willing to learn the challenging art of coral identification 

is encouraged to contact TCRF about becoming a 

volunteer for this effort by emailing donstark@tcreef.org 

or calling TCRF directly at 649 347 8455 or filling out the 

volunteer form on the TCRF website (www.tcreef.org). 

TCRF has reached out to local businesses and individuals 

in an attempt to raise money to support this effort, 

but more funding is needed if we are to be successful in 

saving the TCI reefs. Funding is needed to pay for a project 

manager to oversee the work, boat use and fuel and 

supplies (amoxicillin, shea butter, syringes, gloves, etc.). 

If you want to help, please go to www.tcreef.org/donate 

or contact TCRF Chairman Don Stark directly at 649 347 

8455 to contribute to the cause! a 

Special thanks to those businesses and individuals who 

have already generously donated to support this effort, 

including Dive Provo who has allowed our project manager 

for this effort to go out on their boats when space is 

available at no charge to do regular monitoring. 




Octopuses are among the most intelligent of animals without a backbone, as they have one of the largest of invertebrate brains. 

The Elusive Octopus 

Octopus spotting in the TCI. 

By Dr. Caitlin E. O’Brien, 

The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies 

Caribbean waters are home to several species of octopus, which are some of the most extraordinary creatures 

of the ocean. Octopuses (not octopi) can be more difficult to spot than many other marine creatures, 

but the experience of seeing one is well worth the effort. 

34 www.timespub.tc


What are they? 

Octopuses are Molluscs in the Class Cephalopoda, along 

with squid, cuttlefish and nautilus. The word “cephalopod” 

originates from the Greek words for “head” and 

“foot,” referring to the fact that their heads are attached 

directly to their “feet.” Cephalopods first appeared around 

500 million years ago as shelled creatures known as 

ammonites, nautiluses and belemnites. Ammonites later 

went extinct, existing today only as spiral fossils popular 

with collectors. Most nautilus died out too, although six 

species still exist in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Belemnites 

eventually evolved into the 800 or so species of squid, 

cuttlefish and octopus known today. Among these, most 

of the approximately 300 species of octopus live in shallow, 

coastal areas, although a few deep-sea and pelagic 

species are also known. 

Octopus biology is quite bizarre. In addition to a soft 

body with eight arms (not tentacles), they possess three 

hearts and have blue blood due to the presence of copper 

(hemocyanin) rather than iron (hemoglobin). The arms 

are also quite extraordinary. Covered with hundreds of 

flexible suckers, they are capable of adhering to almost 

any surface with considerable force. Not only do they 

assist octopus in locomotion, but the suckers also have 

the ability to “taste” in order to help locate tasty critters 

under rocks and corals. Equally extraordinary is the fact 

that an arm severed from the body will eventually grow 

back, and sometimes an octopus will even intentionally 

sacrifice one to a predator in order to escape. 

Octopus have a wide range of near-supernatural 

tricks to protect themselves. They can avoid being seen 

in the first place due to their ability to change the color, 

iridescence and texture of their skin. Small sacs of ink 

expand and contract to instantly create different colors 

and patterns, and to modify the skin’s reflectiveness. The 

effect is accentuated by muscles that can raise or smooth 

out patches of skin (papillae) to create a rough texture 

resembling algae. When threatened, octopuses can 

escape by squeezing themselves through any hole larger 

than their parrot-like beak. Alternatively, they can propel 

themselves rapidly away by quickly sucking in water and 

shooting it out their siphon. They may also eject ink at 

the same time, either in the form of a gelatinous blob to 

act as a diversion or as a “smokescreen” to hide behind. 

Predators of octopus include sharks, dolphins, eels, large 

fish and humans. 

Octopuses are largely asocial creatures, only seeking 

out other octopus towards the end of their lifespans 

in order to mate. Before then, they try to steer clear of 

others in order to avoid being eaten by one of their own. 

Octopuses have only one reproductive event in their 

A common octopus swims across the sea floor. It prefers to hunt crustaceans and bivalves in rocky areas and coral reefs at dawn and dusk. 

V. DI MICCOLI 




Caribbean octopus are typically found sheltering in natural rock or 

coral crevices. 

lives, although both females and males can mate multiple 

times. After reaching the end of their natural lifespan 

(usually one to two years), males will go through a period 

called senescence, in which their bodies rapidly deteriorate 

and they behave recklessly, often swimming in the 

open without regard to predators before dying or being 

eaten. Females on the other hand will select a well-protected 

crevice in which to lay their eggs. Thereafter, she 

will carefully tend to them, fending off predators and gently 

cleaning their surfaces of debris. During this time, she 

forgoes food and rarely leaves the den. When the eggs 

hatch several weeks later, she dies and the planktonic 

young go on to drift in the current until they are large 

enough to settle on the seafloor. 

Octopuses are among the most intelligent of animals 

without a backbone (invertebrate). They can solve 

puzzles and mazes, and are notorious for their Houdiniesque 

feats of escape from aquarium enclosures. This 

cognition is made possible by one of the largest of 

invertebrate brains, consisting of more than 200 million 

neurons, and which is donut-shaped and wrapped around 

the esophagus. In addition, each of the eight arms has 

its own “mini-brain” which allows it to perform actions 

semi-autonomously. In fact, an arm that is severed from 

an octopus will still move, seemingly unaware that it has 

been disconnected. 

How can I find them? 

Octopus of the Caribbean are typically found in relatively 

shallow (


or attempt to escape. If this happens, the best thing to 

do is be as still as possible in order to allow the octopus 

to habituate to your presence. However, some octopus 

are extremely curious and may reach out to touch you. 

If this happens, there is nothing to fear: as soon as they 

realize you’re not a crab they will likely let go. Less often, 

octopus can be found out hunting. In this case, it is best 

to sit back and watch . . . no one likes being interrupted 

during dinner! 

Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus 

In addition to the Caribbean, this species can be found in 

tropical and temperate waters across the globe. It ranges 

in color from solid white to brown, along with a variety 

of mottled patterns. The common octopus can grow up 

to three feet long from mantle to arm tips, and hunts 

crustaceans and bivalves in rocky areas and coral reefs. 

It is a crepuscular species, meaning it prefers to hunt at 

dawn and dusk, although it may be found out and about 

at other times as well. However, the best way to find 

one is to look for holes and crevices with a shell “midden”— 

piles of shells and rocks around the den entrance 

representing prior meals as well as providing octopus 

with a sort of “shield” if a predator attacks. 

Octopus briareus, 

the Caribbean reef octopus 

The Caribbean reef octopus is one of the most beautiful 

octopus species due to its typically rainbow appearance. 

While they are predominantly blue, they can take on a 

range of colors and mottles, including dark red. Fully 

grown members of this species can weigh up to three 

pounds, eating crustaceans hidden in crevices of coral 

reefs. This species is nocturnal, spending daytime in difficult-to-locate 

dens. For this reason, the best way to see 

one is to go night diving or snorkelling on a shallow coral 

reef. 

Macrotritopus defilippi, 

the Atlantic longarm octopus 

The Atlantic longarm octopus is the smallest of the three 

species, with the body growing up to three and a half 

inches. However, as its name implies, its arms are very 

long and it can sometimes be seen using these arms 

to masquerade as a flounder. Its color can be anything 

between solid white to mottled yellow and brown. It 

A Caribbean reef octopus envelops a coral head with its arms in 

search of prey. 

hunts small crustaceans on the sandy sea bottom and in 

seagrass beds, and unlike the previous two species, can 

often be seen doing so during the day. Dens are more 

difficult to locate, as this species has the ability to bury 

itself completely in sand. 

Now that you know a little more about these amazing 

creatures, you’re ready to get out in the sea and go octopus 

spotting. Good luck! a 

Further reading 

Hanlon, R.T. and Messenger, J.B., 2018. Cephalopod 

behaviour. Cambridge University Press. 

Jereb, P., Roper, C., Norman, M., Finn, J., et al., 2016. 

Cephalopods of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated 

Catalogue of Species Known to Date. Vol. 3. Octopods and 

Vampire Squids. 

Humann, P., Deloach, N. and Wilk, L., 2002. Reef creature 

identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. 

HEIDI HERTLER 



This Caicos pine seedling, with needles yet to shrug off chunks of the algal mat in which pine seeds often germinate, grew from seeds dropped 

in October. It is among the first of its kind grown in the wild in over ten years. 

Phoenix from the Ashes? 

Good news for the TCI’s National Tree. 

Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, TCI Naturalist 

The Turks & Caicos Islands’ National Tree, the stately Caicos pine Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis, has 

had a rough few decades recently. Following the introduction of the invasive pine tortoise scale insect, 

which infests trees through their fatality, as well as a sea surge and catastrophic wildfire in 2008–2009, 

and then several more significant hurricanes, over 97% of the population of this vital species was lost. 

Caicos pine is the foundation species of the pine yard, part of the globally imperiled pine rockland 

ecosystem, a habitat unique to the Caicos Islands and northern Bahamas, with fragments in southern 

Florida (but hosting a different species of pine). 

38 www.timespub.tc


Since 2008 the Caicos Pine Recovery Project has 

been striving to save the species and help restore its 

ecosystem. The team members — researchers, conservationists, 

technicians and volunteers from numerous 

government agencies, NGOs and institutions — all understood 

that their efforts may not yield appreciable or even 

visible results during their lifetimes. 

Trees work on a different time scale than humans 

— they don’t care that we only live a handful of decades 

when their lifetimes span centuries. It takes a certain 

naïve and somewhat dismal optimism to dedicate one’s 

life to saving trees and the ecosystems they support, 

along with an acceptance that one really doesn’t have 

enough time to carry one’s work to completion because 

human mortality will eventually interfere. 

A few of those committing their time to Caicos pine 

recovery remember the tall, shady forests of pine strewn 

across the rocky plains on the southern rock flats of 

Middle and North Caicos, a broad band of fragrant forest 

sandwiched between the broadleaf thicket and the 

mangrove swamps. None of them imagined they would 

be there to see the forest return to that sort of glory. 

And yet they drudged on: Collecting and sowing seeds, 

tending a nursery, cultivating the unique symbiotic fungi 

that live on the pines’ roots, cleaning pine needles of 

pests, researching the genetics and chemistry and stress 

and symbioses of the pines and maintaining the essential 

element of fire in their habitat. 

Pine yard, surprisingly, is a forest that needs to burn 

— it is fire-dependent, and exclusion of fire for too long 

Top right: In May 2012, there were very few pine trees in Burn Plot 2, and none were strong enough to reproduce. 

Above: In December 2019, the same Burn Plot 2 hosts several dozen healthy, robust Caicos pine trees that have reached reproductive age and 

strength. Hundreds more grow in surrounding burn plots. 



leads to invasion by broadleaf trees and an eventual total 

and permanent takeover. Pine seedlings can’t grow in 

broadleaf trees’ dense shade — but broadleaf trees can’t 

take repeated ground fires like pine can. Lightning strikes 

used to ignite pine yards, but the habitat’s fragmentation 

from the scale insect now prevents fires from functioning 

in the proper way. Controlled burns are the answer, 

wherein teams of specialists prepare the ground, cut firebreaks 

and expertly apply fire to the habitat in a way that 

it is safe for humans and trees. The first controlled burn 

in May 2012 was successful (in that there were no accidents, 

escaped fires or pine trees permanently harmed) 

but none of the burn team knew just how successful it 

would be. 

Within months of the burn, there were obvious benefits: 

Saplings that had been festooned with scale insects 

and stunted for years by their parasitism suddenly 

flushed with new growth and quadrupled their height in 

a year. The release of nutritious ash into the soil and the 

reduction of broadleaf competition, coupled with scale 

insects’ dislike of heat and smoke, encouraged growth. 

But with mature pines all but gone there was no significant 

seed production (those that remained bore cones 

that remained scantily fertilized due to low pollen count 

in the air) and so no recruitment. The young saplings 

grew to two metres, then five, then eight and they finally 

began producing cones, but seeds were still few. Caicos 

pinecones can hold over 80 seeds and trees can produce 

dozens of cones, but production was down to single 

digits of seed per tree annually and not all were viable. 

More clusters of pines grew, but there was no indication 

that the habitat would be self-sustaining within the near 

future. 

And then, serendipitously in mid-December, which 

happens to be Caicos Pine Awareness Month, a remarkable 

manifestation was observed in the pine yard. During 

a field trip to one of the burn plots by participants in 

the collaborative DECR/Bahamas Forestry Unit’s Plant 

Identification Training, something familiar caught Junel 

“Flash” Blaise’s eye. Having grown hundreds of Caicos 

pine seedlings in the project nursery and having rescued 

dozens from unsuitable wild spots over the years, Flash’s 

sense for finding tiny, newly germinated pine seedlings is 

nothing short of supersensory. Under a pine tree on the 

far side of Burn Plot #2, he noticed a lime-green, brushlike 

seedling. With just a cursory glance around, Flash 

The parent tree of the Caicos Pine seedlings, with many other young 

and vigorous of its kind in the background, benefited from the 2012 

controlled burn. 

counted six more, including a seedling so young it only 

had its first four needles. The parent tree above had been 

a crippled sapling barely a foot high before the 2012 

burn, but had grown into a sturdy, four metre tree with 

the help of the nutritious ash. Near its crown, a cluster of 

fat, chestnut-coloured cones yawned, their scales open 

having dropped their seeds in October. 

40 www.timespub.tc


The 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed the 

Caicos Pine Recovery Project Nursery and seed collections 

for 2019 were put on hold until the nursery could be 

rebuilt. But here the Caicos pines had taken up the task 

themselves for the first time in over a decade. 

The seedlings are an unexpected sign of hope: They 

signify that trees are healthy enough to produce viable 

seed and numerous enough to shed sufficient pollen to 

fertilize young cones. While pine tortoise scale insect is 

still present in the pine yard, their infestation is greatly 

reduced and trees are healthier and more robust than 

they have been since the insect arrived in TCI. 

As the seedlings grow, their new roots will knit into 

the diverse array of soil fungi that help the pine grow and 



AMANO WILLIAMS 

draw up the nutritious ash still present in the thin soil 

released by the 2012 burn. In time, they will grow taller 

and shed their old needles, contributing to the blanket 

of fuel for the next burn. If conditions continue to be 

favourable, seeds will be produced annually and will help 

restore this small patch of pine yard to a density like the 

pre-scale insect habitat. 

DECR’s own pine seedling expert Junel “Flash” Blaise gleefully points 

out one of the newly grown seedlings he noticed in the needle duff. 

And while the project team may not be able to see 

restored, intact habitat with large mature trees within 

their lifetimes, they will continue to watch over the new 

seedlings and document their growth—and be excited to 

see the first glimpse of the Caicos pine’s unique ecosystem 

rising from the ashes. a 

To see the National Tree in its natural habitat and witness 

the habitat recovery, visit the Caicos Pine Yard 

Trail: National Tree Ramble on Middle Caicos (on King 

Road, one mile past Conch Bar Caves National Park gate). 

The fully-interpreted trail is under half a mile over level 

ground and is free to visit sunrise to sunset. It is part 

of the 660-acre Caicos Pine Core Conservation Area for 

Middle Caicos and protected within the North, Middle and 

East Caicos Wetlands Nature Reserve (a Ramsar Wetlands 

Convention Site). 

Naming Names: 

Collaborative Plant Identification Training 

Story & Photos By B Naqqi Manco, 

DECR Terrestrial Ecologist 

The Department of Environment & Coastal Resources 

conducted the Turks & Caicos Islands and Southern 

Bahamas Plant Identification Training 2019, a 

techniques and tools-based approach to learning 

methodology for identification of native plants. The 

workshop, held from December 16–20, 2019, was the 

second in a series of internationally collaborative trainings 

between DECR and The Bahamas Forestry Unit. 

The first was conducted in New Providence in April 

2017 by DECR Terrestrial Ecologist B Naqqi Manco, who 

also taught the 2019 event. It focused on species of 

interest to The Bahamas Forestry Unit, mainly woody 

species associated with their pine forests. As The 

Bahamas Forestry Unit’s Seed Collection Project began 

bringing them deeper into the southern Bahamas and 

into habitats with which they had less familiarity, they 

saw a need to utilize DECR’s botanical expertise in the 

dry southern islands of the Lucayan Archipelago. 

Two participants from The Bahamas Forestry Unit, 

Amano Williams and Andrew Curry, learned alongside 

participants from DECR and the Turks & Caicos 

National Trust. B Naqqi Manco explains, “The training 

isn’t meant to be a rote memorization of species in 

the field, but rather was approached through recognizing 

anatomical features, understanding the related 

terminology and using those characteristics to find 

the identifications in the texts. Some of the terminology 

can be intimidating — for example what does it 

mean when a leaf has ‘a retuse apex, crenulate margin, 

and oblique base with a subchartaceous texture and 

is highly discolored?’ All of these terms relate to features 

important in the identification of plants to family, 

genus and species.” 

Along with teaching plant anatomy, terminology 

and descriptions of features, the training also focused 

on taxonomic classification, botanical names and the 

use of keys in flora texts for identification of plant 

species. The course featured a strong field element, 

with the first day being a trip to Little Water Cay with 

42 www.timespub.tc


Clockwise from top left: Participants learn the sense of smell can 

be an important identification tool as they inhale the strongly fragrant 

scent of nakedwood Myrcianthes fragrans leaves at Wade’s 

Green Plantation on North Caicos. 

Correll & Correll’s Flora of the Bahama Archipelago is the essential 

text for plant identification in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

In Wild Cow Run, Middle Caicos, participants observe the features 

of the TCI endemic Britton’s buttonbush Spermacoce brittonii that 

identify it as a member of the coffee family. 

a practical outcome: annual post-Hurricane Irma plant 

monitoring. Several species new to Little Water Cay were 

documented during the field training, including eyebright 

sedge Scleria lithosperma and tall Encyclia orchid 

Encyclia altissima. The second day of the course was 

a classroom day with explanations of anatomy, terminology 

and texts, and targeted activities including a 

dichotomous key exercise. All participants received a 

workbook that included compendia of anatomical terminology 

and common characteristics. 

The third and fourth day took place in Middle and 

North Caicos, practicing plant identification in-situ with 

use of tools learned on the second day. Participants 

visited habitats unique to the archipelago including 

dune chapparal and coastal coppice, salina, limestone 

thicket, dry tropical forest, ephemeral freshwater wetlands, 

rocky ridges and wild-oak bottom. 

The final day included a classroom review, examination 

and presentation of certificates. Everyone who 

sat the exam received a 100% score. Bahamas Forestry 

Unit participant Amano Williams shared, “It was a blast, 

I learned a lot and it was a great refresher. The instructor 

took his time and broke down the terminology. It 

was interesting because we’ve been exposed to new 

and different species of plants. We hope to continue 

building a stronger relation with more training and 

projects in the future.” DECR hopes to expand this 

training programme by making it more frequent and 

adding more advanced subject matter. a 


MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM

feature 

Opposite page: Slavery on the Caicos Islands was all about cotton, this beautiful and profitable plant that still grows wild across the Turks 

& Caicos Islands. Above: Although this image depicts an amphibious assault by Colonial forces against the British port of Nassau, Bahamas 

during the American Revolutionary War, it could easily mirror the arrival of the first British Loyalists on the shores of North and Middle Caicos 

and Providenciales following the American Revolution in the late 1700s. 

When the first British Loyalists arrived on the shores of North and Middle Caicos and Providenciales following 

the American Revolution in the late 1700s, they took with them enslaved people and a mindset 

of entitlement and power that mirrored the mores and hierarchy of the American South. The confiscation 

of home and plantations by the victorious American Patriots followed by forced exile apparently kindled 

no reflection or reconsideration of the practice of slavery as the Loyalists tried to recreate a lifestyle of 

privilege in the Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Largely left out is the perspective of the people who made possible that lifestyle, as if they were muted 

shadows on the wall instead of vibrant actors in their own right. What of the pain and exploitation they 

endured? What cracks in the system did they manipulate? And what of their courage under fire that, for 

a brief afternoon, put the enslaver and enslaved shoulder to shoulder as equals? Though slavery’s paradox 

was plain to see, Loyalists never mustered their own courage to change, even in a defining moment, 

holding on to their ways to the end. 

Hidden Legacy 

Slavery and the Loyalists in “Grand Caicos.” 

By Ben Stubenberg 


Exile and second chances 

The story of Loyalist settlers to the Turks & Caicos Islands 

is well documented. At the conclusion of the American 

Revolution, the Patriots bitterly resented those who had 

fought for King George III and often tarred and feathered 

them (a common mob form of punishment at the time). 

Forced off their property (which enriched the victors who 

took over), many of the Loyalists in Georgia fled to nearby 

St. Augustine in East Florida which had been returned to 

Spanish rule. 

The Spanish offered to let the Loyalists stay if they 

swore allegiance to Spain and converted to Catholicism. 

But the Protestant Loyalists (also referred to as Tories, the 

political party reflecting their views) refused to convert 

and opted to take a chance on a new life in the Bahamas, 

which at that time included Turks & Caicos. (See Times of 

the Islands Fall 2010, “All the King’s Men” by Dr. Charlene 

Kozy.) Other Loyalists fled to the port city of Savannah 

and waited in squalid conditions for British ships that 

could take them to the Bahamas as well, or other parts of 

the British Empire for resettlement. 

During this time in limbo, the British government 

compensated Loyalists for some or all of the losses suffered 

in the now former British colonies with cash and 

land grants that enabled them to begin anew. The compensation, 

as well as things of value to bring out, allowed 

Loyalists to purchase machinery, agricultural implements, 

and more slaves, giving them a big advantage in starting 

over with new plantations and a second life. 

The first stop for many Loyalists was Nassau or 

nearby Cat Island, Eleuthera and Abaco. Their presence 

immediately caused friction with the long-term white residents 

who were mostly poor, illiterate and resentful of 

well-to-do refugees who looked down on them. Loyalists 

with the means set out for the more fertile and uninhabited 

islands of “Grand Caicos,” what we know today as 

North and Middle Caicos and Parrot Cay. They were really 

the third wave of slaveholders in TCI, the first being the 

Spanish enslavers who removed the original Taino and 

Lucayan Indians in the late 1400s and early 1500s that, 

along with disease and killings, completely depopulated 

all of TCI. The Bermudians followed in the late 1600s, 

bringing hundreds of slaves to Grand Turk, Salt Cay and 

South Caicos to work the salt ponds. 

Before setting foot in TCI, the Loyalists knew the 

location and acreage of their new plantations in Grand 

Caicos. And they knew how much forced labor and tools 

they would need to cut and clear the thick brush for planting 

of sea cotton, which had already proven to be a viable 

crop on the other Bahamian islands. The Loyalist planters 

that arrived in Grand Caicos knew one another and kept 

in contact with other Loyalist families that had settled 

elsewhere in the Bahamas and other British Caribbean 

islands. That connection based on common values and 

shared experience in exile gave them a measure of social 

and political power. 

Records tell of Loyalist marriages and offspring, their 

business dealings and their political ambitions to enhance 

their status in their new island home. We even know the 

inventory of luxury goods they loaded onto ships, such 

as fine mahogany furniture, china, silverware and linen 

sheets. Libraries, musical instruments, spy glasses and 

silver dueling pistols rounded out the households of the 

stone and wood houses the slaves would build for them. 

In fact, some Loyalists modeled their new abodes after 

houses where they had lived in Georgia. 

There are no records of what they thought when they 

squinted out at the hot, low-lying islands of Grand Caicos 

covered with thick brush and rocks with few sources of 

fresh water. But surely their hearts must have sunk at the 

realization that even with slaves, machinery and a few 

luxuries, life would probably never reach the level they 

enjoyed in the American South. 

No let-up for the enslaved 

The enslaved, of course, arrived here with nothing except 

a strong culture of resilience and adaptation. From the 

Loyalist perspective, they existed solely to be exploited 

for commercial gain. From the enslaved perspective, life 

centered on how to work the system, resist and retain a 

measure of dignity in the face of daily oppression. While 

Loyalists were able to bring some slaves from Georgia, 

the Carolinas and East Florida, they bought new ones at 

slave markets in Nassau and Cuba before the final leg 

of the journey to Grand Caicos. Thus, new arrivals from 

Africa mixed in with an existing culture of people who had 

known nothing but slavery. 

We can only imagine the great despair and bewilderment 

slaves must have felt when they emerged from the 

holds of the same sailing ships as the Loyalists. They, too, 

shielded their eyes while peering into the bright sunlight 

and saw before them the desolate, faraway island, searingly 

conscious of their status and grim prospects. The 

new home held no promise of a better life, only forced 

backbreaking work until death. 

As in the American South and throughout the West 

Indies, the Loyalists recorded slaves as numbers. How 

46 www.timespub.tc

Before setting foot in TCI, the Loyalists knew the location and acreage 

of their new plantations in Grand Caicos. And they knew how 

much forced labor and tools they would need to cut and clear the 

thick brush for planting of sea cotton, which had already proven to 

be a viable crop on the other Bahamian islands. 

ALMAY LTD. 


many belonged to whom and the purchases, sales and 

transfers, along with first names. While a slave’s position 

or health condition might be listed, this was the exception. 

A sales document dated 20th August 1792 marking 

the transfer of slaves between plantation owners Wade 

Stubbs and Annis Stubbs provides an example. The document 

shows that Annis Stubbs paid “five hundred pounds 

sterling” to own 12 people. The document records their 

names as George, Phabe, Jeny, Venus, Rachel, Charlott, 

Lucy, Jim, York, Nancy, Cathy and Darky and stipulates 

“with all their future and increase of their bodies.” The 

quoted words make starkly clear the expected continuity 

of property through propagation and leaves no doubt 

about their belief in the perpetuation of the institution 

of slavery. It also lays bare the pure commercial transactional 

nature of the practice. 

The Bermudian slave holders on Grand Turk, Salt Cay 

and South Caicos similarly tracked slaves they used to 

produce salt. And both groups counted the slaves who 

escaped, as these were serious monetary losses to be 

accounted for. In short, the lives of those held bondage 

were reduced to bookkeeping. 

For slavery to succeed, though, slaveholders had to 

maintain constant control through absolute power using 

violence or the threat of violence. We are well aware of the 

brutality Bermudian slaveholders meted out to slaves who 

worked the salt ponds on Grand Turk through the raw 

and riveting firsthand account of slavery by Mary Prince. 

As recorded and published by abolitionists in London in 

the 1830s, Mary tells of the grueling labor and torture 

she experienced and witnessed as a slave working the salt 

ponds: 

Then we had no sleep—no rest—but were forced to 

work as fast as we could, and go on again all next 

day the same as usual. Work—work—work—Oh 

that Turks Island was a horrible place! The people 

of England, I am sure, have never found out what is 

carried out there. Cruel, horrible place! 

If we could not keep up with the rest of the gang of 

slaves, we were put in the stocks, and severely flogged 

the next morning. 

Mr. D—has often stripped me naked, hung me up by 

the wrists, and beat me with the cow-skin, with his 

own hand, till my body was raw with gashes. 

No such detailed account exists for the enslaved on 

the cotton plantations of North and Middle Caicos, Parrot 

Cay and Providenciales, though life was likely as harsh. 

Indeed, the Loyalist slaveholders would have every reason 

to omit accounts of violence inflicted on the enslaved in 

Grand Caicos. Great Britain had banned the slave trade 

in 1807 (not slavery itself) and put in place various laws 

to regulate slavery in the West Indies and elsewhere. So, 

at least on paper, the laws forbade some egregious practices 

and required some care for sick and elderly slaves. 

However, in the isolation of Grand Caicos, or even in the 

more trafficked Grand Turk, these laws could be safely 

ignored as long as everyone kept quiet. 

Despite the paucity of written accounts of slave 

treatment in Grand Caicos, we can still glean a picture of 

slavery on these islands through the records kept, oral 

history passed down and witness accounts of the brutality 

of slavery in the region. These are largely in sync 

with what Mary Prince had revealed through her abolitionist 

supporters. For the Loyalist enslavers, the culture 

of exploitation in the American South closely paralleled 

the one here and, thus, can serve as a historical portal 

into the conditions and relationships that likely existed 

between slaves and Loyalists. 

Exerting control 

Presbyterian minister and abolitionist John Rankin’s 1826 

Letters on Slavery compellingly describes common slave 

treatment at the time that parallel accounts throughout 

the West Indies. Control meant keeping slaves hungry and 

desperate for food, which could easily be cut off. From 

there, as Rankin’s Letters makes clear, slaves faced painful 

floggings for not working hard enough, for stealing 

food or for no reason at all. Ratcheting up, slaveholders at 

times applied more severe forms of torment, including dismemberment, 

mutilation and burning to punish and send 

a message to others. Notably, Rankin’s Letters recount 

the pouring of red pepper or turpentine into wounds and 

gashes, not unlike what Mary Prince saw when Bermudian 

slaveholders poured salt into the wounds of the enslaved 

on Grand Turk. While administering these tortures, slaveholders 

would actually read Biblical scripture that in their 

interpretation justified and rationalized their actions. 

Perhaps the most vivid account of this harsh reality 

of slavery is the book 12 Years a Slave by Solomon 

Northrup, published in 1853. Made into a major motion 

picture in 2013, it won Oscars for Best Picture, Best 

Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. The 

book and the movie detail Mr. Northrup’s experience of 

going from a free man in New York to being kidnapped 

48 www.timespub.tc

The painting “Am Not I A Man and a Brother” dates to around 1800 and features a dominant motif detailing the 

agonizing and insufferable treatment of slaves on a Caribbean sugar plantation during the Transatlantic Slave 

Trade. Based on a design commissioned by the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade on July 5, 1787, 

the painting is considered to be one of the first instances of a logo designed for a political cause. It was famously 

used by the potter Josiah Wedgwood for his persuasive anti-slavery ceramic medallions and went on to become 

the dominant image of abolition campaigning in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM LIVERPOOL

and forced to work as a slave on a cotton plantation in 

Louisiana. After friends secured his release that enabled 

him to return to New York, he worked with abolitionist 

groups to highlight the conditions he and other slaves 

were subjected to. The book and the movie graphically 

describe the horrific treatment at the hands of a slave 

owner, including sexual exploitation. 

It is fair to assume that Loyalist slaveholders, as a 

matter of course, continued to carry out such violence on 

Grand Caicos slaves, even if application varied. It could be 

argued that treatment of slaves on Grand Caicos may not 

have been as severe as on Grand Turk because slaveholders 

on Grand Caicos would have more incentive to manage 

them better in view of the difficulty of acquiring new slaves 

due to isolation. But beating slaves was such a regular part 

of slave life that it’s hard to believe the Loyalists would 

somehow become more amenable with changed circumstances, 

and there is little to suggest otherwise. 

While violence was the main tool for controlling 

enslaved people and extracting as much work as possible, 

slaveholders also had to deal with the prospect of a slave 

revolt. Indeed, slave rebellions had taken place in the 

American South and West Indies throughout the 1700s 

and early 1800s, culminating in the successful rebellion 

in Haiti in November 1803 that led to the establishment 

of the first black republic of former slaves. Loyalists were 

keenly well aware of these uprisings, especially the revolt 

in Haiti in view of its proximity to TCI—just 100 miles/160 

km away. Ships sailing between northern Haiti and TCI 

greatly facilitated a flow of information to slaveholders 

and slaves alike about the struggle taking place in Haiti 

over the course of more than a decade. 

In order to mitigate the chances of an uprising and 

the risk of revenge, slaveholders often took measures to 

create divisions among slaves. One way was to acquire 

slaves from different parts of Africa who could not understand 

each other or mix them in with slaves who had been 

in bondage for many generations. The Loyalist purchase 

of slaves at markets in Nassau and Cuba to augment the 

slaves they had brought from the American South may 

well have had the effect of creating such divisions, though 

we don’t know if it was a deliberate strategy. 

A second way to split slave groups was to create hierarchies 

of slaves with special privileges. We know that 

some of the slaves brought by Loyalists had specialized 

skills such as carpentry and blacksmithing, thus indicating 

the strong possibility of “favored” slaves with more 

status that could cause resentment and sow disharmony 

to discourage unified action. 

In fact, no outright slave revolts took place in TCI. 

However, many slaves successfully escaped, mainly by 

taking boats from the beaches at night and sailing south 

to Haiti, a country that welcomed them as free people. 

(See Times of the Islands Fall 2018, “Sailing to Freedom” 

by this author.) Between 1822 and 1825, 128 slaves in 

the Turks & Caicos escaped, many of them from the Wade 

Stubbs plantation on North Caicos. We have no testimony 

on why they or any slaves from TCI escaped, though abusive 

treatment would seem to be the likely motivation to 

get away—bad enough to cause them forsake family and 

friends. 

Exploitation and sentiment 

One of the most debasing aspects of slavery was sexual 

exploitation of slave women by slaveholders that also 

involved violence or the threat of violence. While some 

slaves may have been accommodating to avoid repercussions, 

all were in some way coerced or forced. 

Stories of such abuse abounded. Mary Prince herself 

was almost certainly subjected to sexual exploitation by 

the slaveholder she refers to as “Mr. D” on Grand Turk. 

Some abolitionists, including those who supported Mary 

Prince, may have purposefully glossed over the more heinous 

and salacious accounts, as they felt it would distract 

from the larger objective of banning slavery. Of course, the 

awareness could not be hidden for long since the exploitation 

resulted in numerous births of mulatto children. 

A British-mandated census in 1834 in TCI classified 

180 individuals (13.08% of the slave population) 

as “Mulattos,” which was defined as persons with both 

African and European bloodlines. Of these, according to 

TCI historian Nigel Sadler in his book Slave History of the 

Turks & Caicos Islands, 112 persons were under 20 years 

of age. It is not known if all of the mulattos were the 

offspring of slaveholders and slaves—some could have 

been the result of liaisons between white indentured servants 

or other white non-slaveholders and either slaves 

or ex-slaves. However, the high number of children and 

teens of mixed race, the close proximity of slaves to slaveholders 

in all the Islands and the long history of forced 

or coercive sexual relations by slaveholders strongly indicates 

that most, though maybe not all, mulatto offspring 

at that time were the result of slaveholder exploitation of 

female slaves. 

These abhorrent violations could take strange turns. 

In the 1760s and 1770s, a Jamaican slaveholder named 

Thomas Thistlewood kept a detailed diary of his relations 

with slaves. He even documented his own brutality 

50 www.timespub.tc

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS 

against slaves, which historian Trevor Burnard called 

“sociopathic,” a term which could perhaps be applied to 

most slaveholders, including many on Grand Caicos. 

In a twisted but not uncommon way, Thistlewood 

also developed an affection for a few of the slave women. 

One woman in particular named Phibbah, with whom he 

had a son, apparently used his emotional connection to 

her (perhaps dependency mixed with jealousy) to turn 

the tables and gain favors to survive in an otherwise 

oppressive society. Phibbah even felt free to quarrel with 

Thistlewood and refuse to sleep with him without fear of 

repercussion. 

This brings us to the intriguing relationship between 

Dr. John Lorimer and his slave Rose on his Haulover 

Estate in Middle Caicos. Lorimer’s will, written in 1807, 

has been recorded as stating that on his death he would 

free all of his slaves. In fact, according to Mr. Sadler, 

the will was mistakenly recorded because Lorimer freed 

only one slave, referred to as his “faithful Negro woman 

slave Rose.” Rose first appears as “Rosana, property of 

John Lorimer Esq. born April 16th, 1795” and baptized in 

March 1800 in Grand Turk when Lorimer was there acting 

as the King’s Agent. Apparently, Rose is the only one of 

his slaves to be baptized, which raises the question of, 

“Why her?” 

The details of Lorimer’s will provide some context: 

“I wish my body to be carried to the grave by six of my 

Negroes (if I have any) dressed in white. For long service 

rendered me by the Negro woman Rose, I leave her free 

. . . [and] leave Rose any two of my young Negroes born 

and raised in the Caicos and Turks Islands, which she may 

choose.” Rose is later mentioned in an 1822 slave register 

as, “Rose Lorimer, free black woman” who owns two 

slaves, “Joe, male 30, Black. Turks Islands and Hannah, 

female, 30, Black. Turks Islands.” 

So it appears that Rose is free and has two slaves of 

her own, a rare gift for a former slave, which suggests a 

special relationship with Lorimer of some kind. It is telling 

that Rose is already referred to in Lorimer’s 1807 will as 

“faithful Negro woman,” and on track to be freed even 

though at the time she was only 12 years old (if she was in 

fact born in 1795 per the Grand Turk records). While not 

definitive, the shards of evidence seem to indicate that 

Rose is his daughter, prompting, of course, the second 

question about his relationship with Rose’s mother, most 

likely a slave under his control. 

By singling out Rose in granting her freedom and 

slaves, Lorimer ensured she would have far greater independence 

and a higher level of comfort in life. One can try 

to portray this act of kindness as a slaveholder’s “softer” 


side. However, Lorimer still felt compelled to use and perpetuate 

the institution of slavery to express his apparent 

affection for Rose (or guilt) and to ensure she had a better 

life. Though it is possible Rose’s two slaves were enslaved 

in name only, and maybe even relatives of Rose, Lorimer 

failed to take that additional step of freeing all slaves. In 

that sense, Lorimer was not much different from other 

slaveholders in the American South or Caribbean who 

gifted slaves to their wives and daughters for the same 

reasons. 

Indeed, the ownership of slaves by women was not 

unusual in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As many as 

40% of enslavers may have been women in the United 

States, as slaves represented one of the few ways in which 

women could be independently well-off, if not wealthy. 

Ironically, by possessing slaves, these women gained a 

measure of personal freedom otherwise denied to them 

in an era when society accorded them few rights, as was 

even more so in the case with Rose. 

While maltreatment of the enslaved is usually associated 

with men, historical records show that women 

were just as cruel whether or not they actually owned the 

slaves. In fact women, like men, in slaveholding families 

were socialized from an early age to treat slaves badly. 

The brutality was at its most pernicious when wives of 

slaveholders physically lashed out at slave women whom 

their husbands had impregnated. The wives often blamed 

the slave women rather than their husbands responsible 

for the transgression. 12 Years a Slave highlighted this. 

Astoundingly, these atrocities were confirmed through 

eye-witness accounts compiled as late as the 1930s from 

men and women still alive who had been slaves before 

American emancipation in 1865. 

In less common cases, women took advantage of 

male slaves under their control in the American South 

and the West Indies, perhaps out of loneliness, perhaps 

out of defiance, or perhaps because they could. Local historian 

and naturalist B Naqqi Manco recalls a story about 

a slave-owning widow on North Caicos who had relations 

with a slave named Fred. Little else is known about the 

story, and it is hard to confirm, but the incident would not 

have been completely out of character for a slave-owning 

woman at the time in North Caicos or anywhere else. 

Confrontation and loyalty 

As slaveholders in the American South and the West 

Indies came under increasing scrutiny and exposure by 

abolitionist groups, slaveholders attempted to counter 

the narrative that slavery was evil. They mounted what 

was in effect a public relations campaign by portraying 

themselves as benevolent masters who treated “their” 

slaves well. They argued that slaves were, in fact, better 

off with the food and shelter they provided and cited incidents 

of slave “loyalty” as evidence of acceptance of their 

condition. Many people bought into the notion that slavery 

“wasn’t that bad,” a story line that could be considered 

the “fake news” of the time. 

Just how did this notion of slave loyalty play out with 

the Loyalists of Grand Caicos? As it happens, a pirate 

attack off West Caicos brought enslaved and enslavers 

together in a fight for survival that tested assumptions 

about slavery for at least one prominent Loyalist planter, 

Colonel Thomas Brown. Originally from Yorkshire, 

England, Thomas made his way to the American colonies 

where he started plantations in the American South and 

acquired slaves just as the Revolutionary War broke out. 

After professing loyalty to King George III and refusing 

to sign a letter swearing allegiance to the Revolution at 

a “Sons of Liberty” meeting, the Patriots brutally attacked 

and tarred and feathered him. 

Angry and spoiling for revenge, Brown joined the 

Loyalist unit “The King’s Rangers” and fought against the 

Patriots, rising to the rank of colonel. Legend has it that 

his bitterness was so great that he hanged 13 Patriots just 

so he could gloat over their suffering. 

When the Patriots wrested control of the American 

colonies from Great Britain, he along with the other 

Loyalists made their way to North Caicos to start over. In 

the course of developing a plantation, he, like Lorimer, 

earned a reputation for treating slaves well. If a slave 

from one plantation wanted to marry a slave from another 

plantation, he would buy the slave in order to keep the 

family together. Supposedly, he had also freed favorites 

among the enslaved even before coming to North Caicos. 

Therefore, if any slaveholder could have empathy and 

understanding and see the enslaved as human, not chattel, 

it would seem to be Brown. 

When a ship from Rhode Island laden with badly 

needed supplies and provisions for Loyalist planters 

wrecked on the reef off West Caicos, Brown, other planters 

and several slaves set off for the stricken ship. Sailing 

in five sloops, they found the ship intact and successfully 

salvaged the valuable cargo. As they were about to return, 

French pirates/privateers attacked them. A pitched battle 

ensued as the French attempted to drive the slaves and 

Loyalists against the reef and take their sloops and cargo. 

Brown sailed the largest boat that was mounted with 

two small cannons. Also on board was a crew of slaves 

52 www.timespub.tc

armed with muskets. Together, they managed to drive 

off the French three different times. After three hours of 

fighting, a cannon from a more heavily armed French ship 

sank Brown’s sloop, forcing him and the crew to swim to 

shore on West Caicos where they awaited rescue. Two 

of the slaves had been wounded in the fight, though not 

mortally. The French captured the remaining boats with 

the cargo and sailed away. 

The Bahama Gazette carried a story of the fight in the 

August 21, 1798 edition, including Brown’s praise for his 

men. In a letter to his father in England, Brown wrote, “I 

was so proud of my men, did not mind the loss of goods.” 

This was not the first action Brown took that involved 

arming slaves to protect Loyalist planter interests. Brown, 

using his own money and probably with assistance from 

other planters, had already built two forts to protect Saint 

George Harbour (now known as Fort George Cay between 

Pine Cay and Dellis Cay). 

According to Edward J. Cashin in The King’s Ranger, 

“He (Brown) armed and drilled his black labor force” to 

man the fort. Clearly, Brown developed a great deal of 

confidence in people he had enslaved to actually arm 

them at a time when the Haitian slave rebellion was in 

full swing, and slaveholders were fearful the revolt might 

spread. Indeed, Brown’s initiatives were exceptional in a 

time when most slaveholders believed that slaves could 

not be trusted, much less with weapons. 

While Brown praised his men, implying loyalty to him 

in the fight against the French pirates, the slaves could 

just as well have been fighting for their own survival, not 

fealty to their slaveholder. And while the arming of slaves 

for island defense against raiders may well have been 

forward leaning and progressive for the era, could that 

loyalty have lasted long on such an isolated post if the 

slave soldiers remained slaves? I can think of no instance 

where slaves fought willingly for slave masters without 

at least the promise of freedom, which Brown apparently 

never gave. 

When Brown departed North Caicos in 1802 and 

resettled in St. Vincent a few years later to start another 

plantation, he reportedly took with him 643 slaves and 

15 white overseers who had been working his plantations 

there. In fact, Brown had so many slaves that it 

took almost two years to transfer all of them. It should 

be noted that there is no record of slaves escaping from 

Brown’s plantation. That might suggest that they didn’t 

want to because they were content. But, such a perspective 

would require an assumption that Brown (and all of 

his 15 overseers) treated his slaves so vastly differently 

from other plantations that all of them preferred bondage 

to freedom, or at least questioned taking the risk of sailing 

to freedom. 

Notwithstanding Brown’s experience and his admiration 

for the enslaved under his control, he apparently felt 

no compunction or inclination to let them go. Perhaps in 

arrogance he believed that bondage was better (except 

for one or two favored ones). Or perhaps he calculated 

that without hundreds of slaves working for him, he could 

not maintain his lifestyle and status, and thus could not 

do without them. In any case, Brown, like other ostensibly 

enlightened enslavers who were well aware of slavery’s 

bitter controversy, rationalized the status quo, unable to 

rise to the occasion. 

Legacy and today 

In the end, the Loyalist plantations lasted less than 

thirty years before hurricanes, soil depletion and disease 

destroyed much of the sea cotton crop. While some 

Loyalists turned to planting sisal then used for making 

rope, the brief heyday of the plantation life on Grand 

Caicos declined sharply. Most of the Loyalists lost their 

second fortune here and left for England, or in some 

cases went back to the American South where resentment 

against Loyalists had dissipated. 

The Loyalists sold off some of the enslaved to recoup 

losses before departing, but left behind others. As the 

rigid, oppressive life of slavery began to unravel, the now 

former enslaved took control. Already hardy survivors, 

they were quite prepared to adapt, fend for themselves 

and make the land and sea serve them. They formed 

communities and depended on each other, a culture and 

spirit of reliance that continues to this day. This is quite a 

tribute for people whose ancestors came to these islands 

under the most excruciating circumstances and prevailed. 

a 

Ben Stubenberg (ben@caicunaniki.com) is a contributing 

writer to Times of the Islands with a passion for TCI history. 

He is also co-founder of the TCI adventure company 

Caicu Naniki and the annual Turks & Caicos “Race for the 

Conch” Eco-SeaSwim. 

Special thanks to Nigel Sadler, Historian and founder of 

Sands of Times Consultancy, Dr. Charlene Kozy, Historian, 

and B Naqqi Manco, Naturalist and Historian, for their 

valuable contributions. The personal perspectives are 

entirely the author’s. 


feature 

Opposite page and above: The SNAP Centre is the only government-funded special needs facility in Providenciales. It provides intellectual 

and life skills training for children and young adults ages 4 to 24 years old who have challenges such as autism, learning disabilities and 

developmental delays. A second facility is expected to open on Grand Turk this year. 

Inclusion Matters 

Advances in the education of children with special needs in the TCI. 

Many positive things are happening for children with special needs in the Turks & Caicos Islands as the 

result of a partnership between the TCI Government, a nonprofit organization of American and Canadian 

volunteers and a private business foundation in Providenciales. Children with challenges such as autism, 

learning disabilities and developmental delays “need special care and attention at a very young age” in 

order to reach their full potential, said the Honourable Edwin Astwood, Minister of Health, Agriculture, 

Sport and Human Services. 

By Norah Machia ~ Photos by Anthony Machia 


The TCI Government currently funds the Special 

Needs Association of Providenciales (SNAP) Centre, a special 

education facility with 13 students operated under 

the Ministry of Health. The centre provides both intellectual 

and life skills training for children and young adults 

ages 4 to 24 years old, and typically has a waiting list 

for new students. “We have just the one centre now, but 

there are many other children in need of assistance,” said 

Minister Astwood. More families are coming forward for 

help as the government has been working on educating 

people about tolerance, acceptance and inclusion of people 

with disabilities. 

This year, the TCI Government is planning to open a 

second special education facility on Grand Turk, according 

to Minister Astwood. Officials have been looking at 

several options to determine if it would be more cost 

effective to renovate existing space or build a new structure. 

A total of six children would be enrolled in the new 

centre during its first phase, with the possibility of future 

expansion. 

Opening the second centre in Grand Turk will help 

families on both the western and eastern portions of 

the Turks & Caicos Islands. In the past, some families 

with special needs children have faced tough decisions 

about changing jobs and moving closer to the centre in 

Providenciales. 

There are plans to expand classroom space and hire 

additional special needs teachers for the SNAP Centre 

as well, with a combination of government and private 

funding. The TCI Government has been working diligently 

to recruit additional special needs teachers. Competitive 

salaries and benefits are being offered, but the recruitment 

process has still been a challenge, Minister Astwood 

stated. 

Depending on their condition, children with special 

needs require different types of services, and things that 

come easily to other children are often greater challenges 

to them. But teachers at the SNAP Centre marvel at the 

tenacity of their students, and recognize they possess a 

remarkable resilience and strong determination to learn. 

The special education teachers at the SNAP Centre 

have created a positive learning environment, offering 

both small group and individualized attention. They present 

educational material in a variety of ways to meet the 

learning styles of each student, while working with all 

the children and young adults to reach their highest level 

possible of independence. 

“The attitudes regarding people with disabilities have 

been changing,” Minister Astwood noted. “In the past, 

you may have never known about a child with a special 

need unless it was someone in your own family. Now 

there is more public awareness, and more acceptance.” 

The Turks & Caicos Islands Government has been 

working with the 1 World Foundation for several years to 

help conduct assessments and develop treatment plans 

for special needs children. The nonprofit organization 

sends volunteer health care professionals from the United 

States and Canada to meet with children and their parents 

at the SNAP Centre, and at clinics and hospitals throughout 

the Islands. 

Since 1994, the 1 World Foundation has coordinated 

occupational therapy, speech pathology, audiology and 

clinical psychology assessments for children in TCI, said 

Howard Ganter, foundation president, New York State. 

These volunteers have worked with both the Ministry 

of Health and the Ministry of Education in sharing their 

experience and offering additional training. 

The 1 World Foundation volunteers worked with the 

Ministry of Health’s Special Needs Unit to develop a registry 

of children needing services, which totals nearly 

200 children to date. The nonprofit organization has 

also shipped adaptive equipment and program supplies 

to the Islands and their work has been supported by 

SNAP Centre student Steve gives a thumbs-up after completing a writing 

assignment in his small group classroom. His twin brother Steven 

is the fellow peeking over the composition book on the previous page. 

56 www.timespub.tc

Above: Hon. Edwin Astwood, TCI Minister of Health, meets with 

Joseph Rich of the 1 World Foundation. The nonprofit organization 

sends volunteer health professionals from North America to meet 

with special needs children and their parents in TCI. 

Bottom right: Neuropsychologist Dr. Jeanne Ryan has traveled to TCI 

from New York State for six years to provide assessments and create 

individualized treatment plans for many special needs children. 

Rotary Clubs in New York State, Ontario, Canada, and 

Providenciales. 

For six years, Dr. Jeanne Ryan, a neuropsychologist, 

and her husband, G. Terrence Ryan, a licensed mental 

health counselor from New York State, have traveled to 

TCI to provide assessments and create individualized 

treatment plans for many special needs children, including 

those with autism. 

Autism is often referred to as a “spectrum disorder” 

because it covers a broad range of conditions and 

is typically characterized by challenges with social skills, 

repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, 

according to the Autism Speaks organization. Each 

child with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges 

in the way they think, learn and solve problems, 

and their conditions range from severely-challenged to 

highly-skilled. 

The Ryans said they’ve seen more acceptance among 

families of children with special needs in TCI, although 

some stigma still exists. “The acceptance by parents is 


From top: Special Needs Teacher Paulette Simmons encourages young SNAP Centre student 

Bensky. 

It’s a “high five” for a job well done by SNAP Centre student Sabrina from Special Needs 

Teacher Keishe-ann Shaw. 

becoming much better, and we are 

getting more referrals,” Dr. Ryan said. 

“Although there are still parents who 

prefer to keep their children at home, 

because they have concerns about 

what others might think of them,” 

she added. “But we certainly have 

seen improvement firsthand. I recall 

one parent who just a few years ago 

did not want to take her special needs 

child out in public, but that slowly 

started to change, and she began by 

taking her child on trips to the grocery 

store.” 

In recent years, the Ministry of 

Health, along with volunteers from 

the 1 World Foundation, has sought 

input from parents with special 

needs children through a series of 

public meetings for residents of 

Providenciales, Grand Turk, Middle, 

South and North Caicos. 

In 2018, the Ministry of Education 

adopted a Special Education Policy 

that has resulted in additional services 

for special needs children, 

along with an enhanced referral and 

intervention system, and professional 

development opportunities for 

staff and administrators. “The Turks 

& Caicos Islands Government has 

appreciated the long-term commitment 

of the 1 World Foundation in 

helping us to ‘fill the gaps’ in creating 

services for people with disabilities,” 

said Minister Astwood. “They know 

what the system should look like and 

have helped guide us in developing 

our own system. We’re looking forward 

to future collaborations on all 

projects assisting families with special 

needs children.” 

One project being proposed by 

the nonprofit organization is a new 

public awareness campaign, said 

Joseph Rich, a founder of the 1 World 

Foundation from New York State. 

Mr. Rich recently met with Minister 

Astwood in TCI to propose a media 

58 www.timespub.tc

campaign that would continue spreading the message 

of acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities 

throughout the Islands. “People with disabilities have 

many of the same dreams as others, including being part 

of their communities, receiving special services, being 

respected and even having a job,” said Mr. Rich. The proposed 

campaign would emphasize the message that “all 

people are important, all people are valued, all people 

contribute to the community and this includes people 

with disabilities,” he added. 

The staff at the SNAP Centre has been working to 

spread that message by taking their students on field 

trips throughout the Islands. Participation in the community 

has helped the special needs children build 

self-confidence and independence, and they have often 

surprised people with their accomplishments, said Betty- 

Ann Been, Director of the Special Needs Unit, Ministry 

of Health. “Our motto is inclusion matters. We focus on 

independence, early intervention, development of life 

skills and potential employment opportunities.” 

The staff encourage parents to accompany them on 

field trips, because it gives them the opportunity to see 

how well their children can handle themselves in public, 

Ms. Been said. Bringing children to different locations 

throughout the Islands also helps people to start thinking 

differently about those with disabilities and what they can 

accomplish with their lives. 

The centre has been successful in having some children 

transition into the regular school system a couple 

of days a week with additional teacher support. Officials 

with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education 

have a strong working relationship and share information 

that is critical to identify, diagnose and help children with 

special needs, said Ms. Been. 

Some young adults who have completed their education 

and life skills training at the SNAP Centre program 

have found employment, including in the child care and 

landscaping fields. That effort was helped by the centre’s 

on-site gardening program, where children have been 

learning how to grow and market produce. 

The success of that program can be attributed in large 

part to the Seven Stars Community Foundation, which 

“adopted” the SNAP Centre as its main cause, providing 

continual support for the teachers and students “that has 

been critical to our operation,” said Ms. Been. 

The Community Foundation was started six years ago 

and considers the SNAP Centre as its main area of focus 

on Providenciales, said Paul Jobling, Seven Stars Resort, 

Grace Bay. “The foundation has raised over $150,000 to 

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help the centre.” 

Their support has included transportation for the 

children and the provision of 10 personal computers and 

additional iPads to assist children with classroom learning. 

The Seven Stars Community Foundation also donated 

a large screen television connected to the internet to 

enable remote specialized teaching from North America. 

Additional support has included monthly landscaping 

services by Seven Stars personnel, the coordination of 

regular termite control provided at no cost by Parkway 

Solutions, and the updating of the air conditioning systems 

by the resort’s maintenance department. The 

Community Foundation has also provided the centre with 

hurricane-proof doors and completed an interior remodeling 

project with updated bathrooms and repainting of 

the entire building. 

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“Every summer before the re-opening of the school, 

our team of engineers ensure that any renovations 

needed are completed before the students return,” Mr. 

Jobling said. “The Seven Stars Team continues to host 

an annual Christmas party for the students, which allows 

members of the committee to interact with them through 

activities such as decorating cookie and cupcakes.” 

When the SNAP Centre suffered considerable damage 

after Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the Islands in 

2017, the employees of Seven Stars completely restored 

the building within 30 days so the students could return 

to the centre, Mr. Jobling said. “This was a major achievement 

given that many of the staff had significant damage 

to their own properties and the fact that power was not 

fully restored to Providenciales for many months following 

the hurricanes,” he noted. “At Seven Stars, we are very 

proud of our association with the SNAP Centre and intend 

to remain involved for many years to come.” a 

For parents with special needs children, there are two 

phone numbers to call for more information. The number 

for the Ministry of Health’s Special Needs Unit is (649) 

338-2171 and the SNAP Centre is (649) 941-3187. 

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

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

60 www.timespub.tc

The SNAP Centre garden is sponsored by the Seven Stars Resort Foundation. 

Here, students are learning to grow and market produce.

62 www.timespub.tc

astrolabe 

newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

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

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

Archaeologists and volunteers excavate in a grid system at the South Bank site on Providenciales. 

Giving a Voice to the Past 

As an archaeologist, the one question I am continuously asked is, “How do we learn about the people 

who lived in the past, especially for people who didn’t have any form of writing?” It is important for 

archaeologists to properly record everything they do. When archaeologists begin a project, they don’t just 

start digging into the ground. They create a grid system to help record where objects are found. Great 

care is taken to record the location and surrounds of each artifact found, while carefully preserving and 

recording all finds for future study. It is through this care and study of artifacts found in their context 

that allow archaeologists to unravel the past. 

In this edition of the Astrolabe, we present two articles that help give a voice to the past. First, we take 

a look at the Lucayan Petroglyphs (rock art) on East Caicos. This is followed by an article from resident 

Turks & Caicos explorer John Galleymore, who takes us on a journey through East Caicos and his process 

for uncovering the past. a 

Dr. Michael P. Pateman, Ph.D., Director, Turks & Caicos National Museum 


astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum 

MAT MATLOCK 

MAT MATLOCK 

Clockwise from top left: Petroglyph from Jacksonville Cave. Row of faces. Leif Erickson drawing one of the Petroglyphs. Petroglyphs in cave 

at Jacksonville from De Booy 1912. 

Cave Art 

The Lucayan petroglyphs of East Caicos. 

By Dr. Michael P. Pateman 

Archaeological studies of the Lucayan Islands (which includes The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands) 

have mainly focused on settlement surveys and large scale village excavations. However, early archaeologists 

(late 19th and early 20th century) focused most of their efforts on the cave systems of these islands. 

This interest in the caves started to fade towards the end of the 20th century. 

64 www.timespub.tc


However, caves played an important role in Taíno 

lifestyle and spiritual beliefs, and as such it is assumed 

played an important role in that of the Lucayans. 

Therefore, it should be no surprise that caves represent 

a significant aspect of the archaeological record of the 

Lucayan Islands. These caves exist in two forms, wet 

(including blue holes and caves with a direct connection 

to the water table) and dry. The caves contain a variety 

of artifacts which have not been preserved at open sites 

such as human burials, petroglyphs and pictographs, 

faunal and botanical remains, and a variety of wooden 

artifacts. 

Lucayan rock art is found throughout the Lucayan 

Islands, specifically Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Inagua, 

Long Island, New Providence, Mayaguana, Rum Cay and 

San Salvador (in The Bahamas) and East Caicos (in the 

Turks & Caicos). 

In 1912, Theodore De Booy visited a cave at 

Jacksonville and described six petroglyphs, two carved 

heads and a possible stone altar. However, after this visit, 

this site was lost to science and eventually, the location 

was lost to all. 

In 2006, on an expedition by a team of scientists 

working in collaboration with the TCI National Trust, 

the cave was found again but they did not observe the 

petroglyphs. It wasn’t until 2008 that explorer Kim 

Mortimer saw them. (Details of this were published in 

the Spring 2012 edition of the Astrolabe in an article by 

Mark Parrish.) More recent research published by Lace 

and others in the 2018 Journal of Caribbean Archaeology 

describe 13 petroglyphs and included a map of their locations. 

As a child growing up I loved to explore, especially the 

caves throughout the islands. After arriving in the Turks 

& Caicos, the caves at Jacksonville were high on my list of 

places to visit and document. However, as East Caicos is 

uninhabited today except for donkeys and other wildlife, I 

had to find a way to get there and someone who knew the 

location of the cave. Finally, in October 2019, a team led 

by the Museum and consisting of local TCI explorers John 

Galleymore, Agile and Daniel LeVin, Leif Erickson, Mat 

Matlock (photographer) and Dr. Shaun Sullivan (archaeologist) 

visited East Caicos with the primary mission of 

exploring the petroglyph cave at Jacksonville. 

Armed with the map created by Lace and others we 

set off to find and document the petroglyphs. Privately, 

Survey of rock art distribution found in Jacksonville Cave from Lace 

et al. 2018. 

we were also hoping to find more as the petroglyphs can 

sometimes only be seen when light conditions change. 

At first, they were very difficult to see, but as our eyes 

adjusted to the cave light the faint carvings emerged from 

the walls. We started to tick off all of the previous ones 

listed by De Booy and Lace. Soon, we had counted over 

20 carvings, including a row of 5 faces, a pipe, individuals 

with rays and numerous anthropomorphic figures. 

All petroglyphs were drawn and photographed. Both 

methods were used because due to the nature of the light 

in caves, sometimes photographs do not reveal them. 

The main question I am asked is “What do the petroglyphs 

mean?” This is difficult to answer, as we do not 

always know. Some are easy to interpret, as they include 

objects of everyday life (canoe paddle or pipe). Others are 

more difficult to interpret, including anthropomorphic 

figures (animals with human features). Were they created 

over a short term by a single individual or over a long term 

by multiple individuals? John Winter in 2009 wrote a summary 

of petroglyphs from throughout The Bahamas and 

noted they are of the Timehri type, an anthropomorphic 

design first classified by Williams (1985) and named after 

figures found on the Corartijn River in Suriname, part of 



the Guianas region in northeast South America. Williams 

believes these figures functioned to maintain subsistence 

horticulture and have their origin in Amazonia. 

The drawing of human-like faces has been suggested 

elsewhere in the Caribbean as a part of ancestor worship, 

a central part of Taíno religion. Additionally, a number of 

the petroglyphs are figures with rays. These may be representations 

of Lucayan deities of sun or rain or masked 

fertility figures. One of the petroglyphs depicts an anthropomorphic 

individual squatting. This can be interpreted 

as Atabey the Taíno supreme goddess of fresh water and 

fertility. 

Join the Museum 

Become a Member of the 

Turks & Caicos National 

Museum and receive a 

year’s subscription to Times of the Islands (which 

includes Astrolabe), free admission to the Museum 

and other benefits. 

Senior (62+) $35 • Individual $50 

Family/Friend $100 • Sponsor $250 

Contributor $500 • Partner $750 

We have several options for joining: 

• Visit the Museum at our Providenciales location at 

The Village at Grace Bay or our Grand Turk location 

in Guinep House on Front Street. 

• Visit our website at 

www.tcmuseum.org/membership-support/. 

• Send US checks to: Dr. Toni L. Carrell, Friends of 

the Turks & Caicos National Museum, 39 Condesa 

Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508 

*For U.S. residents, support of the Museum may be tax-deductible 

if you join via Friends of the Turks & Caicos National 

Museum, our affiliated institution and registered 501 (c) (3). 

At left: Potential drawing of Atabey (giving birth?) from East Caicos 

compared (at right) with drawing of Atabey petroglyph from Puerto 

Rico. 

Whether the rock art of East Caicos was part of fertility 

rituals, ancestor worship, marking of territories or the 

telling of events is uncertain. However, it is clear that cultural 

traditions of the larger islands of Cuba, Hispaniola 

and Puerto Rico also took place in the Lucayan Islands. 

Yet more research is needed. Very little archaeological 

research has been conducted on East Caicos. Is there a 

large-scale habitation nearby? Can a link be determined 

between this cave and any other site? 

In De Booy’s 1912 article, he notes that locals 

describe other caves on East Caicos with “Indian” carvings. 

A side mission of our trip was to try and find these 

sites but we didn’t have the time. It gives us another reason 

to go back! a 

A short documentary about the project is being created 

and will be launched during 2020. 

COURTESY WIKICOMMONS 

66 www.timespub.tc


The Layers of History 

East Caicos is a treasure trove of relics. 

Story & Photos By John Galleymore 

When I was very young, I was shown at school a very basic picture depicting “How History Works.” It 

showed layers of the Earth with the oldest relics the deepest and those more recent near the surface. 

I soon came to discover this is not quite the case! As I progressed through my career in exploration, 

it became apparent that you have to keep an open mind, and —even more— open eyes, in order to 

discover and hopefully unravel the secrets of the past. Very often, the artifacts from one time in history 

will be laying in plain sight alongside those of another. 

During the recent TCI National Museum visit to East 

Caicos, the primary objective was to rediscover the lost 

petroglyphs left by the Lucayan Indians some 500 years 

ago. However, East Caicos is a treasure trove of history, 

and much of it is more recent than the Lucayans. With 

this in mind, while the team was exploring caves and 

Lucayan homesites, I ventured into the bush on the east 

coast of the island to look around the long-abandoned 

ruins of the township known as Jacksonville. 

In the late 1880s, sisal growing was attempted and 

became the largest export East Caicos ever saw. Sisal (in 

the past also called pita) is an agave plant that is grown 

for its very strong fibers that are used to produce rope 

and twine. At the height of production, much of the 

suitable ground was planted but not for long. Due to 

poor global demand, the industry was abandoned on 

East Caicos by the early 1900s. 

In the late 1800s, cattle ranching was also carried 

On East Caicos, remnants of the original Jacksonville settlers—pottery and glass bottles—litter the ground. They have lain there since 

the late 1800s. 



out by J. N. Reynolds and for years was moderately 

successful. The beef was considered to be quite good 

and was especially appreciated in Grand Turk considering 

that the alternative usually consisted of canned 

and salted meats. After the abandonment of the island, 

remnants of these herds existed for decades, but were 

eventually hunted to extinction. Today, only donkeys 

can still be found in the wild there. 

Located on the island’s west end, Jacksonville was 

the social center of East Caicos. Sisal processing stations, 

houses, a company store and barracks capable 

of holding up to 400 people were all part of the “town.” 

Only a few ruins remain of this small settlement in the 

thick,unrelenting bush that is evermore reclaiming them 

back to nature. Yet, it’s interesting to note that these 

ruins lay alongside layers of history from the Lucayans, 

to slave traders, explorers and modern-day developers. 

As I climb the small incline from the beach (homesteads 

were always constructed on ridges due to the 

breeze), I first note that some “new” construction has 

taken place in the last 10 years — maybe someone’s 

idea of rekindling this old ghost town? It’s obvious the 

work was abandoned before completion. 

I soon reach the summit and the ruins of the 

houses appear through the 

thick undergrowth. Most of the 

walls still stand, a testament to 

the craftsmen that toiled here, 

with some still showing plastered 

walls which were made 

from burning conch shells. 

It’s interesting to see that 

although the roofs have long 

gone, some original timbers 

still line the doorways. More 

interesting still is the original 

“graffiti” etched into the walls 

which show dates (1892) and 

the outlines of what appears 

to be a schooner, perhaps produced 

by idle hands or minds 

dreaming of home? 

To further confirm that history 

is often linear, I stumble 

This is the “new” construction that has taken place in the last 10 

years at Jacksonville, although it’s obvious the work was abandoned 

before completion. 

across some reddish clay substance on the surface. This 

turns out to be Lucayan pottery made of red clay from 

dust blown from the African continent. It’s a wonder to 

think what else these early settlers of Jacksonville stumbled 

across when they set up home here in the 1800s. 

One thing is for sure, whatever era we investigate, other 

parts of history are closely intertwined. a 

This is the “graffiti” carved into the walls of some of the abandoned Jacksonville homes which 

show dates (1892) and the outlines of what appears to be a schooner. 

68 www.timespub.tc


Museum Matters 

¿Donde esta Simon, Sandy? 

Where is Simon, Sandy? The 

Story of a Little Donkey That 

Wouldn’t Quit is a classic 

folk tale set in Grand Turk. 

The first edition, written by 

Donna Marie Seim and illustrated 

by Susan Spellman, 

was first published in 2008. 

It is now in its fourth printing 

in English. The fifth printing 

will be ¿Donde esta Simon, Sandy?, a Spanish edition 

with all-Spanish text. 

Sales from the book have supported the TCNM’s 

Children’s Club since 2008. Summer camp for the 

National Museum, giving children a fun and cultural 

experience each summer, has been funded for eleven 

years by local donors and Where is Simon, Sandy? as the 

primary sponsor. 

Some years ago the text was translated into Spanish 

as a donation to the Museum by Maria Fernandez 

Miquel, an engineer who designed and directed construction 

and operation of Grand Turk’s water supply 

system and Fernando Perez Monteagudo, who was in 

charge of the coastal environmental resources in the 

DECR. They are currently residents of Cuba but enjoyed 

living in Grand Turk for eight years. They had the wish 

to see Where is Simon, Sandy? printed in Spanish so 

Spanish-speaking children could read and enjoy this 

endearing story about loyalty, friendship and community. 

The Spanish text was edited by Nilda Monteagudo 

Nunex, Doctor of Philosophy and Literature, specializing 

in teaching Spanish to foreign students. 

We are now midway in the process of fundraising 

for the money necessary to make this a reality. If you 

would like to donate to this project please contact the 

TC National Museum. All sales from the Spanish edition 

will be donated to the Museum’s Children’s Program. a 

“Islanders” to tell their story. Features have focused on 

family ancestry, boat building, childhood games, music, 

bush medicine, politics, crafts (such as basket weaving) 

and life “back in the day.” Most recently, the Museum 

spent a few days in North and Middle Caicos to hear the 

stories of the residents. 

We are now in the process of editing these interviews 

for publication on our various social media channels 

and will soon launch the trailer for the story of the 

People of the Islands 

In the Summer 2019 edition of the Astrolabe, we 

launched the Museum’s oral history program, “People 

of the Islands.” The goal of this project was to allow 



Museum Matters 

Caicos Sloop. Additionally, we are working on a “People 

of the Islands” exhibition to be launched in Grand Turk 

in the summer of 2020. 

If you have a recommendation for an interviewee, 

please email the museum at info@tcmuseum.org. a 

Evening with the Expert — Bill Keegan 

Both museum locations (Grand Turk and Providenciales) 

occasionally offer “Evening with the Expert” events. Our 

most recent guest speaker was Dr. William Keegan 

(Caribbean archaeologist) from the Florida Museum of 

Natural History. The topic of his talk was “The Case for 

the Caribs in the Lucayan Islands” and is available on 

our Facebook page and Youtube channel. 

Dr. Keegan and Dr. Lindsay Bloch (ceramic specialist), 

also from the Florida Museum of Natural History 

were in town as part of a joint research project with the 

Museum. Details of this project will be published in a 

future edition of the Astrolabe. a 

These three sets of images of Islanders represent some of the 

folks whose story will be part of the Museum’s new “People of the 

Islands” exhibition. 

a game of Pin-the-Tail-on-the Donkey after creating their 

own tails. a 

Author Donna Marie Seim participated in the January 2020 meeting 

of the Museum’s Children’s Club on Grand Turk. 

Caribbean archaeologist Dr. William Keegan was a guest speaker at 

the Museum’s “Evening with the Expert” in February 2020. 

Children’s Club (Grand Turk) 

At our January 2020 Children’s Club, participants were 

able to take part in reading of Where is Simon, Sandy? 

with author Donna Marie Seim, along with her new 

book, Bella and Jingles. Later, everyone participated in 

Upcoming events 

Casino Event (Grand Turk) — April 24, 2020 

(New date!) 

Back in the Day (Provo) — May 16, 2020 

Gala 2020 (Provo) — June 6, 2020 

Cooking Competition and Raffle (Grand Turk) — 

July 25, 2020 a 

70 www.timespub.tc

around the islands 

Lovey Forbes and Elicia Richardson, a visitor to North Caicos from Boston, play a round at the Combina Golf Course. 

Not Your Average Golf Course 

Combina golf is rich in North Caicos charm. 

Forget all your usual notions about golf courses or miniature golf. Fairways of grass? Forget it. Manicured 

putting greens? Forget it. Windmills or tiny castles or colourful concrete animals? Nope. The Combina 

Golf Course at Horse Stable Beach on North Caicos is something entirely different with its own North 

Caicos style. 

By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos by Tom Rathgeb 

That’s because it was created by Lovey Forbes, a true son of North Caicos. In 2013 the musician and 

community booster dreamed up a game similar to miniature golf (some call it putt-putt), but with a much 

more compact form and using the island’s natural sandy soil instead of artificial greens. He drew up a 

plan in the shape of a spoked wheel, with one hole in the middle and twelve more evenly spaced around 

the circumference of the circle. Players would start in the middle and, following his numbered holes, 

travel in six wedges for a total of 18 holes. Lovey then created what he called Circle Putt Golf (CPG) in 

his beachfront yard in Whitby, raking the sand, lining holes with PVC pipe and making a “rough” from 

casuarina needles. Conch shells painted with the hole numbers help players through the course. 


An overall shot of the Combina Golf Course reveals how close it is to the beach. 

His front yard game (at one time he had three circles) 

was an underground hit. People who knew Lovey or tourists 

who stumbled upon the place could use the putters 

and balls he provided and enjoy the game. He would even 

provide a score sheet and offer to play along. The game 

is fun and different and offers a challenge for even experienced 

golfers, who quickly learn that playing on sand in 

a natural terrain can be tricky. 

Garden trail 

Meanwhile, Lovey was bringing another idea to fruition at 

Horse Stable Beach in 2016, where he created a walking 

trail through the trees which he named Casuarina Garden 

Trails. The area was at first an informal adjunct to the 

government facilities there, then received an official 

stamp of approval that included assistance in building a 

music stage at the site in 2018. 

That’s when a lightning bolt of an idea struck again. 

Lovey decided not only to add his Circle Putt Golf to 

the area, but also to turn the trails into another 18-hole 

course. He set to work with his rake and added 18 holes 

meandering through the trees, with lengths ranging from 

8 to 75 feet. Players start from the center hole of the 

CPG wheel and end there, allowing them to finish off 

with a round of CPG for a total of 36 holes. Lovey named 

this the Combina Golf Course. (He also calls his music, 

which blends rock, country, calypso and reggae, combina 

music.) 

Like CPG, the longer course is on natural terrain with 

a casuarina “rough,” with holes marked by conch shells. 

There are also some gentle obstacles (a thin tree was left 

in the middle of one of the holes), island-style decorations, 

and inspirational signs along the way, reminding 

players to Give God Thanks, Pursue Life, Honor Your 

Mother, etc. 

The person to contact 

Lovey says that the Combina Golf Course was “designed 

by the spirit,” but he’s the one who does all its maintenance 

and is the contact person for those who want to 

play the game. He can be found on Facebook as Lorett 

Forbes, on Instagram as Lorett Lovey, or with a phone 

call to (649) 242-8802. He will meet players at the site 

with clubs and balls and explain the game. Lovey does 

not charge people to play the course, but happily accepts 

donations for its upkeep. Currently, he brings a paper 

sign explaining Combina Golf when he is at the site, but 

says he would like to get a more permanent sign so that 

people will know what this odd little course actually is. 

Yes, it’s odd, but that’s much of its island charm. 

Lovey’s creation is “North Caicos” through and through. 

Certainly not your average golf course. a 

72 www.timespub.tc

about the Islands 

Map provided courtesy Wavey Line Publishing. Their navigation charts and decorative and historic maps of the Turks & Caicos Islands, The 

Bahamas, and Hispaniola are available in shops throughout the Islands. Visit www.amnautical.com. 

Where we are 

The Turks & Caicos Islands lie some 575 miles southeast 

of Miami — approximately 1 1/2 hours flying time — 

with The Bahamas about 30 miles to the northwest and 

the Dominican Republic some 100 miles to the southeast. 

The country consists of two island groups separated 

by the 22-mile wide Columbus Passage. To the west are 

the Caicos Islands: West Caicos, Providenciales, North 

Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. To 

the east are the Turks Islands: Grand Turk and Salt Cay. 

The Turks & Caicos total 166 square miles of land 

area on eight islands and 40 small cays. The country’s 

population is approximately 36,500. 

Getting here 

There are international airports on Grand Turk, 

Providenciales, and South Caicos, with domestic airports 

on all of the islands except East Caicos. 

At this time, all of the major international carriers 

arrive and depart from Providenciales International 

Airport. American Airlines flies from Miami, Charlotte, 

Chicago, Dallas, New York/JFK and Philadelphia. JetBlue 

Airways offers service from Fort Lauderdale, Boston 

and New York/JFK. Southwest Airlines travels to Fort 

Lauderdale. Delta Airlines flies from Atlanta, Boston and 

New York/JFK. United Airlines travels from Chicago and 

Newark. WestJet travels from Toronto and Montreal. Air 

Canada offers flights from Toronto and Montreal. British 

Airways travels from London/Gatwick via Antigua. 


Bahamasair and InterCaribbean Airways fly to Nassau, 

Bahamas. Flights to: Antigua; Dominica; Cap Haitien 

and Port Au Prince, Haiti; Kingston and Montego Bay, 

Jamaica; Miami, Florida; Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo, 

Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Lucia; St. 

Maarten; Santiago, Cuba; and Tortola are available on 

InterCaribbean Airways, while Caicos Express travels to 

Cap Haitien daily. (Schedules are current as of February 

2020 and subject to change.) 

Inter-island service is provided by InterCaribbean 

Airways, Caicos Express Airways and Global Airways. Sea 

and air freight services operate from Florida. 

Language 

English. 

Time zone 

Eastern Standard Time (EST)/Daylight Savings Time 

observed. 

Currency 

The United States dollar. The Treasury also issues a Turks 

& Caicos crown and quarter. Travellers cheques in U.S. 

dollars are widely accepted and other currency can be 

changed at local banks. American Express, VISA, and 

MasterCard are welcomed at many locations. 

Climate 

The average year-round temperature is 83ºF (28ºC). The 

hottest months are September and October, when the 

temperature can reach 90 to 95ºF (33 to 35ºC). However, 

the consistent easterly trade winds temper the heat and 

keep life comfortable. 

Casual resort and leisure wear is accepted attire for 

daytime; light sweaters or jackets may be necessary on 

some breezy evenings. It’s wise to wear protective clothing 

and a sunhat and use waterproof sunscreen when out 

in the tropical sun. 

Entry requirements 

Passport. A valid onward or return ticket is also required. 

Customs formalities 

Visitors may bring in duty free for their own use one carton 

of cigarettes or cigars, one bottle of liquor or wine, 

and some perfume. The importation of all firearms including 

those charged with compressed air without prior 

approval in writing from the Commissioner of Police is 

strictly forbidden. Spear guns, Hawaiian slings, controlled 

drugs, and pornography are also illegal. 

Returning residents may bring in $400 worth of 

merchandise per person duty free. A duty of 10% to 

60% is charged on most imported goods along with a 

7% customs processing fee and forms a major source of 

government revenue. 

Transportation 

A valid driver’s license from home is suitable when renting 

vehicles. A government tax of 12% is levied on all 

rental contracts. (Insurance is extra.) Driving is on the 

left-hand side of the road, with traffic flow controlled by 

round-abouts at major junctions. Please don’t drink and 

drive! Taxis and community cabs are abundant throughout 

the Islands and many resorts offer shuttle service 

between popular visitor areas. Scooter, motorcycle, and 

bicycle rentals are also available. 

74 www.timespub.tc

Telecommunications 

FLOW Ltd. provides land lines and superfast broadband 

Internet service. Mobile service is on a LTE 4G network, 

including pre- and post-paid cellular phones. Most resorts 

and some stores and restaurants offer wireless Internet 

connection. Digicel operates mobile networks, with 

a full suite of LTE 4G service. FLOW is the local carrier 

for CDMA roaming on US networks such as Verizon and 

Sprint. North American visitors with GSM cellular handsets 

and wireless accounts with AT&T or Cingular can 

arrange international roaming. 

Electricity 

FortisTCI supplies electricity at a frequency of 60HZ, 

and either single phase or three phase at one of three 

standard voltages for residential or commercial service. 

FortisTCI continues to invest in a robust and resilient grid 

to ensure the highest level of reliability to customers. The 

company is integrating renewable energy into its grid and 

provides options for customers to participate in two solar 

energy programs. 

Departure tax 

US $60. It is typically included in the price of your airline 

ticket. 

Courier service 

Delivery service is provided by FedEx, with offices on 

Providenciales and Grand Turk, and DHL. UPS service is 

limited to incoming delivery. 

Postal service 

The Post Office and Philatelic Bureau in Providenciales is 

located downtown on Airport Road. In Grand Turk, the 

Post Office and Philatelic Bureau are on Church Folly. The 

Islands are known for their varied and colorful stamp 

issues. 

Media 

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

and Canada and transmitted via cable or over the air. 

Local station WIV-TV broadcasts on Channel 4 and Island 

EyeTV on Channel 5. People’s Television offers 75 digitally 

transmitted television stations, along with local news 

and talk shows on Channel 8. There are also a number of 

local radio stations, magazines, and newspapers. 

Medical services 

There are no endemic tropical diseases in TCI. There are 

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large, modern hospitals on Grand Turk and Providenciales. 

Both hospitals offer a full range of services including: 

24/7 emergency room, operating theaters, diagnostic 

imaging, maternity suites, dialysis suites, blood bank, 

physiotherapy, and dentistry. 

In addition, several general practitioners operate in 

the country, and there is a recompression chamber, along 

with a number of private pharmacies. 

Immigration 

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

work permit and business license are also required to 

work and/or establish a business. These are generally 

granted to those offering skills, experience, and qualifications 

not widely available on the Islands. Priority is given 

to enterprises that will provide employment and training 

for T&C Islanders. 

Government/Legal system 

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

Governor, HE Nigel John Dakin. He presides over an executive 

council formed by the elected local government. 

Lady Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson is the country’s first 

woman premier, leading a majority People’s Democratic 

Movement (PDM) House of Assembly. 

The legal system is based upon English Common 

Law and administered by a resident Chief Justice, Chief 

Magistrate, and Deputy Magistrates. Judges of the Court 

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Taxes 

There are currently no direct taxes on either income 

or capital for individuals or companies. There are no 

exchange controls. Indirect taxation comprises customs 

duties and fees, stamp duty, taxes on accommodations, 

restaurants, vehicle rentals, other services and gasoline, 

as well as business license fees and departure taxes. 

Economy 

Historically, TCI’s economy relied on the export of salt. 

Currently, tourism, the offshore finance industry, and 

fishing generate the most private sector income. The 

Islands’ main exports are lobster and conch. Practically 

all consumer goods and foodstuffs are imported. 

The Turks & Caicos Islands are recognised as an 

important offshore financial centre, offering services 

such as company formation, offshore insurance, banking, 

trusts, limited partnerships, and limited life companies. 

The Financial Services Commission regulates the industry 

and spearheads the development of offshore legislation. 

People 

Citizens of the Turks & Caicos Islands are termed 

“Belongers” and are primarily descendants of African 

slaves who were brought to the Islands to work in the 

salt ponds and cotton plantations. The country’s large 

expatriate population includes Canadians, Americans, 

Brits and Europeans, along with Haitians, Jamaicans, 

Dominicans, Bahamians, Indians, and Filipinos. 

Churches 

Churches are the center of community life and there 

are many faiths represented in the Islands including: 

Adventist, Anglican, Assembly of God, Baha’i, Baptist, 

Catholic, Church of God, Episcopal, Jehovah’s Witnesses, 

Methodist and Pentecostal. Visitors are always welcome. 

Pets 

Incoming pets must have an import permit, veterinary 

health certificate, vaccination certificate, and lab test 

results to be submitted at the port of entry to obtain 

clearance from the TCI Department of Agriculture, Animal 

Health Services. 

National symbols 

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

The National Plant is Island heather (Limonium 

bahamense) found nowhere else in the world. The 

National Tree is the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. 

76 www.timespub.tc

ahamensis). The National Costume consists of white cotton 

dresses tied at the waist for women and simple shirts 

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

the various islands are displayed on the sleeves 

and bases. The National Song is “This Land of Ours” by 

the late Rev. E.C. Howell, PhD. Peas and Hominy (Grits) 

with Dry Conch is revered as symbolic island fare. 

Going green 

TCI Waste Disposal Services currently offers recycling 

services through weekly collection of recyclable aluminum, 

glass, and plastic. Single-use plastic bags have been 

banned country-wide as of May 1, 2019. 

Recreation 

Sporting activities are centered around the water. Visitors 

can choose from deep-sea, reef, or bonefishing, sailing, 

glass-bottom boat and semi-sub excursions, windsurfing, 

waterskiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, snorkelling, scuba 

diving, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, and 

beachcombing. Pristine reefs, abundant marine life, and 

excellent visibility make TCI a world-class diving destination. 

Tennis and golf—there is an 18 hole championship 

course on Providenciales—are also popular. 

The Islands are an ecotourist’s paradise. Visitors can 

enjoy unspoilt wilderness and native flora and fauna in 33 

national parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries, and areas of 

historical interest. The National Trust provides trail guides 

to several hiking trails, as well as guided tours of major 

historical sites. There is an excellent national museum on 

Grand Turk, with an auxillary branch on Providenciales. A 

scheduled ferry and a selection of tour operators make it 

easy to take day trips to the outer islands. 

Other land-based activities include bicycling, horseback 

riding and football (soccer). Personal trainers are 

available to motivate you, working out of several fitness 

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

services. 

Nightlife includes local bands playing island music 

at bars and restaurants and some nightclubs. There is 

a casino on Providenciales, along with many electronic 

gaming parlours. Stargazing is extraordinary! 

Shoppers will find Caribbean paintings, T-shirts, 

sports and beachwear, and locally made handicrafts, 

including straw work and conch crafts. Duty free outlets 

sell liquor, jewellery, watches, perfume, leather goods, 

crystal, china, cameras, electronics, brand-name clothing 

and accessories, along with Cuban cigars. a 

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SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS 

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where to stay 

78 www.timespub.tc

where to stay 


dining 

80 www.timespub.tc

dining 


Calls Spa Services 

Out 

Hair Reduction 

Permanent 

& Body Waxing 

Face 

Facials 

Anti-aging 

classified ads 

Caicu Naniki_Caicu Naniki classified 8/9/18 12:05 PM Page 1 

R E J O U V E N A N C E 

SPA 

649-432-7546 

Touch of Bliss_Layout 1 8/9/18 11:59 AM Page 1 

www.rejouvenancespa.com 

Community Fellowship Centre 

A Life-Changing Experience 

Sunday Divine Worship 9 AM 

Visitors Welcome! 

Tel: 649.941.3484 • Web: cfctci.com 

Phone: 649-242-3439 or 649-346-7344 

Email: touchofbliss@rocketmail.com 

Newly located at Caribbean Place 

PRIVATE TOURS TO 

NORTH & MIDDLE CAICOS & 

SOUTH CAICOS. 

SWIM LESSONS & SWIM SAFARIS. 

STAND-UP-PADDLEBOARD 

RENTALS & SALES. 

5 STAR TRIP ADVISOR RATING 

Stop by Swim & Surf Store at 

Caicos Cafe Plaza, Grace Bay. 

(649) 432-5000 

www.caicunaniki.com 

D&Bswift_Layout 1 5/8/18 7:24 AM Page 1 

R & K 

AUTO 

FOR ALL YOUR 

RELIABLE AND 

AFFORDABLE 

RENTAL NEEDS 

Diagnostic Services • Wheel Alignment 

Balancing • Tune Ups 

Exhaust Repairs • A/C Repairs 

Radiator Pressure Testing 

Ralph Carmichael, Partner 

649 242 0063 • 432 2374 

649-941-8438 and 649-241-4968 

SCOOTER BOBS_Layout 1 8/8/18 10:57 AM Page GBC2017_Layout 1 2/16/17 9:10 AM Page 1 

autorental@dnbautoparts.com 

We’re here to 

make your holiday 

the island way... 

DEPENDABLE VEHICLE HIRE 

SERVICE OFFERED: 

Provo & North-Middle Caicos 

Office: 946-4684 

Amos: 441-2667 (after hours) 

Yan: 247-6755 (after hours) 

Bob: 231-0262 (after hours) 

scooterbobs@gmail.com 

www.scooterbobstci.com 

Grace Bay Road across from Regent Street 

Fun Friendly People 

Appreciating Your Business! 

941-8500 

www.gracebaycarrentals.com 

82 www.timespub.tc

SUSTAINABLE 

ENERGY 

You Can 

Count On 

R-NETS: A roadmap for 

TCI’s energy future 

Solar integration 

to the FortisTCI grid 

We’re building partnerships to deliver a more sustainable 

energy future for the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

With the Resilient National Energy Transition 

Strategy (R-NETS) serving as a roadmap, and with 

new and ongoing investments in solar energy 

generation, solar plus battery pilot project, and 

an electric vehicle and charging station project, 

FortisTCI is working every day to deliver resilient, 

cost-effective and environmentally sustainable 

energy, to fuel growth and development. 

Solar + battery storage 

pilot project 

Electric vehicle 

pilot project 

www.fortistci.com | 649-946-4313 |

For Those Who Seek An 

Exceptional Vacation Home & Lifestyle 

Turtle Tail Estate 

Turtle Tail Oceanfront 

MLS 2000043 

THE FINEST COLLECTION 

Condominium | Home & Villa | Land | New Development 

649.946.4474 | info@tcsothebysrealty.com | turksandcaicosSIR.com 

Venture House, Grace Bay | Resort Locations: Grace Bay Club and The Palms 

Each franchise is Independently Owned and Operated.

Times of the Islands Spring 2020

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