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The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Caribbean Sea and northern Caribbean region.
The first recorded European sighting of the islands now known as the Turks and Caicos occurred in 1512. In the subsequent centuries, the islands were claimed by several European powers with the British Empire eventually gaining control. For many years the islands were governed indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor, and have remained a separate autonomous British Overseas Territory since.
The eight main islands and more than 299 smaller islands have a total land area of 616.3 square kilometres (238.0 sq mi),[b] consisting primarily of low, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps and 332 square kilometres (128 sq mi) of beach front. The weather is usually sunny and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes.
Some 60 species of coral live in the waters off the Turks & Caicos. Hard coral varieties include staghorn, elkhorn, pillar, star, and brain. Sea fans, sea whips, and sea plumes number among the soft varieties.
Barrier reefs of coral running parallel to the shore protect the Islands from wave action and stabilize the islands’ plateau edges. Inshore of the barrier reefs, patch reefs range from a few hundred square feet to several acres.
Closed off the roof turbines in preparation for the hurricane
Hurricane Matthew was an extremely destructive and long-lived tropical cyclone which became the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Felix in 2007. The thirteenth named storm, fifth hurricane and second major hurricane of the active 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, Matthew wrought widespread destruction and catastrophic loss of life during its journey across the Western Atlantic, including parts of Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Lucayan Archipelago, the southeastern United States, and the Canadian Maritimes. Over 1,600 estimated deaths have been attributed to the storm, including 546 to 1,600 in Haiti, 1 in Colombia, 4 in the Dominican Republic, 4 in Cuba, 1 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 49 in the United States, making it the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, which killed more than 1,600 in Central America and Mexico. With the storm causing damages estimated in excess of $10.5 billion (USD), it was also the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, as well as the tenth costliest Atlantic hurricane in history.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Caribbean Sea and northern Caribbean region.
The first recorded European sighting of the islands now known as the Turks and Caicos occurred in 1512. In the subsequent centuries, the islands were claimed by several European powers with the British Empire eventually gaining control. For many years the islands were governed indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor, and have remained a separate autonomous British Overseas Territory since.
The eight main islands and more than 299 smaller islands have a total land area of 616.3 square kilometres (238.0 sq mi),[b] consisting primarily of low, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps and 332 square kilometres (128 sq mi) of beach front. The weather is usually sunny and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes.
Some 60 species of coral live in the waters off the Turks & Caicos. Hard coral varieties include staghorn, elkhorn, pillar, star, and brain. Sea fans, sea whips, and sea plumes number among the soft varieties.
Barrier reefs of coral running parallel to the shore protect the Islands from wave action and stabilize the islands’ plateau edges. Inshore of the barrier reefs, patch reefs range from a few hundred square feet to several acres.
The Queen's Baton carried by Premier Rufus Ewing outside the Parliament, in Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Thursday 17 April 2014. Turks and Caicos Islands is nation 56 of 70 nations and territories the Queen's Baton will visit.
The Queen's Baton carried by Father Mark Kendall at the St Thomas's Church, in Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Thursday 17 April 2014. Turks and Caicos Islands is nation 56 of 70 nations and territories the Queen's Baton will visit.
Across the road from the caves is a mangrove swamp. Walking in the swamp is very dangerous, the water and soil here act like a quicksand and stepping onto what looks like solid ground can end you up in mud from 4 - 7 feet deep.
Acanthostracion polygonius. This species can reach a length of around 1.5 feet. They feed primarily on sponges, alcyonarians, tunicates, and shrimp. The cowfish contain horns their forehead, which is not seen in the Trunkfish. Cowfish and Trunkfish both have armor on their bodies that protects them from prey, but the armor impairs their swimming ability.
Nassau, Bahamas
Closed off the roof turbines in preparation for the hurricane
Hurricane Matthew was an extremely destructive and long-lived tropical cyclone which became the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Felix in 2007. The thirteenth named storm, fifth hurricane and second major hurricane of the active 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, Matthew wrought widespread destruction and catastrophic loss of life during its journey across the Western Atlantic, including parts of Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Lucayan Archipelago, the southeastern United States, and the Canadian Maritimes. Over 1,600 estimated deaths have been attributed to the storm, including 546 to 1,600 in Haiti, 1 in Colombia, 4 in the Dominican Republic, 4 in Cuba, 1 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 49 in the United States, making it the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, which killed more than 1,600 in Central America and Mexico. With the storm causing damages estimated in excess of $10.5 billion (USD), it was also the costliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, as well as the tenth costliest Atlantic hurricane in history.
And this was the destination of our wonderful kayaking tour. We had a picnic lunch, froliced in the warm aquamarine water, and then lounged in the shade of a towering pine at Gold Rock Beach. What a BEAUTIFUL place! The pines, interestingly enough, are not native to Grand Bahama Island. They were actually brought over from Australia to use as wind breaks. This wound up being a terrible idea as their roots are not good for keeping the beach from erroding. However the Bahamians are correcting the problem by waiting for the trees to fall down, which they will inevitably do as they are not equipped to cope with the environment here. Then they cart the tree away and replace it with native beach friendly plants!