TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ~ Scuba Diving in Turks and Caicos has something for everyone; whether U enjoy combing the reef for teeny-weeny macro beauties or feeling the thrill of their larger pelagic friends and visitors, these dive sites amongst the Turks and Caicos Islands are truly unforgettable. Some with keen eyes could spot a giant emerald Green Moray Eel out swimming on the reef at Spanish Anchor in West Caicos during the first dive there and others could enjoy watching a Spotted Eagle Ray fly by ~ Out in French Cay the reef is thriving and alive with tons of Caribbean Reef Sharks posing for photos and a solo Hammerhead cruising the wall. O yes, U could see a couple of Hawksbill Turtles having their mid-morning snack of delicious reef sponge on the G-Spot as well as a ton of Spiny Lobsters prancing about. ========================= TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ... 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, part of the larger Antilles island grouping. They are known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. The total population is about 31,500,[1] of whom 23,769 live on Providenciales in the Caicos Islands. The Turks and Caicos Islands lie southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola. Cockburn Town, the capital since 1766, is situated on Grand Turk Island about 1,042 kilometres (647 mi) east-southeast of Miami, United States. The islands have a total land area of 430 square kilometres (170 sq mi). They are geographically contiguous with the Bahamas, but are politically separate. 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. In August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos Islands self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. Home rule was restored in the islands after the November 2012 elections. HISTORY The Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the Turks-cap cactus (Melocactus communis), and the Lucayan term caya hico, meaning string of islands. The first inhabitants of the islands were Arawakan-speaking Taíno people, who crossed over from Hispaniola sometime from AD 500 to 800. Together with Taino who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas around the same time, these people developed as the Lucayan. Around 1200 the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Taínos from Hispaniola. Soon after the Spanish arrived in the islands in 1512, they began capturing the Taíno of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Lucayan as slaves (technically, as workers in the encomienda system) to replace the largely depleted native population of Hispaniola. The southern Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands were completely depopulated by about 1513, and remained so until the 17th century. The first documented European to sight the islands was Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who did so in 1512. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the islands passed from Spanish, to French, to British control, but none of the three powers ever established any settlements. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_and_Caicos_Islands Pics Below > Hammerhead Shark ~ TURK & CAICOS ISLANDS MAP ... Islands in their chain ... A good Locator Map of Turks and Caicos & Caribbean Countries and Territories - Countries shown in bold. Anegada - UK ; Anguilla - UK ; Antigua & Barbuda ... etcs ... Turks and Caicos ... A GREAT HONEYMOON PARADISE ~ Turks Island ... Snorkelling & meeting a friendly eagle ray ... Turks Island ... Diving & meeting a shy green turtle Luv Diving ... Great LIVE-ABOARDs to venture with - EXPLORER VENTURES Happy Divers going underwater from the EXPLORER II ...
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:00:14 +0000