Grand Turk Photos Posted

[sieger]

I've posted some photos and a short narrative from my recent trip to Grand Turk. Overall, we had a great time -- good conditions and some very healthy reefs.

Enjoy, Sieger

http://www.seehunddiving.com/PhotoGallery2.htm

 

[Scubapearce]

Great shots!! what type of photo gear are you using?

 

[sieger]

The photos in Gallery 2 (Grand turk) were all taken using a Nikon N-90s (20mm F2.8 lens) in a Subal Miniflex housing and a single Nikonos SB-105 strobe. Film was Fuji Superia 100

 

[Dee]

Great photos!


Hey Pearce....Welcome to the Board! Glad to see you.

Dee
Your phone photo buddy!

 

[Scubapearce]

OK Dee,
I'm still alive AND I have a YS90 and S&S arm on the way. A good day and Cheryl is still talking to me.

Scubapearce

 

[ScubaBurt]

Hello Sieger,
My wife and I were in Grand Turk in Feb 2002. We also stayed at Arawak and dove with Oasis. (OK, who stayed in our apartment # 206?) We loved both Arawak and Oasis. This was our second time diving with Oasis Divers but the first time at Arawak. We also were inpressed with the facilities and the shore diving at Arawak. We rented a car (Dickerson Auto Rental, owner(Austin) used to be one of the divemasters at Oasis. Now his brother Paul has taken his divemaster place.) and went all over the island( 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide). It also helped when we wanted to go into town to the bakery, Sarah's grocery, or resturants such as, Regal Begal, Mookie Pookie Pizza(they deliver to Arawak) and Water's Edge. Man, just talking about it makes me want to go back. Like you said the diving was great. Hope to return soon.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

We dove Grand Turk in 1998, stayed at Arawak, dove with Oasis. Austin was our main dive master and Paul dove with us one day. GREAT GUYS! Austin was on the Turks and Caicos national basketball team at the time and I believe they were supposed to go to the Olympics.

The Arawak Inn was really nice before the renovation, I can't imagine what it's like now! It's an old apartment building so the rooms were huge!

Was that a picture of Alexander the kissing Grouper in the line-up? We've got a picture of me (although the angle is bad) giving him a lip lock.

Were the horses still wandering around and getting into the trash? We went riding on the beach our last day there, that was really cool!

About the food and service, you're on an island and deliveries only come so often so things get used up; lighten up, try something different. The place is on "island time", if it takes 4 hours to get your pizza, it takes 4 hours; find a way to amuse yourself in the mean time.

Did you go feed the stingrays and have conch salad made with conch you collected on the way?

When we were there the DM would pick us up at the Inn in a small pickup truck since there were only a few divers. We rode into town in the bed except for one person who got to ride shotgun. The only morning this wasn't a good time was the morning we rode to the shop in a torrential downpour, made the trip more of an adventure!

Boy did you ever bring back some GREAT memories!
Ber

 

[sieger]

I don't know if that was Alexander himself or one of the other rather friendly grouper.

I didn't intend to knock to service, but rather alert folks to the fact that Grand Turk really isn't Key West and they need to manage their expectations accordingly.

Some of our group did the stingray feed and conch barbecue -- I went for a beach dive that afternoon.

All in all, the majority of the group (myself included) will be heading back to Grand Turk!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I see your point, if people go to Grand Turk expecting Club Med they will be sorely disappointed! It's definitely a place for people who want to get away from it all!

That's still the dive trip I remember most fondly! Would love to go back someday too!
Ber

 

[ScubaBurt]

It may not be CLub Med(yet), but change may be coming to GT. Before we left GT in Feb 02 there was a town meeting concerning the attraction of cruise ships(that ships, as in many) to increase the economy of GT. The GT government is trying to convince the locals that tons of money will flow in from the tourists. The dive owners want to conserve the reef structure and the diving industry, but the cruise ship companies have deep rich pockets. I fear the gov't will win and the island will lose. There is already a proposed development site for a large resort complex. In order to get the cruise ships to come the existing front street area will be redone. The unique colors and buildings will be changed into tourist traps selling Tourists junk. The divers paradise will change forever. The island is not prepared for the invasion of thousands of people and the disruption they will bring to this gem of an island. The worst part is the plight of the beautiful and healthy coral structure. As in many other islands, piers, ship discharge, increased consumption causing trash and septic problems will flow over into the ecosystem and the marine life will suffer.
Hopefully, the GT island will be able to survive this war. It is truly a battle between Cruise ship vs Island Paradise.