Turks and Caicos, Jan. 21, 2012



Coral Gardens



This morning Tom and Kathleen led us to a place along the shore that they said was an easier access to the reef than going down to Smith's. Ian went snorkelling and I went for a walk along the beach. At this end of the beach the sand is a bit coarse but as I travelled further the sand became soft and powdery. From where I started the beach also had quite a slope and I found it difficult to get a good footing and there was a lot of pressure on my ankles. The beach eventually flattened out. There were a few small resorts along the way; a very modern Gaansvoort and West Bay Club and an older one know as Coral Gardens. There is a buoyed snorkelling area off Coral Gardens that we would snorkel another day. Ian and I hooked up on the beach about an hour later.

In the afternoon we went to Smith's Reef where we were treated to lots of interesting corals and fish. Topping the list was a large sting ray, a school of baracudas, nassau groupers and a couple of turtles.
During a long, late afternoon walk we downed Turks Head beer at Coral Gardens.