We were invited down there because Campion was asked to bid on a project designing homes for a new and very ambitious development on a 1,100 acre island that has heretofore been uninhabited, Ambergris Cay. It lies at the southernmost tip of the chain of Turks islands, a stunningly beautiful short 25 minute flight from the main International airport of Providenciales on Grand Turk Island. It is easy to forget what a visual feast of the eyes the turquoise waters of the Caribbean can be, a feast that is never so vivid as when one is flying in a turboprop but a few hundred feet above in the air. In fact, you fly so close to the water that you can see the sting rays and schools of fish swimming in the crystal clear turquoise waters below.
view of Ambergris from the air
We landed on Ambergris Cay on a makeshift airstrip, and deplaned to find a friendly group of resident contractors greeting us as if we were the only people they had seen in months. Ambergris Cay is being developed by the group that owns the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and they are undertaking an awe inspiring infrastructure and residential buildout on this little island. Ambergris was purchased by a Canadian billionaire in the late 1990s and is the only island in the Turks & Caicos to be privately owned. The Greenbrier group came in about two years ago and are proceeding to build a veritable self-sustaining nation. The detail of it all was mind boggling. From bringing in power generators to power the island and a desalinization plant, to laying cable and pipes for running water throughout the island, to building cell towers, it is a fascinating study in modern infrastructure planning - all the while working to maintain and nurture the local flora and fauna. Ambergris is known for its unique "Turks head" cactus and its large iguanas. In fact, they sustain each other in perfect ecological form - the cactus producing red berries that feed the iguanas, which the iguana then perpetuate by recycling the digested berries in their droppings. Ambergris is the only island in the world that has such a high prevalence of iguanas of size and the unique cacti.
Turks head cacti!
and the iguana!
But that is not all! Ambergris is also unique for its bountiful fish and underwater animals. Campion and I were treated to a couple riveting fishing expeditions that were practically like an episode of National Geographic! Setting out on a very bare bones skiff, we started our expedition in the chalky bonefish flats. I had the most auspicious fortune of snagging a bonefish on my first try, from what I am told this was an amazing feat. Of course, once I hooked the fish, he put up quite a fight and I found myself reeling in the line, fighting for my life, even seeking help from our resident guide to bring the fish in. I had no idea it could be so hard to reel a fish in like that! We did catch and release, what a beauty! Not bad for my first fish to be a bonefish!
We then also anchored off of a coral head out some ways from the island. My first fish there was to be a grouper - our intended lunch - but it didn't quite work out that way... Again, as I was fighting to reel the fish in, a barracuda came jumping out of the waters, going after MY grouper! Chomp. He took a huge bite out of my fish. I was terrified, kept trying to reel in. And then, all of a sudden, out came a nurse shark. Yikes!!!! As I was distracted (scared!), chomp. The barracuda took another bite out of the grouper on my line. So much for lunch. And then, so did the shark. Chomp, swallow, bye bye grouper. So, did we then try to catch the shark who had just swallowed the grouper hook line and sinker? Well, the line didn't last long. Pwing. Line broke and there I was left with a short line floating in the air. Ooofa. I was shaking from all the adrenaline and excitement. I sure hadn't expected all that! Footnote: Nurse sharks aren't dangerous to humans, so I was told not to worry about our safety! Nonetheless, I was quite shaken by the experience, yikes, I didn't realize fish could be so vicious!
yikes!
Campion tried his luck, and ended up fighting a battle making sure his bait and fish weren't eaten by the barracudas or shark - wait, that would be sharkS! Before we knew it, our nurse shark was joined by another nurse shark and a reef shark. Oh, and wait, also a tiger shark! A veritable animal planet!!!
Especially annoying were the "remora" fish that leach on the back of the sharks. Inevitably they would detach from the backs of the sharks at the last moment and chomp at the bait. Campion must have caught 5 of them. (All released back as not really fit for eating!) It got to be a comedy/obstacle course to avoid catching the remoras!!! Campion brought in a gorgeous yellow tail, which we ended up having for dinner, and eventually we did have to throw in the towel because the sharks were just too distracting!!!
We didn't get a swim that afternoon (nuff said as to why!), but again the stunning waters were breathtaking. Turquoise as far as the eye can see, a feast for the eyes as we soared on the water as we headed back by boat to the island.
a yellow tail Campion caught
We toured the temporary facilities they have set up on the island - they are housing some 200 construction workers that they have brought in from China - and the handful of houses that have been built so far. We stayed in one of the newly completed two-story homes overlooking the coast line, replete with modern amenities thanks to all the infrastructure work that they have already completed on the island. The Greenbrier group is selling lots like crazy, but construction is slow and fraught with delays as you can imagine everything has to be flown or shipped in on a barge. We were even treated to amazing cuisine, they have a resident chef who regaled our palates with amazing spices and fresh food!
It was an amazing trip, quite unexpected. More photos below!
my first bonefish!
CONCH! we had the best conch fritters that night!
an iguana came out to bid us adieu!
