Lovely Day in Turks and Caicos

Turquoise waters and sunny skies greeted us to Turks and Caicos.

Before leaving the ship, we knew we would love this port.

Island Princess docked at the pier a short walk from a sandy beach backed by shops and bars.

Some fellow guests were off on island tours and other shore excursions, but there was no place we would rather be than on that nearby beach.

Free lounge chairs awaited us in the sand facing that turquoise water and our ship.  This stretch of Governor's Beach is now called SunRay Beach.

Among the first off of the ship, Julie and I soon claimed two chairs with our towels and gear.  Proof of exactly how deserted the beach was can found in Julie's short video linked here.

Our port expert Jase had said during his onboard presentation that we would dock right at the face of the coral reef, which would angle out away from shore as we proceeded up the beach.

The closest to shore snorkeling spot would be right at that little beach where we secured chairs, which of course was very convenient.

This is not like Black Rock on Ka'anapali Beach or Tobacco Bay in Bermuda, where you find brightly colored fish all around you almost constantly upon swimming out a few yards.

We had to work a little to find the pockets of fish, but many varieties of our familiar fishy friends could be found there.

The only snag was that there is a rope with floats encircling the swimming area, and the wall is right there, because that is where it becomes deep enough for boats to navigate safely.

A lifeguard on a jet ski patrolled that rope line like a sheepdog protecting his flock.

Julie and I both heard his horn and megaphone warning to get back on the other side of the rope, which we knew we had passed following interesting fish.

The most noteworthy underwater feature of snorkeling there proved to be the size of some of the fish, like Parrotfish the size of small sharks.

Snorkeling in the water was like swimming through liquified turquoise gemstones.  The water was crystal clear. 

We no longer attempt to get underwater photos, so you'll have to take my word for the snorkeling here and other reefs until you check them out for yourselves. 

The water temperature must have been about 84, and the air about 82, so really ideal for our intentions of fun in the sun and sea.

We were fortunate to be the only ship in port.  With ours being a relatively small ship carrying mostly sedentary passengers --- many of whom were apparently content to enjoy the turquoise water views from the ship or at restaurants out of sight from us --- we didn't have many other snorkelers in the water with us.

There weren't even enough on the beach to fill the free lounge chairs.

As we had been advised by Jase, vendors hawk lounge chairs with umbrellas or attached shades for rent.  We used the shade from the little covered marketplace in the morning for our free piece of paradise.

We enjoyed a pleasant, uncrowded morning on a perfect tropical day.  When we got hungry, we strolled easily to the ship for a delicious free lunch.

In the afternoon, Julie and I walked toward Boaby Rock Point.  A half-mile south of the pier, outcropping rocks indicated there could be good snorkeling. It was recommended by Jase and online as a top snorkel spot, so it wasn't a wild goose chase.  Turning left to proceed a half mile east from Boaby Point brings you to purportedly the best snorkeling on calm days, about 700 to 900 feet offshore.

We stayed by the sand along the sea rather than cutting over to the road recommended by Google Maps, which Julie had saved offline on her phone, as Jase had advised.  We passed the whale statue we'd heard about in the port talk on the even more deserted stretch of beach on the south side of the pier.

About two thirds of the way to Boaby Rock Point, we decided it looked like waves would make the water murky.  Plus the wind looked to be blowing harder around the bend, where calm days had been a caveat emptor for snorkeling.

We doubled back and were surprised to see a burro walking along the beach.  Soon, we saw a little burro --- a burrito, if you will --- and like tourists in Yellowstone getting selfies next to far more dangerous bison or bears, we snapped pics.

We also stopped for a photo at a memorial to Astronaut John Glenn's Splashdown near Grand Turk.

I well remember what a great hero this first American to orbit the Earth became in my neighborhood and around the world.

We didn't know before the port talk that John Glenn splashed down in the sea near Grand Turk on February 20, 1962.  But having been clued in by Jase, we weren't surprised to come upon the memorial walking along the beach.

Julie's father John worked in the space program, giving it special meaning for us.  It's a nice bit of history in a gorgeous setting.

Back to our morning spot, we snagged new lounge chairs --- easy to do because in the increasingly hot and sun-soaked afternoon, only about a fourth of the chairs were in use --- and pulled them into the shade of palm trees where we carried on with our morning activity of alternating between snorkel dips and relaxing.

About fifty yards down the beach rests what is billed as the Caribbean's largest Margaritaville.  On this day, I would say it was undoubtedly the least crowded Margaritaville we've ever seen.

It certainly did not sport the most impressive Margaritaville interior, but there is a huge pool with swim-up bar, plus lots of umbrella tables and lounge chairs around the perimeter.  It's a great place to hang out, if the turquoise sea isn't quite your thing for swimming, floating or just standing in the water.

We were going to buy adult beverages in port on this cruise, because we didn't add Princess Plus --- that includes free onboard beverages --- this time.

But we decided to pass on Margaritas.  I did purchase a Diet Coke at the Margaritaville shop on the beach to sip at our lounge chairs.

There are possibilities for going further afield on excursions of various types, including snorkel boat trips, but we didn't find any of that necessary to enjoy a lovely day on Grand Turk in gorgeous Turks and Caicos.

A perfect day, indeed.

Morning view from our stateroom's balcony.