NP 3 Columbus Landfall Marine National Park

General description
An area of 1280 acres in Grand Turk comprising the area of sea from the high water mark to the 100 meter depth line; a NW/SE straight line from the North Creek Entrance to the 100 meter depth line, following that contour southwards to meet a NE/SW straight line originating 100 meters north of Boaby Rock, the southernmost point of Grand Turk.

Features of interest
Inclusive of most of the western approaches to the Island of Grand Turk, the CLMNP contains an extensive, pristine barrier reef system averaging ¼ mile from shore. Beach and seashore included in the Park border the historic capitol of Cockburn Town. Undeveloped beach areas contain extensive bird and turtle foraging and nesting habitat.

The Dive Mooring Buoy System was the first in the country, established by volunteers in the early 1980’s.

(Present in park, but apparently unknown, are the remains in shallow water of a colonial gun emplacement, Dunmore’s Fort ca:1795).

NP 7 Grand Turk Land & Sea National Park

General description
An area of 386 acres southeast of Grand Turk comprising the whole land area of Gibbs, Penniston, Pear and Martin Alonzo Pinzon (formerly East) Cays and the surrounding 400 feet of sea in each case.

Features of interest
Widespread shallow water patch reefs are nursery habitat for fish, conch and lobster. All cays are migrant bird nesting habitat, especially for Sooty and Noddy terns (Gibbs, Pear Cay), Brown boobies( Pinzon [East] Cay) and Frigate Birds (Penniston Cay).

Gibbs Cay is site of un-investigated, small, colonial era emplacement. (Archival information suggests the structure is French-built gun or observation post. French archival map ca: late 1700’s, labels Gibbs Cay as “Fort Castries.”)

Gibbs Cay also contains one Lucayan site.

NP 10 South Creek National Park

General Description
An area of 183 acres in Grand Turk bounded by a line across the mouth of the South Creek extending northwards along the coast to a point north of Matterson’s Point, following various parcel boundaries and tracks to the eastern end of Grand Turk airport. Around the eastern edge of the airport to the canal leading from Hawes Pond Salina to South Creek. Then south along a track to the west of wetlands and mangroves, east to a track next to Gun Hill, then north along track to the southern shore of the South Creek.

Features of interest
This tidal salt water estuary contains the largest stand of Red Mangroves on the Turks Bank. Mangroves and surrounding grass flats are important nursery habitat for lobster, conch, reef fish. Deeper water lagoon (the Sound) is important bonefish and tarpon habitat.

Prime example of mangrove succession forest featuring Red, Black and White Mangroves and associated habitats. Mangrove area and associated natural salina are significant habitat and nesting area for wading birds.

Gun Hill, second highest elevation on Grand Turk, features un-investigated remnant of colonial era gun or observation emplacement (directly opposite French emplacement on Gibbs Cay). Excellent scenic view covering most of the Turks Bank from Gibbs Cay to Salt Cay.

S 25 Long Cay Sanctuary

General Description
An area of 198 acres southeast of Grand Turk comprising the total land area of Long Cay and nearby islets and the surrounding 400 ft of sea.

Features of Interest
An undeveloped Cay with iguana population and extensive migrant bird nesting habitat, particularly Sooty and Noddy Terns.

Permit required for visitation.

S 23 Big Sand Cay Sanctuary

General Description
Large Iguana and Turks Head Cactus populations. Nurse shark breeding grounds.

Permit required for visitation.

HA 30 H.M.S. Endymion Wreck Area of Historical Interest

General Description
An area of 6.5 acres to the south of Great Sand Cay comprising the site of the wreck and the entire area within 100 yards of the wreck.

Features of Interest
British Warship wrecked in August 1790, approx 7 miles south of Great Sand Cay. Main part of wreck, in a coral groove, contains at least 18 large cannon, 4 anchors and many pieces of iron and bronze ship’s rigging. Though visited by salvors and souvenir hunters in the past, it is still an impressive wreck site.

Neighboring coral grooves also contain historic, but unidentified wrecks.

HA 32 Salt Cay Area of Historical Interest

General Description
An area of 435 acres in Salt Cay comprising Town Salinas and the waterfront from North District to South District. Also includes the Gray Salina and surroundings of old Whaling Station from Long Bay Point to disused canal. Also including the whole of Whale Island and Whale House Bay.

Features of Interest
Section 1

Encompassing most of Balfour Town (South and North Districts) and the architecturally significant structures therein, including the Brown House, the White House and surrounding structures, Dean’s Dock, St. John’s Anglican Church, and other buildings, structures, dwelling houses and ruins. The area also includes Town Salina and associated rock walls, canals and other structures connected with the Salt Industry.

(Dean’s dock may still contain several cannons and other large artifacts that could be salvaged remnants of the HMS Endymion. Some were moved during dredging to neighboring shallow water areas.)

Section 2

Whale House Bay was the headquarters of a short-lived whaling industry in the 1870’s –80’s. Humpback whales were caught in the Turks Island Passage during seasonal winter migration. Area is now prime migrant and wetland bird habitat.

Other areas of Interest in Grand Turk & Salt Cay:

The Island - Grand Turk
An island in the Middle of the Town Salina in central Grand Turk. The Island contains the ruins of a hospital station built in the early-middle 1800’s. Ships passengers or residents exhibiting the signs of contagious disease (cholera, typhoid fever…) were consigned to this isolated spot. That many did not recover is evidenced by the many graves, marked and unmarked, that surround the clinic ruins on the crest of a small hill.

Its position in the center of the town salina makes it an outstanding location for birdwatching. It’s extensive use as a graveyard in the colonial past makes it holy ground that needs some form of protection since it is not attached to any existing church organization.

North Creek Wetlands Grand Turk
Both the extreme northern and southern ends of the North Creek have extensive wetland habitats and both, surprisingly, are in a relatively untouched state. Both are significant nursery habitats for the shallow and reef-dwelling populations outside the North Creek Mouth, supplying juvenile fish and lobsters in great numbers.

Bird populations are dense, especially wading birds and the southern end, in particular, is often visited by flamingos.

It is the site of the discovery of the Lucayan canoe paddle on display in the Turks & Caicos National Museum. The shallow water area here borders pre-Columbian site GT-3 and may be part of it. This site is on private property, Coralie Gardens, owned by Mr. Andrew Newlands. After minimal excavation, the site proved to be very significant, in that it is the oldest known Indian site anywhere in the Bahamian archipelago, dating to about 700 AD.