Gibbs Cay with Tim Dunn

Tim had the throttle of the Carolina Skiff wide open as we skipped over the surf weaving in and out of clear turquoise water. As we rounded the south end of the island and hit the eastern trade winds the ride became rougher and we were showered with sea spray. Turning north Tim throttled back and we saw our destination, the uninhabited island of Gibbs Cay.

At the southern most tip of the Bahamas and north of Hispaniola lies the Turks and Caicos Islands. We had spent a week diving with Oasis Divers on Grand Turk and Tim Dunn was our divemaster for most of that week. Tim’s family has been on the island for over 300 years and at one time owned Salt Cay’s Harriott Salt Company that provided about half the salt used in North America. Tim’s family still owns the great white stone house called the “White House” on Salt Cay and Mary and I were thrilled to be given a personal tour of the great house by Tim, but that is a story for another time.

As we approached the island of Gibbs Cay Tim began to do circles and revved the engine to attract stingrays. On our last day of our dive trip we had come to picnic and snorkel with the stingrays on this uninhabited island.

Tim planted a red and blue beach umbrella, broke out the rum punch and sandwiches and we had a nice picnic listening to Tim’s storys about the history of Grand Turk and Salt Cay.

After we had eaten we went looking for the stingrays. None were to be found. Tim got back in the boat and did more circles revving the engine, a signal that the stingrays had come to recognize as feeding time. Almost immediately we could see brown shapes swimming near the surface. Stingrays were coming from all over in anticipation of a free meal.

Mary and I put on our mask, snorkel and fins and jumped in with the stingrays. They were aggressive coming right up to us and raking us with their barbed tail. When we put out our hands they would suck on them anticipating food. We eventually got out and began throwing squid to them. They would come right up onto the sand to eat and then flop their way back into the water.

Tim Dunn

As Tim took a nap under the beach unbrellas Mary and I had the whole island to ourselves. We spent time beachcombing and watching an Osprey soar from it’s nest on one of the cliff faces.

As the sun began to wane it was time to leave. Tim packed everything up on the Carolina Skiff and we headed back to Grand Turk. We didn’t speak much on our return trip. We had to leave the next day on a morning flight and there was a sense of melancoly as we tried to soak up every last memory we could.