Turks & Caicos Complete Guide to Whale Watching
Turks and Caicos sits just northwest of the Silver Banks, where humpback whales from Cape Cod and Newfoundland and Labrador spend their winters mating and calving. T&C is considered a luxury destination and is most known for its gorgeous white sand beaches and crystal clear blue waters. Read on to discover the best locations and times of year for whale watching, as well as the top things to do while you’re here.
Best Time of Year for Whale Watching
Whale watching happens from January to early April. This is when humpback whales spend their winter months off the coast of Turks and Caicos. Winter is actually a great time of year to visit because it’s sunny, warm, and dry, and not too hot.
Whale Species and Other Wildlife
The most commonly seen whales in Turks and Caicos are humpback whales and their calves. Humpbacks migrate here in the winter to mate and produce offspring, so there are thousands of humpbacks just offshore. Sperm whales and pilot whales have also been sighted.
Aside from whales, there are resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins including JoJo and Dreamer. JoJo and Dreamer are two wild dolphins that live in the area and are known to interact with snorkelers. You can also see spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, gray reef sharks, eels, crabs, and tons of tropical fish.
On land, you may encounter flamingos, and you might even see some iguanas. There’s a large iguana population that lives on Little Water Cay (Iguana Island) near Half Moon Bay. These Rock Iguanas (Cyclura carinata) are native to Turks and Caicos. They’re endangered and have protected status. Iguana Island is a sanctuary for them, and it’s illegal to touch or feed them anywhere in the country. If you visit Iguana Island, stay on the designated boardwalk and walking paths. Iguanas burrow and lay eggs in the sand, and if you step off the path you can crush their nests.
Whale Watching Locations in Turks & Caicos
There are two islands where you can go whale watching in Turks & Caicos: Grand Turk and Salt Cay. Whale watching happens on these two islands because of their close proximity to the Silver Bank – an area in the Caribbean where whales migrate every winter. This 170-mile stretch of the Atlantic is where humpback whales spend their winters mating and calving.
Best Whale Watching Tours
Grand Turk
Your best option for whale tours is to fly over to Grand Turk for the day – or maybe two days to give yourself more time. Round trip flights from Providenciales to JAGS McCartney International Airport (GDT) on Grand Turk are typically available for $150 USD or less on Expedia. Whale tours generally run on weekends, so be sure to check tour dates before picking your flight.
Salt Cay
Salt Cay is difficult to get to, with no boats going there and just one small inter-island airline providing unreliable flights three times per week that are hard to book online. However, if you find yourself going there anyway, Salt Cay Divers is the whale tour outfitter you’ll want to go with.
Salt Cay Divers
Deane’s Dock, Salt Cay North District
Turks and Caicos, TKCA1ZZ
Providenciales
If you’re staying in Providenciales, you’ll need to catch a flight over to Grand Turk or Salt Cay. Salt Cay is harder to get to because it’s too small for an airport. Grand Turk is the better option. You can typically get a round trip flight from Providenciales to Grand Turk (PLS –> GDT) during the peak season for less than $150 on Expedia. InterCaribbean Airways is probably the airline you’ll be with – and they do a great job of getting you from here to there on this 35-minute flight.
Weather + Rainfall
Turks and Caicos is one of the sunniest and driest countries in the Caribbean in terms of rainfall. April through July are when the most rain showers occur. Hurricane season lasts from June through November. Year round temperatures range from 80-90°F, with plenty of sunshine and ocean breezes to keep you comfortable. Overnight lows can drop to 74°F in the winter and 81°F in the summer on average. Water temperatures run around 73-84°F with cooler temperatures occurring from December through March. The sun can be very strong here, so it’s important to bring adequate sun protection and dress in lightweight layers to protect your skin from the elements.
Best Things To Do
In terms of day excursions, six things (besides whale watching) consistently get rave reviews from visitors to the islands. The first is snorkeling, of course, because the clear shallow waters make Turks & Caicos one of the best places to go snorkeling, ever. Not everyone likes to be in water, so you can also do a clear kayak or stand up paddleboard to see marine life. Read on to see what else people like to do:
1. Snorkeling is popular because you get up close to wildlife while staying cool in the water. Plus you always have the boat to go back to if you want to take a break. Here are the best snorkeling tours:
2. Kayaking and stand up paddleboarding are ideal for people who want to get close to wildlife but don’t want to get in the water. Both options are consistently very highly rated experiences and simply depend on your personal preferences:
3. Sunset sailing makes for a great transition into evening with drinks and appetizers included in the price of the tour. Get picked up right from your hotel and sail around Grace Bay as the sun slips below the horizon.
4. Private group charters are perfect for group trips when you don’t want anyone else crashing your party. These are the most popular option for bachelor and bachelorette trips, divorce parties, girls weekends, guys weekends, birthdays, and wedding parties. The best part of private charters is that you have choices in what you want to do, whether it’s swimming with dolphins, finding iguanas or going to the best snorkel spot. Just tell your captain what your priorities are and he’ll do what he can to make it happen.
5. Adventure excursions like jet skiing around a historic shipwreck site, parasailing over open water with spectacular views, and horseback riding on the beach. These are the once in a lifetime unique experiences that you’ll never forget.
6. Land tours are a great way to see and explore the island. The red love buggy island tour is great for all ages. You’ll get to see almost the entire island of Providenciales, plus lunch at Da Conch Shack is included. And since your tour guides are locals, be sure to ask them to teach you some local slang so you can impress everyone you meet.
Now if you prefer to sit in air conditioning with the option of drinking Turks Head beer while being shuttled around the island, then go with the turquoise trolley Provo tour. This newer tour stops at different restaurants to sample local cuisine and includes lunch at the ever popular Omar’s Beach Hut. You’ll get to see the island while eating and drinking in air conditioned comfort – no one can argue with that.
Getting Here
Most people fly to Providenciales International Airport (PLS), on the main island of Turks and Caicos. The main island of Providenciales, or Provo for short, has all the incredible beaches, resorts, nightlife, spas, shopping, water sports, and fine restaurants anyone could want. Basically, everything you need is here. Except whale watching of course, for which you’ll have to fly to the island of Grand Turk.
Grand Turk is a smaller island with fewer services. Its airport is coded as international, but JAGS McCartney International Airport (GDT) is only accepting domestic flights at this time. In other words, you can’t fly directly to Grand Turk, you have to fly to Providenciales first.
There’s one other option for flights. American Airlines offers a flight from Miami to the island of South Caicos. But there’s not much to do on the island, and you’ll be pretty isolated from everything else. You’re better off sticking to Providenciales because you’ll have more options and you’ll be able to do whatever you want once you’re here.
As far as visas go, people from the United States, Canada, UK, and EU do not need a visa to travel to Turks and Caicos. You will, however, need your passport.
Where To Stay
There are a lot of fine resorts in Turks & Caicos, and some mid-level hotels that do the job. Most people stay in Providenciales (PLS) because there is so much to do there. You can stay in Grand Turk, but you will still have to fly in to PLS first before getting on a flight to GDT. If you want the best deals and information about hotels, use this search feature to sort through all your options:
Bottom Line
Turks & Caicos is an amazing place to visit no matter what time of year you visit. If you want to see the whales, you have to come during the winter migration from mid-January to early April. The best way to see them is to fly from Providenciales to Grand Turk for your whale excursion.