After several years of trips centered on wildlife and photography, we decided to return to the kind of travel that started it all for us—a simple, relaxing beach getaway. I almost left all of my camera gear at home. But after reading that the island might have a few nesting osprey, I tossed my long lens into the bag at the last minute. As it turned out, that was a very good decision.
We took a quick direct flight to Turks & Caicos, then transferred to Ambergris Cay’s private plane for the short 20-minute hop to their private island resort. We arrived around midday and were greeted by our butler, Victor, who handed us the keys to an electric golf cart and said with a smile, “Follow me.”
Victor led the way across the island, stopping at a few points along the route to point out the signs and directions that would help us find our way around during the stay.
Ambergris Cay is approximately four miles long, one mile wide, and 1,100 acres in total.
After about 10 minutes, we ended up at the club house where we would be having lunch until our room was ready. Typical Caribbean food was on the menu such as fish tacos and local catch of the day meals.
After lunch, we climbed back into the golf cart and followed Victor to our room. We would be staying in Bungalow #8, which sits right along the beach and comes with its own plunge pool. From here, we spent the afternoon easing into island life—cruising around on the golf cart, stopping by the two restaurants on property, and exploring different corners of the island. I also carved out some time to photograph a few of the local residents, including iguanas, flamingos, and several osprey.
As the day’s sun warmed the cart paths, the endangered iguanas would wander out to soak up the heat. When we arrived, we were warned to keep an eye out for them while driving. You could get surprisingly close before they noticed you, and then they’d suddenly bolt in one direction or another. It didn’t always seem like the smartest escape plan either—more than once an iguana chose to sprint directly in front of the cart rather than toward safety. I think that might explain why they are an endangered species on the island.
The Pink Flamingos were pretty consistent in their location, so I would check on them a couple of the mornings before heading over to the osprey nest.
Usually, I’d kick off my mornings at sunrise, making my way down to the clubhouse. After carefully navigating around a few curious iguanas, I’d reach the man-made post that serves as an osprey nest. During our stay, there were at least three osprey calling the island home. Here are some of my favorite shots I managed to capture of them.
Wild chickens were everywhere on the island, and the roosters served as nature’s own alarm clocks. There was one black hen that seemed particularly fond of us—she visited our bungalow every day and would follow us wherever we settled. Sometimes she’d even plop down for a nap under the chaise or in front of the chairs. I think she felt safe hanging around us since the roosters, bold as they were, seemed to respect our space and left her alone.
I also snapped a few other shots while we were there. Here are some of the highlights.
Our stay at Ambergris Cay was just four nights, so the days flew by. Before we knew it, we were back on their plane, heading to the airport for our flight home. It dawned on me that we’d actually be arriving home the same day we left the island—a rare quick trip for us. Definitely a welcome change from the 50+ hours it took to get back from Antarctica.
