going blue

An eco-minded expatriate pioneers adventure tours in the Turks and Caicos, leading
kiteboarding expeditions to dozens of pristine beaches that still await their first riders.

by aaron sales
photos by bill doster

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 On a calm breathless afternoon,
20 miles south of Providenciales — the third-largest island in the when he suddenly shouts, “Up ahead, dolphins at 11 o’clock.”
Turks and Caicos — 35-year-old Philip Shearer tells our kiteboard- Four adult bottlenose dolphins and a calf seem to be engaged
ing crew: “Here, you need to be flexible; be ready for anything. in a game of pass-the-seaweed. Our 40-foot, twin-engine dive
This ocean is active with more life below than you can imagine.” boat slows to 5 knots and begins circling. This creates a bow wake
Shearer, who was born in Eng- for the dolphins to surf. Shearer,
land, is the owner of Big Blue a divemaster and experienced
Unlimited, a charter boat com- waterman, spent much of his life
pany he founded in 1997 to exploring the Turks and Caicos.
offer the first scuba diving ex- Shearer rushes to the stern and
peditions to many of the outer grabs his snorkel gear. He gives
reefs and cays in Turks and me a nodding smile that implies
Caicos, where shark and hump- we are in for a treat and then
back whale sightings are com- plunges into the sea, less than
monplace. Shearer is true to his 20 feet from the pod. Next in is
word. I’m standing on the stern Sam Light, a 19-year-old British
of his boat, Live and Direct, kiteboarding champion. I follow.
Then goes Big Blue’s kiteboard-
ing instructor and guide Wes
Matweyew, Florida-based pho-
Left insets: Drew Endy and
the author. Below: Class tographer Bill Doster and finally
begins as Ki’topia instructor my wife, Brigette, who until now
Donny Parker prepares his had reservations about swim-
students for their two days
of advanced kiteboarding ming in the open ocean, fearful
camp. of sea creatures larger and less
friendly than she.
When Shearer invited me to the Turks and Caicos, all I knew
about this 200-square-mile archipelago south of the Bahamas
was it has amazing blue water, phenomenal scuba diving and a
prolific conch population, a staple of the local diet. We talked for
several hours by phone and Shearer pitched what sounded like
an adventure of a lifetime. He offered four boats fast enough
to reach all of the country’s 45 islands and cays. He tempted
us with virgin surf breaks, stand-up paddling through the man-
groves and scuba diving over thriving reefs in crystal-clear water.
His knowledge of the islands was immense. But what sold me
was his contagious stoke for kiteboarding and his willingness to
take me to the most remote beaches in the country, white sandy
gems that had never been ridden. I bought my ticket the next
day, assembled a crew and, in late November, the beginning of
the windy season, I arrived in Turks and Caicos expecting undis-
covered bliss. It didn’t disappoint.
Swimming with dolphins is perhaps one of the most memo-
rable experiences of my life. The water is transparent at the
surface. Looking down, past my dive fins, the water darkens
as light dissipates from warm aqua blue into black. I feel small
and defenseless, like a slow, floating target for the tiger sharks
or schools of hammerheads that roam these waters. Shearer’s
mantra, “be ready for anything,” echoes through my brain. Then

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 Left insets: Drew Endy and a dolphin darts past. Our eyes meet, In search of paradise
the author. Below: Class and my dread vanishes, replaced with Like most kiteboarding vacations, each day is determined by the
begins as Ki’topia instructor
Donny Parker prepares his a powerful rush of adrenaline, like wind. Checking wind reports on windguru.com while eating three-
students for their two days what you feel after dropping in on a egg omelets next to the Royal West Indies Resort’s poolside cafe
of advanced kiteboarding big wave or pulling the trigger while became a morning ritual. After we were fueled with half a day’s
camp.
lit on an 8-meter. My brain fires at a protein, we headed over to Big Blue. There Shearer, Matweyew
heightened level, and I can’t think of and 16-year-old local kite phenom Hope Le Vin, whom Big Blue
anything but the dolphins. sponsors for kiting, would greet us at the boat, which was packed
The mother and calf swim toward us. They seem to enjoy the with our kite gear, cameras and a cooler full of tropical juices and
encounter as much as our crew. We’re close enough to pet them a few ice-cold Coronas.
when one of the male dolphins cuts us off and herds the mother Before heading out, Shearer would get a feel for the amount allowing him to dive nearly every day since then. Now that kite- the throttle and we head east down the coastline, away from
and calf away. His mouth is agape, a sign to keep our distance. of adventure we were seeking for the day by asking us whether boarding has evolved into his latest passion, adding kiteboarding civilization and closer to paradise each and every second.
After 15 minutes, the dolphins depart. Shearer advises us to stay we would prefer flat water or surf, or would we rather find seclud- adventure tours to the lineup is just another way to keep Shearer Shearer takes us on a high-speed ride, dodging random coral
together and, instead of chas- ed beaches by boat or explore on the water doing what he loves. As Shearer shoves off, he yells heads as we buzz just a few hundred feet from the shoreline.
ing them, do something to gar- new sections of coastline on to his staff, “I hope to be back by dark,” then presses forward on Meanwhile, we pass beach after beach lined with clean, white,
ner their attention under the long-distance downwinders?
water, like flip or spin. I duck be- He even offered us a boat and
low the surface and commence land tour by car to get the best
a ridiculous dance, waving my overall feel of the islands. More
Trip Tips
arms, kicking my legs and gy- than 30 years ago, Shearer’s
Fly into: Providenciales Interna- are perfect for kids, and Turks and
rating my hips — anything to parents bought a second home tional Airport (PLS), Turks and Caicos caters to families.
get the pod to return. It works. on Provo and soon after Shear- Caicos Eat: Mango Reef’s Thai tuna salad
Where to stay: Royal West Indies and cracked conch; mangoreef.
They approach again for a few er formed a bond with the
Resort; royal westindies.com, com
moments before vanishing into ocean. Then, after graduating 800-332-4203 Drink: The Conch Shack’s rum Provodenciales
the blue. Later, as we’re head- from college in England, Shear- Custom kite adventures, boat punch at sunset
charters and scuba diving: Big Best months for wind, waves and
ing back to Providenciales (or er moved to Turks and Caicos Turks & Caicos
Blue Unlimited; bigblueunlimited. humpback whales: December
Provo, as the locals call it), I’m full time. He saw the opportu- com through May
still tingling with exhilaration. nity to start Big Blue Unlimited, Bring the family: Yes. The beaches Don’t miss: Moonlight kiting

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 Left insets: Drew Endy sifted sand, mini palm trees and wild
and the author. Below: iguanas. I repeatedly say, “This one looks
Class begins as Ki’topia
instructor Donny Parker perfect, let’s just kite here.” But Shearer
prepares his students reminds me, “Just wait, it gets better.”
for their two days of We pull into a boatless marina where
advanced kiteboarding
two cars are waiting. I ask why we’re
transferring to the cars and he explains
that we need to meet a few of his local friends and that the inte-
rior of these remote islands can be just as beautiful as the coast,
yet few ever see it.
We come to a tiny town with just a few small homes where
the chickens run wild and the locals shout hello to Shearer as we
drive by. It seems he is a bit of a celebrity. Some think it’s because
he plays on the Turks and Caicos national soccer team and oth-
ers credit it to the fact that every time he brings his eco tours
to these off-the-beaten-path islands, the financial impact is felt
tremendously.
Our cars pull into the driveway of a small pink house and
Shearer announces, “It’s lunchtime; go in, go in.” We are met by
Susan Butterfield, a 70-year-old native from Turks and Caicos
who prepares a fresh lunch of baked chicken, coleslaw and rice
and beans with some of her special spices that has kept Big Blue
employees coming back for over a decade.
Butterfield gets to know each one of us as she asks us per-
sonal questions only a grandmother could ask and tells us stories
in her deep Caribbean accent. We get to know her and come to
appreciate the simple island lifestyle she lives. She loves to cook
for people, and Big Blue gives her that opportunity. As we say
our goodbyes, Butterfield reminds Shearer to bring large bags of
flour and rice on his next visit, then we hop back in the cars as the
locals bid us safe travels.
Our trek takes us through the heart of the island, passing
white egrets standing 3 feet tall in the mangroves and the occa-
sional pink flamingo balancing motionless on one foot. Eventually
we come to a washed-out (courtesy of Hurricane Ike) but driv-
able causeway that connects North Caicos to the even more se-
cluded Middle Caicos, where we are hoping the planets will align
for wind, waves and seclusion.

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Shearer pulls onto a dirt driveway and parks next to a path
where we can hear the pounding of the ocean waves but the wild
plants obstruct our view. We take a three-minute walk through
a narrow rocky trail that leads us to a viewpoint atop a 70-foot
cliff. There we get our first glimpse of Mudjin Harbor. Looking
down, I have never seen water so vibrant. Its color varies from
nearly transparent over the shallow white sand to shades of
electric blue that darken as the depth increases. Perfect head-
high waves peel down the coastline, lined with lonely beaches
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I never could have imagined what made it so memorable.
As I get up to speed and begin to plane, I look below and al-
though the reef is 8 feet down, it seems just inches below be-
cause of the water’s clarity. An outside wave catches my at-
tention and I race toward it and prepare to jibe. This being my
first wave of the day, my foot fumbles off the side of the board.
I miss the jibe, the wave passes and I fall into the water. Not half
a second later, I feel a sharp punch to my upper right ribcage and
suddenly time begins to pass in slow motion. “What the hell was
that?” I think to myself. Did I fall on my board? No, my board is in
front of me. Of course, “shark” becomes my immediate concern.
Just as that thought passes through my head, I feel the strong
wiggle of a hard fin move across my belly. Although I didn’t see
what was invading my comfort zone since my attention was fo-
cused purely on getting my board on my feet and getting back to
shore, I knew exactly what it was.
Judging from the size and power of the impact, I’d guess it was
a 4- to 5-foot shark that heard and saw my foreign 6-foot surf-
board and decided to investigate. When I fell, the shark was right
on my tail. Rather than bite me,
it simply bumped into me for a
close sniff and decided I wasn’t a Left insets: Drew Endy and the au-
part of its usual diet and moved thor. Below: Class begins as Ki’topia
instructor Donny Parker prepares
on. That’s my theory, anyway. his students for their two days of
Heading back to the beach, I advanced kiteboarding camp.
saw Le Vin, Shearer, Matweyew
and Light’s kites in the air, ready inches of powder snow, and the
to hit the water, and Doster water was as flat and buttery
preparing to shoot. Just before as Shearer had promised. The
shouting, “Shark! There’s a freak- deepest section of the bay was
ing shark in the water,” I thought no more that 3 feet deep. Never
to myself, “Why ruin a perfectly in my life had I ridden in condi-
good session for my friends?” It tions with the wind so steady,
was obvious this shark was unin- the water so flat and inviting for
terested in eating kiteboarders, simply exploring and throwing
and hopefully he would just move on. Fortunately, during our two- some occasional freestyle moves.
hour session at Mudjin Harbor there were no further sightings of As the sun dipped into the water, our day was complete and,
the shark, just wave after wave in our newfound paradise. thankfully, Shearer’s experience navigating those waters at night
With three hours of daylight left, Shearer gave us the option to over the years got us home safely. This was truly one of the most
head home then, when we could make the boat ride back safely memorable days of my life, yet my wife and I continued to say
before sunset, or to continue to the far end of Middle Caicos to this day after day.
a beach he described as “the best flat water on the planet.” But Each adventure was unique, from boat launching in the middle
in that case we would have to make the boat ride back trust- of a labyrinth of mangroves in areas where dropping your kite was
ing Shearer could navigate the shallow reef and waves in the not an option to scuba diving with manta rays and sea turtles on
that are separated by limestone cliffs. I wonder if some of these
dark. We took our chances, and after a quick stop at Daniels, a the edge of a sea shelf that dropped 6,000 feet into the abyss. In
beaches have ever felt the footprint of a human before.
beachside cafe that offered soda, beer, ice cream and a chance nine days, Big Blue Unlimited transported us to the perfect loca-
Shearer assures us this beach has never been kited before.
to meet with the locals of the island, we headed down 20 more tion each and every day with the best conditions possible, con-
Usually, I am in a frantic rush to rig up and get on the water, but
miles of barren road until it came to an end. firming my belief that when you travel somewhere new, hook up
this shoreline had so much to soak in, all I could do was stare
A lightly traveled trail 100 yards long led us through the trees with the locals to introduce you to their world. And if you decide
while thinking, “Oh my God.” It was finally time to ride since it was
to a half-moon bay five miles across lined with pale sand from to visit Turks and Caicos, Big Blue Unlimited just may be able to
afternoon and it had already taken us more than three hours to
end to end and absolutely no trace of mankind. There were no show you a slice of paradise where the dolphins are playful and
get here. I launched my 13-meter, grabbed my surfboard, pow-
buildings, no boats — only us, the wind and the shallow, smooth even the sharks are friendly.
ered the kite up and I knew I was in for a session of a lifetime. But
water. The sand was soft and creamy. It felt like walking though 4
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