Hi! I’m David, a British expat living and working in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I grew up in the heart of England, just about as far from the sea as it is possible to be in that part of the world, yet I have always had a deep fascination with the ocean and what lies beneath its waves.

The opportunity to work in this small group of islands located in the Caribbean (just below the Bahamas) presented itself just over ten years ago, and before I had chance to think about what I was doing I had been offered, and had accepted, the job. This is my second stint in the Islands, this time with family in tow, with the idea of showing them a different way of life and a different part of the world. We are extremely blessed to live here, although my kids are growing up to think that white sand, turquoise seas and sunny skies are normal!

My love of the ocean and everything in it (apart from trash!) takes me on and under the waves as often as my job, family life, and the weather allows. I’ve been lucky enough to paddle and swim with dolphins – the local celebrity bottlenose dolphin JoJo and 100+ strong pods of Atlantic Spotted dolphins – and the humpback whales that migrate to the Islands to give birth between January and April each year. I see more than my fair share of sea turtles and have started a project to log the eagle rays on our inner reefs (each has a unique set of spots to identify them by).

My interest in paddle boarding began as a means to get out on the water and explore the ocean and nearby islands, but as luck would have it I love the paddling too! It’s fantastic exercise, and after a hard day / week at work it’s the perfect way to clear and refresh the mind.