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This Under-the-radar Island Near Turks and Caicos Has Glow Worms, Turquoise Waters, and No Crowds
One look at the clear blue waters of Grace Bay may tempt you to plan a trip, but there's a neighboring island that has similar beaches—possibly even better ones, depending on who you ask—but without any of the crowds that form from the main island's roster of resorts and other services catering to tourists. It's also the perfect jumping-off point for witnessing an almost supernatural light show from glow worms, also known as Bermuda fireworms or Odontosyllis enopla , which illuminate a green light during the mating cycle.
The 800-acre private island of Pine Cay is just a 20-minute boat ride from Providenciales, and it's home to the eponymous luxury resort, Pine Cay. 'Socially distanced by design, we have 3 miles of privately owned beach to be shared among 30 privileged guests. There are no inhabitants other than our guests,' general manager Christian Langlade tells Travel + Leisure.
Yes, you may spot a few fellow travelers on the beach, but everyone has their own dedicated beach chair and tiki hut setup—and you're encouraged to roam the island at your leisure, snorkeling directly off the pristine coast, casting for bonefish, or venturing out to a nearby sandbar. In fact, the only time you may run into other guests, outside of meals, is when everyone sets off on a cruise to see the glow worms in action.
'The glow worms happen every month during the three days after a full moon phase,' explains Langlade. 'We have an organized excursion with a private boat that takes our guests to the most prolific area where the bioluminescent creatures transform dark shallow waters into otherworldly landscapes. This typically happens on the other side of the island, known as 'the flats.''
Although it's certainly visually impressive, it's also rooted in science. 'Spawning females swim in slow circles secreting a bright bluish-green luminous mucus while releasing gametes. Males swim rapidly toward glowing females while emitting short flashes of light in advance of releasing their own gametes,' states a 2018 study published in the PLOS journal by several scientists associated with the American Museum of Natural History.
Even if your visit doesn't align with the incredible glow worm light display, there are still several reasons to have Pine Cay on your vacation shortlist. 'December to April offers excellent visibility, flat water, and the opportunity to see migrating humpback whales,' says Langlade, noting that his favorite time is May to August, 'when waters warm up to a perfect temperature and proud mothers introduce their baby bottlenose dolphins.'
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Our toes and feet have the same type of bones as our hands and fingers, so it was a normal transition for replacement. Quite frankly, I didn't even realize how different I was until I left my community. But the moment I did, I was constantly reminded I was different. That was hard and took some getting used to, especially dealing with the stares and reactions. I did everything to satisfy that norm, trying to blend in with prosthetic limbs for 11 years. But I never connected with them, so I said, why not just let them go? I made that decision as a 14 year old. I decided to give up the arms and figure out how to stand tall as someone who's different. It wasn't overnight, and it wasn't always easy. Jessica, at age 14 with her prosthetics. Travel was my love from a very early age. I got that from my mom. She's Filipino and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s. She was a well-established nurse there, so they invited her to come when there was a need for nurses here. She fell in love with being in the U.S., and met my father at an international party. He's rooted in the Deep South, so they couldn't be more different. But then they had this wonderful family with three children, and instilled in me the best of both worlds and a love for both worlds. I took my first big international trip to the Philippines when I was 8. It was life-changing to know there's a different world, and it never stopped. I've now spoken in 28 countries around the world and traveled to even more. Now, I will say, the difficulty for someone without arms to travel is magnified. Universal design—that is, designing products and environments to be usable by all—is something most people are aware of, but every person with a disability has individual needs and preferences. For example, I don't need an ADA-compliant hotel room. The benefit is that everything is lower down, so I can reach things more easily with my feet. But there are aspects that don't work for me. A roll-under sink, for example, is actually a disservice because if I'm using my feet as my hands, I have to be seated on the countertop. There's an assumption I need an ADA room, and I have to tell them, that depends on the room. We need to treat each person we encounter with the mindset that everyone's different. I've been speaking for 18 years now and it's a message that resonates with everyone: think outside the shoe. The exterior of Jessicas Ercoupe airplane. While I love travel, it has also meant conquering something anxiety-provoking for me: flying. When I flew commercially as a child, I would get so much tension from the experience, I'd have to take some medication. For many people, the fear comes from not having control. For me, it was the fear of the unknown. When you don't understand flying, and you take Hollywood as your example of what happens if a flight isn't smooth, it sparks fear. When I was 21 and straight out of college, I was approached to fly in a small plane. I thought, this is my chance to overcome this fear. The more I learned about aviation and aerodynamics, I realized I shouldn't be afraid. If you lose an engine, you just glide down to the ground and find somewhere to land—it's not like the plane falls out of the sky. Turbulence is going to happen. It's different when you're seeing all that has to come together to fly a plane, and to be there holding on to the controls. It's a very different position than being a passenger. I went up for my first flight in the cockpit of a small plane—a Cessna, typically a starter plane for beginners. The airplane had dual controls, meaning you can fly it from the right or left seat. I sat on the right side and the pilot in command (PIC), Bill, was in the left seat. While we were in the air, he said, 'Why don't you try and see what it's like to fly?' I wasn't the type of person to say no, so I took my shoe off and hesitantly brought my foot up to the yoke, the control wheel for steering. I grabbed a hold of it between my big toe and second toe. I looked over at Bill to my left and he had his hands off the controls. He said, 'You're flying the airplane!' It hit me at that moment—I wanted to do everything I could to become a pilot. When you overcome your fears, you get everything you've ever wanted on the other side of that—and so I became the first licensed pilot to fly a plane with her feet. I have a sport pilot certification to fly light sport aircraft, so I can take one passenger up to an altitude of 10,000 feet in the daylight. They call it the "$100 hamburger" because it means flying to a little neighboring airport, going in for breakfast, and then flying back. My most exciting flight was my first solo journey. My instructor stepped out of the airplane and said, 'Take her up, fly it around.' Knowing I was doing this myself was incredible. It gives you a sense of empowerment, like I have my life in my own feet. Of course, there have been challenging moments, too, that they call a near-miss. These occurrences sometimes happen among students. In my case, it was another student pilot who wasn't doing their radio calls correctly in the pattern. The only reason we knew it was a close call was because we had GoPros rigged up on my plane. When I show up at these airfields with small planes, it's usually older white men. You feel like a minority, undoubtedly. People see the exterior and think you can't do it. I've had to develop a thick skin and say, 'Yes, I can.' Once I showed them what I could do with my feet and the controls of an airplane, they were just like, 'Oh, you're a pilot.' Jessica with with EAA Chapter 898 working on the Impossible Airplane. Every year, Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) hosts the world's largest airshow—AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I've been going since about 2009. It's like a big party with airplanes. Most planes are designed for people with four limbs. I usually fly an Ercoupe, designed in the '30s and built in the '40s. It's the only airplane that was built without rudder pedals. The rudders are interconnected with the ailerons, meaning someone with two limbs can fly it. It's the only reason I'm flying today. For 18 years, I've been making my feet work on an airplane meant for hands. There are plenty of compromises in comfort, as you can imagine. My feet are up high and I'm not sitting comfortably. Now, we're working on another pioneering project with EAA Chapter 898, spearheaded by Bob Newman, to build the first-ever experimental airplane with unique modifications that can be flown with feet alone. For the last four years in Toms River, New Jersey, we've been building a custom four-seat RV-10 airplane, called The Impossible Airplane until it's built, at which point it will be named the I'm Possible Airplane. We're building it through my nonprofit Rightfooted Foundation International, which is focused on empowering that message that disability doesn't mean inability, as well as helping children and adults born without arms and various disabilities. Aviation is just one of our four programs. Another is providing a tool that helps people without arms get dressed on their own since it's the difference between independence and dependence. We have some ambitious goals. I'm hoping to become the first woman with a disability to fly around the world in a small aircraft in 2028. There are so many places around the world where having a disability has such a strong stigma. Children are hidden at home. People with disabilities aren't given a chance to go to school. They don't get to have a job. Some aren't seen as candidates for marriage or family life. We want to shift that. This flight around the world is going to show that if I can fly a plane with my feet, we should not hold back other people with disabilities. When you don't get to see the world, you have a limited perspective. The moment you see there's more, it opens up your world to possibilities. For instance, when I travel on my own, it's a great feeling of not just seeing another destination, but also the act of doing an international solo trip. Even the small things, like carrying luggage, requires a creative solution. Sometimes, it's scary not to have anyone to lean on, but when you put yourself in a bit of a scary position, it stretches the best version of yourself. Last March, I was on a long international flight sitting in economy plus. I couldn't use the table for eating a meal. The flight attendant thoughtfully brought out a huge tray—the one that holds meals in the top part of the cart—and put it on the floor in front of me, and we made a makeshift table. Solo travel is a celebration of these moments. When you have a physical disability, people often feel like they don't have the luxury of travel, but it's not true. I encourage people to not shy away from the things that scare them, and instead embrace them and see they can be great experiences. Face your fears and it can change your life.
