Hawkes Nest Salina - Grand Turks - Salt Pans and Mines on Waymarking.com

Salt isn't something most of us give much thought to where it came from. The salt industry was once very important to the Grand Turks and goes back to the 1600's.

"If you’ve ever been to Grand Turk you’ve no doubt seen the large stone-ringed ponds that dot the middle of the island. Now large nesting habitats for brilliantly colored flamingos and other birds, the ponds are actually centuries-old salinas. Left over from the salt industry, which once dominated Grand Turk and Salt Cay, these abandoned sites were the island's main economic source for 300 years.

The salt industry began in the late 1600s when salt rakers from Bermuda came to the uninhabited island in search of the mineral. Since Bermuda was only 30 square miles and a relatively poor colony, it needed a profitable crop for exporting and so turned to salt production on Grand Turk. The salt was crucial to food preservation in North America and the European settlements and was a vital commodity well into the end of the 19th century. Thanks to favorable wind and current conditions, the Bermudians could reach Grand Turk in only five days and, over time, the rakers soon settled the island and gave rise to its population. Even to this day, their descendants are referred to as Belongers.

Both Grand Turk and Salt Cay have several naturally occurring inland depressions, which fill with seawater from the ocean or the rock that lies beneath the ground. Salt was made by allowing the salinas to fill with saltwater that was then concentrated through evaporation and then re-concentrated again. Afterward, the brine was let into drying pans where the salt crystallized. Workers would then rake the salt into piles to be exported.

You can explore the ancient salinas, as well as Cockburn Town, which is lined with historic Bermudian architecture from the salt era, on the YMT Vacations’ Caribbean & Mediterranean Cruise and Italy Tour. This 27-day grand vacation offers a bit of everything from the sun-kissed beaches of the Caribbean to the ancient port cities of Europe. Relish a luxury Transatlantic crossing before exploring the history and culture of four European countries. For information or reservations, call your travel consultant or YMT Vacations at 1-888-756-9072." (visit link)

Kind: Salt Evaporation Pond Is the place still active?: no

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Date Logged Log   03/12/2019 Mochito on Tour visited it