Don't Drop The Dolphin: An expat in the Turks and Caicos Islands 1990-92

Book Synopsis: “Lally Brown has written yet another entertaining book about life on an island most people only dream about. Read it and be transported into another world.” Terry Waite CBE

It was the stuff of dreams. A job offer to the idyllic Caribbean paradise playground of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
But there were complications. As a family we were well established in our little Sussex village. Between us, hubby and I were on all the local committees and involved in every aspect of village life. We had a pony and a flock of sheep. Was it right to uproot the family and jet off to the Caribbean for two years? Our offspring were now young teenagers and unless we sent them to boarding school their education would be by Correspondence Course. Less than ideal for two studying for London University GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations respectively.

When put to the family vote, the answer was a unanimous, resounding ‘yes’! But boarding school was firmly rejected. The decision was made. We were going to the TCI as a family and we would live on the beautiful island of Providenciales for two glorious years. We had lived in the Caribbean before, on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands when the children were very young, and we knew what to expect. A warm, sun-soaked, laid-back lifestyle with swimming and sandy beaches in the company of good friends. And we would be living on one of the least-known but most stunning islands in the Caribbean.

Our two years on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands proved to be an intoxicating mix of blissful tranquility and the incredibly exciting. We witnessed first-hand the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chasing and capturing notorious drug barons using the islands for trans-shipment of narcotics between Columbia and the U.S. We were honored to be involved in the rehabilitation of three dolphins flown from captivity in England and brought to Provo for release ‘Into the Wild’ of the sea. We were privileged to swim with JoJo, a wild dolphin who befriended us and often accompanied us on our dives. We were unexpectedly involved in rescuing Haitian refugees fleeing the tyranny of their island home in unsafe, leaking boats. And we were humbled to meet hostage Terry Waite two weeks after his release from Beirut. We explored Mexico and Arizona; risked life and limb on dangerous flights to Florida and the Dominican Republic, and last, but by no means least, our teenagers successfully negotiated their University of London examinations in the most challenging and unusual of circumstances.