Turks Islands Passage

The Turks Island Passage is a deep channel separating the Turks Bank from the Caicos Bank. Grand Turk and Salt Cay lie on the eastern side, while the Caicos Islands rise from the bank to the west. The passage is about twenty-two miles wide and drops sharply below the surrounding shallow platforms. Reefs and shoals along its margins have long made the approach hazardous to ships sailing between the Atlantic and the Caribbean.