A lost cotton plantation, a mysterious vessel washed ashore, and the battle to save a reef. 🏝️🦁

In this episode, we explore the remote beauty of Ambergris Cay in the Turks and Caicos, where the echoes of American Loyalists and enslaved labor still whisper through the ruins. We trace the rise and fall of the "Cotton Dreams" of the 19th century and discover how a Yale-educated planter's son, Horatio Stubbs, navigated the collapse of an industry.

But history isn't the only thing we find. A paddling trip reveals a strange carbon fiber vessel on the beach, kicking off a day of underwater discovery. From the ghost economy of whaling to the modern-day ecological battle against the invasive Lionfish, we see how the past and present of this private island collide.

In This Video, You’ll Discover:

🏚️ The Ghost Plantation: How Horatio Stubbs bought Ambergris Cay for 6,000 bushels of salt in 1826.

🌪️ The Storms: The devastating impact of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane on the island’s history.

🐋 Whales & Weapons: The shift from whaling lookouts to ecotourism.

🛶 The Discovery: Finding a mysterious vessel washed up on the pristine sands.

🦁 The Invasion: Snorkeling the reef and learning about the Lionfish cull conservation efforts.

🦞 The Secession: The audacious 1978 bid to secede the Ambergris Cays from the rest of the territory.

📚 Dive Deeper!

Want the full story? Check out our detailed travelogue, Conch and Consequence, available now on Amazon Kindle:

👉 https://www.amazon.com/Conch-Consequence-Hopping-Across-Ambergris-ebook/dp/B0G7L4TNX8

📸 Exclusive Content

Join our Patreon for behind-the-scenes photos, maps, and never-before-seen content from our historical adventures:

👉 https://patreon.com/RolandRambler

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