Man O' War Bush

The mangroves of Man O' War Bush.

Man O' War Bush is a remote collection of mangroves located off the central southern coast of Middle Caicos. The area is essentially the southern-most part of Middle Caicos and is a peninsula of mud shoals with red mangroves and black mangroves, yet is isolated from the mainland by several small channels. The impressive Middle Caicos Ocean Hole is found nearby to the northeast.

These small channels are sometimes navigated by local bonefishing charters in order to avoid the shallows and choppy ocean conditions to the south, yet the channels are quite shallow and complex, and can be difficult to follow, especially on lower tides.

As an isolated and varied marine wetland with contrasting channels, flats, and red mangroves, there’s abundant wildlife in the area. It’s somewhat common to spot sharks and stingrays in the waters, and even Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at times. Birdlife include brown pelicans, smaller seabirds, and the full range of egrets and herons found in the Turks and Caicos.

Man O' War Bush is part of the Vine Point (Man O’ War Bush) and Ocean Hole Nature Reserve, and fishing inside this protected area is prohibited.

Above: Much of the emergent land in the area is spongy mud.   Top right:  Top left:  The west mouth of the southern channel through Vine Point and Man O' War Bush.   Bottom right:  Top right:  One of the mangrove islands at Vine Point and Man O' War Bush.  

The Frigatebrid Colony

Man O' War Bush was once the site of a magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) colony. This nesting site was unfortunately destroyed or displaced, and as of 2024 has shown no signs of becoming reestablished. Little Moxy Bush, a small and isolated clump of red mangroves found 21 miles (33.8 km) in the shallow Stakes Bank near South Caicos, is the only known remaining frigatebird nesting colony site known in the country.