Location: Virgin Islands Map
Area: 880 acres (3.6 km2)
Buck Island Reef National Monument is a nature marine reserve situated around Buck Island in the US Virgin Islands. It covers a total area of 880 acres (3.6 km2). The Buck Island Reef National Monument, or simply Buck Island, is the name of a small, uninhabited, 176-acre (712,000 m²) island about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the coast northeast of Saint Croix, another of the US Virgin Islands. It was established for the first time as an area protected by the US Government. in 1948, with the intention of preserving "one of the best marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea". The National Monument was created in 1961 by John F. Kennedy and greatly expanded in 2001 by Bill Clinton, with strong opposition from local fishermen.
Much of its surface, which is administered by the National Park Service, is underwater. The ecosystem that surrounds and composes the island is home to two endangered species and a wide variety of fish. The clear waters, the spectacular coral formations and the abundance of marine life make Buck Island a favorite destination for divers, who can follow a marked underwater trail to the east of the island.
Buck Island is a 71-acre island that lies north of Saint Croix. The
island contains beaches, dry forest and manzanilla forests. The island
was inhabited by Taíno natives, and pottery from the 5th century has
been found. The Taíno had left behind shell mounds, but these have been
destroyed by hurricanes and the sea.
Johann Diedrich was the
first known resident. In 1772, Diedrich was living on the island with 3
slaves. In 1789, a light uprising was built at the highest point of
about 100 meters, and the watchman lived with his family and slaves on
the island. In 1841, the island had 6 inhabitants.
In 2008, the
endemic lizard Pholidoscelis polops, which was only found on two small
islands near Saint Croix, was released on Buck Island.
The coral reefs around Buck Island were considered one of the most
beautiful reefs of the Caribbean. On december 28, 1961, Buck Island and
a 285-acre area surrounding the island was designated a national
monument.
Brown pelicans and American dwarf terns breed on the
island. The beaches are used by hawksbill, soup and leatherback turtles.
The reefs around Buck Island are the only place in the United States
where the coral species Acropora palmata occurs that surround about
two-thirds of the water surrounding the island. In 2001, the National
monument was expanded to cover an area of 76.84 km2.
Buck Island
can be visited by boat, but a permit must be applied for, and many
restrictions apply because it is a nature preserve.