Buck Island Reef

Off St Croix's northeast, Buck Island and its surrounding reef hold protected-monument status with a signature idea: an underwater trail, marked lanes threading the elkhorn coral gardens with interpretive plaques on the seabed, snorkelled behind licensed boats that run the classic half-and-full-day circuits from Christiansted. Turtle Beach on the islet's west earns its name (hawksbills nest here) and its regular listing among the Caribbean's loveliest strands, the reef's recovery work continues after the storm decades, and the whole arrangement - boat, trail, beach hour - remains the USVI's most polished nature outing.

Background

The island covers 176 acres and is uninhabited, lying about 1.5 miles off the northeast shore of Saint Croix, while the monument as a whole takes in 19,015 acres, most of it under water. Protection began in 1948, the monument dates from 1961, and it was greatly expanded in 2001. An elkhorn coral barrier reef surrounds two thirds of the island and supports over 250 fish species, along with nurse and lemon sharks and spotted eagle rays. The marked snorkel route is among just three underwater trails in the country. Leatherback turtles come ashore to nest in spring, and green and hawksbill turtles in summer. Brown pelicans and threatened least terns also nest here.

Source: Wikipedia, "Buck Island Reef National Monument"

What you'll find

• The underwater trail - marked snorkel lanes through the elkhorn.
• Turtle Beach - the west-end strand of standing fame.
• The reef gardens - coral recovery at monument protection.
• The Christiansted run - the boat day's classic frame.

When to go

December to May for settled seas; mornings snorkel clearest. Most visitors come on the licensed boat trips from Christiansted - book the day ahead in season; private boats may also visit under current National Park Service rules.

Things to know

Monument rules are strict - anchoring only at the designated spot, no touching the coral - and correctly so; swell days compromise the trail's visibility honestly.

Nearby

Christiansted's wharf and fort, and St Croix's east end.

Key facts