BirdsCaribbean, upon seeing
Scaly-naped Pigeons collapsing
on the ground from lack of food. At
Magen’s Bay, the main beach of
Saint Thomas, 68 acres (27.5 hec-
tares) of prime habitat was virtu-
ally obliterated by the hurricane,
including five acres (2.2 hectares)
planted with coconut palms, 15
acres (6.7 hectares) of wetlands,
and a prestigious six-acre (2.4-
hectare) arboretum of exotic trees.
This strip of land was considered
one of the best locales for viewing
the local herps and studying
endemic avian life. According to
legend, the bay was also once the
mooring point for the pirate and
slave trader Sir Francis Drake,
from whence he scouted out ships
ripe for plunder.
residents are protected federally
by the Endangered Species Act of
1973, and locally by the Virgin
Islands Endangered and
Indigenous Species Act of 1990.
No longer commercially harvested
for their meat and calipee (a highly
-coveted layer of light-yellow,
gelatinous fat directly under the
plastron), the Green Sea Turtles of
Magen’s Bay appear to be
thriving, and the population is
stable, despite their endangered
status. Critically endangered
Hawksbill Sea Turtles
(Eretmochelys imbricata) are also
Today, the bay is still an excellent
place to spot Green Sea Turtles
(Chelonia mydas), languishing and
feeding in the meadows of sea
grass. These year-round aquatic
4.
3.
1. Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rica
2. Destruction caused by Irma and Maria in the
3. Although the islands have recovered
4. Critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtles
5. Magen’s Bay is the main beach of Saint
in September 2017. Image by lavizzara.
US Virgin Islands. Image by Nikolas Dellios.
somewhat, the combined effects of the hurricanes
are still clearly visible. Image by Vickie Lillo.
are frequently found on the nearby reefs. Image
by Isabelle Kuehn.
Thomas, and was considered one of the best
places to view the local herps and endemic birds.
Image by Ian Kennedy.
5.