B-BUCK+ISLAND+NATIONAL+PARK

=Buck Island Reef National Monument "one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea" = ====__ **Location**__**:** off the island of [|St. Croix] - one of the three islands of the [|Virgin Islands]media type="custom" key="5441825" align="right"====

**__Park Size__:**

 * ====total size - 19,000 acres====
 * ====island - 176 acres====
 * ====water - 18,839 acres[[image:buckislandreef.jpg width="259" height="174" align="right"]]====

**__Climate__:**

 * from December through April [|temperatures] are from low 70s to upper 80s
 * from May through November are from the mid 80s to mid 90s

**__Most popular sites__:**

 * at the eastern most point of the reef is the famous [|underwater trail]
 * white coral sand beaches
 * [|Turtle Beach] on the west

**__What you can do here__:**

 * go for a tour with the [|Big Beard's Adventure Tours], the [|Caribbean Sea Adventures], or the [|Jolly Roger Charters].
 * swim in the crystal clear waters
 * go snorkeling or [|scuba] diving through the fantastic reef and see the tropical marine life
 * get while getting a birds-eye view of the reef and sea below on a hike over the island

**__Cool things to see__:**

 * elkhorn coral barrier [|reef] surrounds two-thirds of the islandmedia type="custom" key="5441849" align="right"
 * extraordinary coral formations
 * sea [|plants]
 * abundant reef [|animals], sea fans, and gorgonians

**__Animals you will find__:**

 * [|Leatherback Sea Turtle][[image:leatherback%20sea%20turtle.jpg width="128" height="92" caption="Leatherback Sea Turtle"]]
 * [|Green Sea Turtle][[image:Greenturtle.jpg width="135" height="162" caption="Green Sea Turtle"]]
 * [|Pelicans][[image:pelican.jpg width="150" height="204" caption="Pelican"]]
 * [|Least terns][[image:least_tern1.jpg width="200" height="149" caption="Least Tern"]]

media type="custom" key="5441857"

**__History__:**
Buck Island Reef is off the island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Before becoming a national monument, the [|Tainos] people settled in St. Croix. Buck Island was then later inhabited by Native Indian people who were referred to as the [|Carib] who were originally from South America. Buck Island Reef National Monument was created in 1961 by [|John F. Kennedy]. [|Bill Clinton] helped to expand Buck Island Reef in 2001. It was first established in 1948 by the U.S. Government to as a way of preserving “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea”. Most of this national monument is underwater. Buck Island was home to some famous pirates including [|Blackbeard], [|Captain Kidd], and [|Henry Morgan]. This national monument is a natural site because it is made up of an island and the ocean around it.



Buck Island Reef National Monument is part of the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands which is in the carribean. The weather in the carribean is usually warm and sunny but they also can get very bad hurricanes and tropical storms. [|Hurricane Hugo] in September of 1989 was a category five around the island of St. Croix. Recently, several beaches were tested and did not meet water quality standards. Ground water is an very valuable in the Virgin Islands. There are no permanent freshwater streams or large freshwater bodies such as rivers, lakes, or ponds. The U.S. Virgin Island work very hard to protect animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. The EPA restricts the use of any harmful pesticides that might harm plants and animals living on the islands. There is always something to do at the Buck Island Reef National Monument. You can swim with the tropical fishes and explore all sorts of amazing reefs. This national monument is also a beach so if you do not feel like going snorkeling or scuba-diving, you can always just relax under warm sun at Turtle Beach. Pictures: [|www.bing.com] Videos: [] [] Information: [] [] [] [] [] [] [] media type="custom" key="5441887" align="center"
 * __Environmental Issues__:[[image:BuckIsland02-704746-797869.jpg align="right"]]**
 * __Recreational Activities__:**
 * __Works Cited__:**