The Virgin Islands Blog

Larimar or blue pectolite is an extremely rare gemstone. It has been found only in one location: a mountainous, relatively inaccessible area in the province of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. The first mention of the stone is in a request to mine Larimar in 1916, however it wasn’t until 1974 that the stone really […]

The Cas Cay/Mangrove Lagoon Marine Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the south side of St. Thomas. It is an area of exceptional natural beauty, where mangrove trees provide homes for an assortment of animal life both above and beneath the waterline. It had been more than a decade since I had explored the […]

Mongoose is a name for a large number of small, carnivorous mammals of the civet family. They are originally from Asia and Africa, but were brought to the Virgin Islands in the 1800’s as a method for controlling rat populations on sugar plantations. The mongoose adapted very well and are now common. The mongoose species […]

Flora in the USVI is quite memorable. You will find bright yellows, pinks, reds, purples, oranges… truly a rainbow of colors that bloom from various flowering bushes and trees. The easiest place to view the array of flora common to the USVI is along road sides and in West Indian gardens at hotels and private […]

Most Virgin Islands enthusiast whether residents or visitors can name at least a few animals that are commonly found in the islands. Perhaps mongoose, lizards, deer might come to mind; definitely the iguana does for most people. But what about owls, bats or tree boas- yes snakes; would they come to mind? Probably not and […]

The United States bought the Virgin Islands in 1917. In the last 86 years under the American flag the islands have seen a change in the economy from a historically agricultural economy based on sugar and cotton production to tourism and industry, an increase in population, advancement in technology, local elections vs. appointment of leaders, […]

A VInow.com community member recently asked on the Message Board; “what are those small green fruits”? We figured other visitors might want to know too. And the answer: Genips! Genip trees are native or naturalised over a large part of the Caribbean, Mexico and parts of Central and South America. They can be found on […]

Edward O’Neil wrote in a book about the U.S. Virgin Islands that: “Lindquist’s Beach on St. Thomas’s north shore, a favorite spot with the island-born for group picnics, is what residents say the Virgin Islands were like twenty years ago. You reach it by a sandy track that runs about 300 yards off Red Hook […]

On a recent visit to Lameshur Bay on St. John, I sat enjoying the scenery when I noticed a snorkeler get out of the water nearby with a conch in hand. I caught up to her and explained that the conch should stay in the water and taking it was illegal. She replied that she […]

A dance, joined they slowly move together, their heads touch… sounds romantic doesn’t it? This is seahorse courtship, and it’s just the beginning! If a pair bond forms it may last the entire breeding season and possibly over several seasons – monogamous fish. And most interesting, it is the male that becomes pregnant and during […]