Cas Cay is a undeveloped island, situated a mile south of
Red Hook on the eastern side of
Saint Thomas in the
United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
. It is under the protection of the
Department of Natural Resources. Ferries here depart from Compass Point Marina, right east of
Nadir.
Description
Cas Cay is a
tropical island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
, which has a hundred feet tall hill with bird species such as the
Red-billed- and
White-tailed tropicbird
The white-tailed tropicbird (''Phaethon lepturus'') is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western Paci ...
. It is also home to
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
plant species such as
orchids, ''
Tabebuia'',
gumbo-limbos, as well as the
seagrape,
manchineel
The manchineel tree (''Hippomane mancinella'') is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Its native range stretches from tropical southern North America to northern South America.
The name "manchineel" (sometimes spel ...
and numerous
mangroves
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several ...
. It is home to lizards such as
anoles,
ameiva and
geckos. The island has a high density of rats (''
Rattus rattus'') as well. It has a mangrove lagoon and is one of the largest mangrove areas in the Virgin Islands. Besides the mangrove ecosystem, the wildlife sanctuary, the natural
whirlpool and
blowhole, many visit the island for recreational activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking and bird watching.
[Showker, Kay and Mary Brennan (2008). ''Caribbean Ports of Call: Eastern and Southern Regions: A Guide for Today's Cruise Passengers''. Globe Pequot. Page 73. .] The nearby Cas Cay-Mangrove Lagoon Marine Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the
Jersey Bay immediately north of Cas Cay.
Important Bird Area
A 225 ha area, encompassing Cas Cay, neighbouring Bovoni and Patricia Cays, along with the Mangrove Lagoon marine reserve, has been recognised as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because it supports populations of
green-throated caribs,
Antillean crested hummingbirds,
pearly-eyed thrashers and
Lesser Antillean bullfinch
The lesser Antillean bullfinch (''Loxigilla noctis'') is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae.
It is found in Saint Barth, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherland ...
es.
References
Islands of the United States Virgin Islands
Important Bird Areas of the United States Virgin Islands
East End, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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