great expectations usvi

Perfect ending for Caribbean Regatta - Virgin Islands sailors (St Thomas, St Croix & St John) all in top scoring boats!

Silver Flight start race 10 June 24 2012
photo courtesy Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta

So proud of the Virgin Island sailors!  Here are the results from this weekend's Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta with St John, St Thomas and St Croix sailors all in top tier of sailors.  St John KATS made it into very top as well winning the Green Fleet in #1 position with St Croix and St Thomas in number #2 and #3 position.  Way to go!

More pictures and results...

Dean Barnes captured this photo of Optimist sailors

Did you make a Father's Day promise to vacation on St John this coming year?

Memories for a lifetime are made on St John beaches

St John is a wonderful place to spend Father's Day.  Why not make a promise to yourself (or your Dad) to vacation together on St John this coming year.  It is a wonderful island vacation spot for 'kids of all ages'.  

If you have small kids St John can be magical with its silky, sandy (rock free) beaches with pristine waters (and virtually no rip tides).  Gentle entries at the beaches make learning to swim a piece of cake.  Donkeys, goats, and chickens roaming freely make St John a different experience that going to the 'shore' near home!
If your 'kids' are the grown up types, St John is still magical.  Stars that can be seen clearly and more shooting stars than you will see any other place in the world make it memorable.  Enjoy local music at one of our many restaurants while watching the boats or enjoying the sunsetting into the Caribbean.
St John is a wonderful family vacation destination. What's not to like?

Flamingos reintroduced to the Virgin Islands - the BVI's

Richard Branson
Photo Credit: Charlie Smith

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Now the Virgin mogul has announced he is reintroducing three species of tropical birds to the chain of islands.  Since he set up home in the British Virgin Islands in the 1970s, Richard Branson has worked tirelessly to restore his idyllic corner of the Caribbean.

Residents of the British Overseas Territory will soon be able to see the flamingo, the scarlet Ibis and the roseate spoonbill for the first time in over 100 years.
A female roseate spoonbill feeds her young
An adult Scarlet Ibis looks after it's chick
Returning: Two birds Richard Branson has reintroduced to the Virgin Islands. The roseate spoonbill, left, and the scarlet ibis, right
Mr Branson made the announcement yesterday on his blog.
Revealing 70 flamingos have already been born in the BVIs in 2012, the tycoon hailed the programme 'a fantastic success'.
Richard Branson announced a breeding programme is well under way in the Virgin Islands and 70 flamingos have been born there so far this year

Richard Branson announced a breeding programme is well under way in the Virgin Islands and 70 flamingos have been born there so far this year
The spectacular birds were once commonly found in the islands but modern development and hunting rendered them extinct.
He added: 'We hope in time to have the same success with the Scarlet Ibis as we have had with the Flamingos, so the British Virgin Islands as a whole can enjoy the beauty of these birds.
'(The) Ibis, one of the most beautiful birds in the world, is also doing fantastically - we had our first baby born recently.
'They are completely different colour to their parents, which I suspect is so they are not so noticeable to predators when they are young. They turn the incredible scarlet colour after a couple of years.'
The third species, the roseate rpoonbill, is a wading bird, common in South America and other parts of the Caribbean.

He spent more than £6 million turning it into a luxury resort, charging guests up to £33,00 day to stay there. In August 2011, the Island - which sits just 13 miles off the coast of Tortola - was struck by Tropical Storm Irene. A fire broke out burning the Great House to the ground. Mr Branson bought Necker in 1979, paying just  £150,000 for the 74-acre island.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We, on nearby St John USVI sure hope that they venture over to our island! They will be welcome with open arms and space!

Perfect day for the 2012 St John Beach-to-Beach Swim

Record number of people came out to support the Friends VINP Beach-to-Beach Power Swim this past Sunday.  And, why not for it was a picture perfect day for both the swimmers and spectators.  Over  200 swimmers took off on one of three courses.  Read the full story about the routing and details about the swimmers.  A St Johnian, Annie Emery - age 23, took the overall prize for the Short Solo with a time of only 23:30!  Swimmers as young as 5 and as 'mature' as 75 also swam the route.  They came from near (lots of folks from the VI's) and far (Mexico, Spain, Alaska) to swim in our pristine (and warm) waters. The full race results for 2012 Beach-to-Beach Power Swim can be seen here
St John Beach-to-Beach Power Swim Routes

You can help keep St John forever green


What is not to like about this picture?
Maho Bay

With your help, and that of the federal government, we can ensure that Maho Bay stays 'forever green'.  A critical parcel surrounding Maho Bay is still unprotected and might be eligible to be developed.  For the last several years the National Park Service has been working with the Trust for Public Land and the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park to protect over 200 acres.  So far, they have been successful in carving out 131 acres to be protected; however they need additional resources to include the remaining land. 
Please take a moment to read about this important initiative and sign the petition to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis urging them to allocate the funds (from the Land and Water Conservation Fund) needed to complete this critical purchase:

St John has lots of interesting bird life

 
This little guy came to visit us this morning.

From our friends at Wikipedia:
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At 19–21 centimeters (7–8 in) long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in size and plumage, although both sexes have a rufous back with noticeable barring. Juveniles are similar in plumage to adults.
The American Kestrel hunts by hovering in the air with rapid wing beats or perching and scanning the ground for prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers, lizards, mice, and other small birds. It nests in cavities in trees, cliffs, buildings, and other structures. The female lays three to seven eggs, which both sexes help to incubate. It is a common bird to be used in falconry, especially by beginners.
Its breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a local breeder in Central America and is widely distributed throughout South America. Most birds breeding in Canada and the northern United States migrate south in the winter. It is an occasional vagrant to western Europe.

He wasn't at all shy; probably waiting for lunch to be served.