Magens Bay is a bay in the Northside region on Saint Thomas,

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 ...

, in the Caribbean.

Description

Lying on the northern (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

) side of the island, Magens Bay (Estate Zufriedenheit) features a well-protected white

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

stretching for nearly three quarters of a mile. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, as well as a gathering place for locals. The beach sits at the head of a deep bay, the arms of which are Peterborg peninsula to the east and Tropaco Point to the west. The bay's north-west exposure means its waters are usually calm, although storms in the North Atlantic can occasionally generate large waves in the winter months. The sandy bottom means

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

is of limited interest, although

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

s, conch,

tarpon Tarpons are fish of the genus ''Megalops''. They are the only members of the family Megalopidae. Of the two species, one (''M. atlanticus'') is native to the Atlantic, and the other (''M. cyprinoides'') to the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Species a ...

and other fish are commonly spotted. Local

fishing boat A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2016 was ...

s anchor in the eastern part of the bay. The beach and surrounding park are currently administered by the semi-autonomous Magens Bay Authority. The services provided by the Authority include lifeguards, parking, showers and bathrooms. There is a snack counter, bar and souvenir shop. Beach chairs, floats, lounge chairs, mask and snorkels, fins, towels, lockers, paddleboards, kayaks, and paddleboats can be rented. The Authority is a self-sustaining entity which funds its operations through a per-person entrance fee (currently $5.00 for visitors and $2.00 for locals, free for kids under 12), parking fees, and payments received from the park's restaurant and rental concessions. The beach property also includes a coconut grove, a mangrove, and an arboretum.

Environment

Nature Trail

In 2004,

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

and local organizations opened a trail to Magens Bay from a spot off the road in the hills above. It belongs to a 319 acre preserve overseen by The Nature Conservancy, Magens Bay Authority and VI Department of Planning & Nature Resources. 25 of its acres were exclusively donated for this trail. On the trail it is possible to see many different bird species of the preserve, passing though different ecosystems from the top of the hill down 1½ miles to Magens Bay.

Important Bird Area

A 572 ha area, encompassing the bay, beach, mangroves and associated protected forests, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of

green-throated carib The green-throated carib (''Eulampis holosericeus'') is a species of hummingbird in the subfamily Polytminae. It is found in Puerto Rico and most of the Lesser Antilles.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World ...

Antillean crested hummingbird The Antillean crested hummingbird (''Orthorhyncus cristatus'') is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. Found across Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Ri ...

s, Caribbean elaenias and

pearly-eyed thrasher The pearly-eyed thrasher (''Margarops fuscatus'') is a bird in the thrasher family Mimidae. It is found on many Caribbean islands, from the Bahamas in the north to the Grenadines in the south, with an isolated subspecies on Bonaire. Descriptio ...

History

Legend has it that Sir Francis Drake used Magens Bay as an anchorage while waiting for ships to plunder. Early maps of St. Thomas refer to the site as "Great Northside Bay". The popular name, "Magens Bay", arose out of its ownership by vicegouvernor Jacob Jorgenson Magens (1682-1731) and his heirs from the late 18th through the 19th centuries. It changed hands in the 20th century, and was eventually acquired by Wall Street financier Arthur S. Fairchild. Arthur Fairchild donated 56 acres of the beach and surrounding areas to the Municipality of St. Thomas and St. John in 1946 for use as a public park. The far Western portion was donated by Fairchild's nephew's widow, Christine Wheaton, in 2002.

In popular culture

Several commercials and movie scenes have been filmed at Magens Bay, including a scene in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

Gallery

Image:Magens Bay, St. Thomas, USVI.jpg, View of Magens Bay from overlook. File:MagensBayOuterBrass.JPG, View from Magens Bay, facing Outer Brass. Image:Beachatmagensbay.jpg, View from Magens Bay, facing Tropaco Point. File:MagensBayPeterborg.JPG, View from Magens Bay, facing Peterborg Point. File:St Thomas Magens Bay 1.jpg, Magens Bay File:St Thomas Magens Bay 3.jpg, Magens Bay File:MagensBench.jpg, Picnic table at Magens File:MagensPalmShadows.jpg, Palm trees at Magens File:MagensSunset.jpg, Sunset at Magens File:MagensTurtle.jpg, Green sea turtle at Magens

References

External links

*
Magens Bay Photo Gallery
{{United States Virgin Islands Beaches of the United States Virgin Islands Bays of the United States Virgin Islands Important Bird Areas of the United States Virgin Islands Landforms of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Northside, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands