Magens Bay is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

and

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 (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

park in the Northside region on Saint Thomas,

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

, in the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

Description

Lying on the northern (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

) 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 usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

beach stretching for nearly three quarters of a mile. 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 (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...

is of limited interest, although

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

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

s, spotted eagle rays,

conch Conch ( , , ) is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high Spire (mollusc), spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point on both ...

, tarpon and other fish are commonly spotted. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, as well as a gathering place for locals, attracting 300,000 visitors per year. Small local

fishing boat A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, arti ...

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, beach sheds, beach wheelchairs, and a fitness trail. There is a snack counter, bar and souvenir shop. Beach chairs, floats, lounge chairs, mask and snorkels, fins, towels, 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 $7.00 for visitors and $2.00 for locals, free for kids under 12), parking fees, and payments received from the park's restaurant and other 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, United States. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in ...

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 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 i ...

because it supports populations of green-throated caribs, Antillean crested hummingbirds, Caribbean elaenias and pearly-eyed thrashers.

History

Magens Bay was settled by Amerindians, and pre-Columbian artifacts have been discovered there, including a "ritual spatula" or "swallow stick" that is believed to have been made from the rib of a manatee by the

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

people sometime between 1200 and 1500. Legend has it that Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

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 from 1817-1898 by Arve Petersen Magens and his heirs (the same family as Joachim Melchior Magens (1715–1783) and Joachim Melchior Magens (1775–1845)). In 1916 it was acquired by Wall Street financier Arthur S. Fairchild, who then 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. Fairchild's donation was with the stated intention that "the natural beauty and benefits to be preserved for the enjoyment of the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands without discrimination of any kind by reason of race, color or creed," and his conditions for donating the land included: 1) a hotel/resort cannot be built on this property, 2) a casino can never be built on this property and 3) the beach should be named Magens Beach. The far Western portion was subsequently 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 and parts of

Weekend at Bernie's II ''Weekend at Bernie's II'' is a 1993 American black comedy film written and directed by Robert Klane. It is the sequel to Klane's 1989 comedy ''Weekend at Bernie's'' and starring Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser and Barry Bost ...

Gallery

Image:Magens Bay, St. Thomas, USVI.jpg, View of Magens Bay from Drake's Seat overlook Image:Beachatmagensbay.jpg, View from Magens Bay, facing Tropaco Point File:MagensBayPeterborg.JPG, View from Magens Bay, facing Peterborg Point File:MagensPalmShadows.jpg, Palm tree shadows at Magens File:MagensRainbow2024.jpg, Rainbow at Magens

References

External links

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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