Buck Island in the British Virgin Islands

Located off Tortola's south east shore, approximately 2 miles west of Beef Island, Buck island is one of several privately owned islands, consisting of about 43 acres.

The island is joined to Tortola by a shoal at the island's northernmost tip. The shoal is about 3 football fields long. Don't try to cross here by boat. It is very, very shallow. You could push a dinghy through here with the engine tilted up and sometimes, you can glide across ... again with the engine up. It's one of the few places in the BVI where the barely noticeable tide can make a difference.

In the mid 90's, the previous owner began building a bridge to the island. (If you squint, you can see the partially built bridge on the left in the photo below)

The owner soon learned about the laws of the BVI and discovered that once completed, the bridge would make way for public access to the beaches on Buck Island. Building abruptly stopped and the partially built bridge was abandoned.

Snorkeling between Buck Island and Tortola is marvelous. I have seen massive, blue spotted rays as big as 10' to 12' in this area. Many years ago, I was diving here with a friend and we discovered not one but two, as yet unidentified species. Very exciting!