Waterlemon Cay facts for kids

Waterlemon Cay is a tiny island, also known as a cay, found in Leinster Bay on the island of Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands. It's named after a fruit called the "water lemon." This little island is surrounded by a special kind of coral reef that grows close to the shore, called a fringing reef.

Waterlemon Cay is famous for being one of the best places to go snorkeling in the area. When you snorkel, you can swim on the surface of the water and look down at the amazing underwater world. To get to the cay, you can walk about 1 kilometer (or 0.6 miles) along a trail from the sandy beach at Leinster Bay. From the end of the trail, it's about a ten-minute swim to the cay itself, where you'll find a small beach.

Underwater Wonders

Waterlemon Cay is home to many different kinds of reef fish and beautiful coral. It's like an underwater garden filled with colorful creatures! You can often see various fish swimming among the corals.

Protecting the Reef

Sadly, some of the coral around Waterlemon Cay has been affected by something called coral bleaching. This happens when corals get stressed, often because the water gets too warm. When corals bleach, they turn white and can become unhealthy. Because of this, the amount of marine life has gone down in recent years. It's important to protect these amazing underwater habitats so that fish and coral can thrive.

A Bit of History

Local stories say that Waterlemon Cay has an interesting past. Long ago, when dueling (a type of fight between two people, usually with weapons) was made illegal in the Danish West Indies, this remote sandy spot on Waterlemon Cay became a secret place where people would go to have their fights.

Gallery

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  Map of the trail leading to Waterlemon Cay

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  A view of Waterlemon Cay from the Leinster Bay trail

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  The beautiful Leinster Bay beach

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  A sea turtle swimming near Waterlemon Cay