Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Location in the US Virgin Islands Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (the U.S. Virgin Islands)
Location	St. Croix, Virgin Islands, United States
Nearest city	Frederiksted, VI
Coordinates	17°40′40″N 64°54′0″W
Area	360 acres (146 ha)
Established	1984
Visitors	11,000 (in 2005)
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge preserves habitat for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Its two miles (3 km) of sandy beaches on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal nesting place for leatherbacks. The National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Aklis Archeological Site, a prehistoric shell midden on the coast, is in the refuge. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) site dates back to the year 400 and show evidence of human occupation for over 200 years, and has yielded a wide variety of artifacts, including pottery and stone tool fragments, and human remains. The site is subject to gradual erosion. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The last scene of the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption was filmed in the refuge.

Sandy Point NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex.

Gallery

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  Sandy Point beach
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  Leatherback sea turtle on the refuge
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  Map of the US Virgin Islands
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  Sandy Point beach

See also

• List of National Wildlife Refuges
• National Register of Historic Places listings in the United States Virgin Islands

External links

• Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge homepage