Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge preserves habitat for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the Leatherback Sea TurtleLeatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
(Dermochelys coriacea). Its two miles (3 km) of sandy beaches on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
is an ideal nesting place for leatherbacks. The National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
is open to the public for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Aklis Archeological Site, dating back to the year 400 and occupied for over 200 years, is in the refuge. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The last scene of the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman....
was filmed in the refuge.
Sandy Point NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex is an administrative unit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service which oversees National Wildlife Refuges in Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.-Puerto Rico:...
.