Buck Island National Monument

Buck Island Reef National Monument, established in 1961 and expanded in 2001, protects one of the finest remaining elkhorn coral barrier reefs in the Atlantic, arching in an almost unbroken line along the island's northeastern shore and drawing endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles in reliably high numbers. The reef crest rises to within 2 metres of the surface at low tide, creating a dramatic shallow-water spectacle of coral spires and turtle silhouettes against filtered Caribbean sunlight. Access is strictly managed by the National Park Service with permitted tour operators only, which keeps diver pressure low and the ecosystem in genuinely pristine condition.