The Mangroves essential to the Virgin Islands

The Mangroves of
St. John and the Caribbean


They are the mighty mighty mangroves, my friends!


Mangroves at Brown Bay

I talk about these bad boys a lot. These guys are really special. Now, not sure if you ever noticed the stinky donkey dip in Coral Bay, St. John. It isn’t because of the trash bins my friends. The smell that smells like a rotten egg are actually from these Mangroves.


Mangroves at Maho Bay

Now, these guys are extremely essential to our planet. They clean up the pollution that runs off and that often goes into these beautiful waters. Without these the water would be extremely polluted.

And they are disappearing. Fast.


Mangroves at Leinster Bay

The awful odor is from the bacteria that these folks have living on them and is part of the process of sucking up the pollution.

These are awesome plants. They adapt to salinity, coastal flooding, and are extremely diverse, yet very fragile.

So when you smell something funky, you know they are actually doing their job. With more and more folks frequenting the Caribbean these guys are becoming more and more essential to the general landscape.

They also provide shelter and food for various wildlife.


Francis Bay mangroves

They are also an aid to prevent beach erosion. It’s deep seeded roots help in keeping the sand from washing away out to the ocean.

Respect these beauties my friend. They are truly something special.