Where is Buckle Island?

Buckle Island is one of the three main islands in the uninhabited Balleny Islands group located in the Southern Ocean. It lies 25 km (16 mi) north-west of Sturge Island and 8 km (5 mi) south-east of Young Island, some 110 km (68 mi) north-north-east of Belousov Point on the Antarctic mainland.

Why do people come to Buck Island?

People have come to Buck Island to enjoy the island’s beaches, waters, fish, and other wildlife, for nearly 2,000 years.

Who owns Buck Island?

Under the Virgin Islands Organic Act of June 22, 1936, the Government of the Virgin Islands obtained direct control of Buck Island, though the U.S. Federal Government maintained control of the submerged lands. In 1948, the Government of the Virgin Islands established Buck Island and its surrounding reefs as a territorial park.

When did Buck Island reef become a national monument?

In 1961, control of the island was transferred to the National Park Service, and later that year President John F. Kennedy, in recognition of the need to preserve for scientific and educational interests “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea,” established Buck Island Reef National Monument by Presidential Proclamation (No. 3443).