The Virgin Islands - tropical or desert? Cactus on the north side of St. Croix looking toward Buck Island Reef National Monument.

The Virgin Islands - tropical or desert? Shallow stream and rainforest on the west end of St. Croix.

View of Buck Island Reef National Monument from Chenay Bay on Green Cay.

Looking ENE from Chenay Bay Beach towards Green Cay to left and Buck Island to right.

Green Cay from Chenay Bay.

Strange wave refraction pattern apparent in aerial photograph as swells encounter large merchant vessel

Aerial view of patterns in a coral reef.

Aerial view of patterns in a coral reef.

Aerial view of patterns in a coral reef.

Aerial view of patterns in a coral reef.

Tropical popcorn cumulus at sunset.

Buck Island Reef National Monument - a jewel in a tropical sea.

Buck Island Reef National Monument - a jewel in a tropical sea.

Buck Island Reef National Monument - a jewel in a tropical sea.

Aerial view of Udall Point at the east end of St. Croix.

Aerial view of west side of Salt River Bay.

Aerial view of Salt River Bay.

A grounded Russian merchant vessel off the El Morro at the entrance to San Juan Harbor.

Surf, reef, and rocky headland. Note barge aground on backside of headland.

Aerial view of Carambola Beach Resort - west end of St. Croix.

Aerial view of Salt River Bay

Aerial view of Salt River Bay

The meeting of land, reef, and sea.

The meeting of deepsea and reef. Note channel in upper left -- headed into Christiansted.

Point Udall, the easternmost point of U. S. territory in the Western Hemisphere. Note wave refraction patterns in the shallow water to the left of the point.

Green Cay and Chenay Bay.

A view of Christiansted.

Great Pond Bay along the south coast of St. Croix.

Great Pond Bay along the south coast of St. Croix.

Aerial view of St. Croix coastline showing highway and reef.

Aerial view of St. Croix coastline

Aerial view of St. Croix coastline

The yacht harbor at Ventura.

Masts and booms of shrimp boat with nets drying.

Shrimp boat drying nets. Note turtle excluder devices.

Beaver tail cactus growing next to the port at Port Isobel

Crab traps on the dock.

EXXON VALDEZ aground on Bligh Reef being lightered to reduce oil spillage and lighten ship to get off reef.

Oil cleanup technique.

Intertidal area

Pressure cleaning rocks on intertidal zone.

Oiled dead birds.

Dead fish

Pressure cleaning rocks on intertidal zone.

Steam cleaning rocks

Workers cleaning oiled shoreline

Worker in oiled intertidal zone

Rescuing waterfowl from oiled waters

Rescuing oiled bald eagle

Rescuing waterfowl. Note chick in hand.