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Typical flora and fauna
St Eustatius is a tropical island paradise with its
own unique natural history, its own special ecosystems
and habitats teeming with rare and exotic life. The
Dutch Caribbean is home to more than 35 globally endangered
or vulnerable species (according to IUCN’s red
list), including trees, snakes, sea turtles, birds,
whales and fish.
Amongst their natural wonders the islands count not
only coral reefs but also seagrass beds, rain forests,
cactus and woodlands. Without a shadow of a doubt the
Dutch Caribbean constitutes the biodiversity hotspot
within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. [go
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Quill National Park eco-system
 The
forest filled volcanic crater of the Quill is spectacular.
The crater contains a dense jungle of trees and plants
rich in life which is classified as evergreen seasonal
forest, a kind of forest closely related to true rain
forest. The largest trees are the towering giant kapoks
which have spectacular buttress roots. The crater drips
with lianas and orchids, bromeliads and fern trees and
is lavishly coated with mosses and ferns. Around the
crater rim, there is a small but impressive primary
cloud forest of which balsam trees with enormous aerial
roots are the most conspicuous trees. [go
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Rare species of the Quill
National Park
Amongst the rare and endangered species which find
a home on St Eustatius, is the red bellied racer snake,
found only on St Eustatius and Saba, an endemic sub
species of fruit eating bat and the endemic Saban anolis
lizard.
 Remnant
populations of the endangered Lesser Antillean iguana
(Iguana delicatissima) have found a last refuge
on six Caribbean islands including St Eustatius. These
iguana have been hunted to the brink of extinction for
their meat. Rare flora include 16 species of orchid,
and the rare and endemic Statia Morning Glory which
until recently was thought to be extinct. [go
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Birds
The island is home to a wealth of birds especially
seabirds. St Eustatius provides nesting sites for the
Brown Pelican and roosting sites for the endangered
Magnificent Frigate Bird.
 Because
of the abundance of steep, undeveloped coastal cliffs
in the Boven sub-sector of the National Park, and lack
of predators, St Eustatius is also a nesting site of
the Red Billed Tropic bird. These magnificent seabirds
spend over four years at sea, flying continuously, before
returning to nest on the island from which they emerged
as fledglings. [go up]
Marine environment
St Eustatius Marine Park has been termed the ‘undiscovered
diving secret of the Caribbean. Diving in the Marine
Park is one of the top ten activities recommended by
Fodor’s in 2006.
The underwater scenery is dramatic. The network of beautiful
patch reefs is one of the undiscovered natural wonders
with exceptionally well preserved reefs, abundant stands
of rare black coral, large numbers of fish as well as
lobster and turtles, they are truly an underwater paradise.[go
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Endangered species
Endangered species include three species of sea turtle,
Queen Conch, coral species, cacti, orchids and more.
Some of these species are mentioned below.[go
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Queen Conch
Queen Conch can be found in the waters around the island.
As the species is considered a local delicacy, conch
have been overfished for many decades with the result
that only remnant populations can be found in shallow
waters.
St Eustatius conch population is much richer than elsewhere
and recent studies have shown that fishing is still
sustainable at current levels. Park regulations include
a ban of the taking of sub adults and regulation of
maximum fishing effort to ensure a sustainable harvest.
[go up]
Turtles
Endangered sea turtles, which have survived in our
seas since the time of the dinosaurs, are found resident
in St Eustatius Marine Park and still nest on the protected
beaches of St Eustatius.
Nesting beaches are regularly monitored and protected
through a monitoring programme that commenced in 2002.
In addition to providing outreach materials, activities
and presentations for local schools and visiting tourists,
the Park monitors beaches for nesting activity on a
daily/nightly basis during nesting season. Most recently,
satellite tracking devices have been placed on hawksbill
and green turtles to track their movements and discover
where they go after they have finished nesting. [go
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