Statia: 'Ecological wonder of nature'

Photo from Stenapa website

"Statia has special trees, snakes, sea turtles, birds, whales and fish. It is surrounded by coral reefs and meadows of sea grass on which the sea turtle feeds. On the island desert-like areas with cactus gradually make way for rainforest and primeval forest. The entire picture answers to the cliché of a tropical island paradise. There are complete ecosystems and habitats where the most exceptional sorts of plants and animals can be found. Threatened species such as the red-bellied racer snake, the lesser Antillean iguana, the giant queen conch shell and the brown pelican feel at home here. ‘Or species that were believed to have become extinct, such as the Statia morning glory''"  

Fragment from the article "St. Eustatius: A Diamond in the Rough" by Baud Schoenmaeckers in Change Magazine, special issue on Biodiversity on Bonaire, Statia and Saba, 2011, Volume 6 (2010), Issue 3, page 18.