The Virgin Islands: What’s in a Name?

John F. McKeon 

Columbus’ Second Voyage 1494 

On Monday, October 7, 1494, Christopher Columbus was positioned off the coast of Africa with his fleet of 17 ships. He departed from Gomera, an island in the Spanish Canary Islands and embarked upon his second voyage to the Indies. This was done under secrecy to avoid the course of his route becoming known to the rival Portuguese. By Thursday, October 24, Columbus became concerned. Having traveled more than 1400 miles to the West, why was there no seaweed? At this point in his first voyage he had already encountered vast quantities of it. Then, a ‘glondrina’ appeared, and did so for two days following. Surely the advent of a swallow was a sign of land! 

However, the next day the waves climbed higher with lightning and thunder, darkness prevailed everywhere and a blackness covered the sea. The storm pummeled his ships with such incredible force ‘the yards snapped, the sails were torn to shreds, and the ropes parted, the planks creaked and the gangways were awash …the vessels threatened to collide like toys in a pond amid the turmoil’ (1)

An eerie purplish glow emanated from the tip of the main mast aboard Columbus’ flagship the Mariagalante and was taken as a positive. The appearance of St. Elmo’s fire was traditionally considered a good omen by sailors, caused by a plasma discharge appearing as a glowing blue/violet light on ship masts during high atmospheric electrical charges, often seen near the end of a tempest. The phenomena was named for St. Erasmus (Elmo) the patron saint of Mediterranean sailors. 

Upon daybreak of November 3, 1494, Columbus was rewarded with the sight of a mountainous Island known as ‘Charis’ (2) by its inhabitants. Having arrived on a 2 Sunday Columbus named it Dominica. He had ‘discovered’ land. He spotted four more islands now known as the Leeward Islands, the northern most islands of the lesser Antilles located at the confluence of the Atlantic ocean and the Caribbean Sea (3)

Columbus sighted the archipelago on this second voyage, initially naming the group after the legend of Saint Ursula. The islands were named Las Once Mil Vírgenes, shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins). He specifically named Virgin Gorda, which he believed to be the largest in the group. While exploring the region, Columbus dropped anchor at what is now known as Salt River Bay in St. Croix, where his men were met with a rain of arrows from the resident Carib Indians, leading him to call the area Cabo de Flechas ("Cape of the Arrows”). Today, the Salt River Bay National Historical Park on St. Croix commemorates the landing site where Columbus's crew first interacted with the island's original inhabitants. 

Although Columbus claimed the islands for the Spanish Crown, Spain never established a permanent settlement. The Spanish preferred larger islands like Puerto Rico and Cuba, leaving the smaller Virgin Islands to be later contested by the British, Dutch, French, and Danish. Initially serving mainly as a stop for explorers, pirates, and privateers. 

The Caribbean Sea  

The Caribbean Sea is the immense, tropical arm of the Atlantic Ocean that spans nearly 1 million square miles between the North and South American continents. Enclosed by the Greater Antilles to the North and the Lesser Antilles to the East, it provides a critical maritime crossroads that eventually connected the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. 

The sea is a biodiversity wonder, populated by nearly 10% of the world's coral reefs and well over 12,000 marine species. Historically, it has been a theater of colonial ambition and trade, named for the indigenous Carib people who inhabited the region long before the colonial western European arrival. 

The Sea itself is a suboceanic basin of the western Atlantic Ocean. The body of water lying between latitudes 9° and 22° N and longitudes 89° and 60° W. To the south it is bounded by the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama; to the west by Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico; to the north by the Greater Antilles Islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico; and to the east by the north-south chain of the Lesser Antilles, consisting of the island arc that extends from the Virgin Islands in the northeast to Trinidad, off the Venezuelan coast, in the southeast. Within the boundaries of the Caribbean itself, Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, is the largest of a number of islands. 

Sometimes it is mistakenly termed the ‘American Mediterranean,' owing to the fact that, like the Mediterranean Sea, it is located between two continents. However the Caribbean resembles the Mediterranean in neither hydrology (4) nor climate. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. The Caribbean’s greatest known depth is the Cayman Trench (Bartlett Deep) between Cuba and Jamaica, which is approximately 25,216 feet below sea level.(5)

The Passages of the Virgin Islands 

The Caribbean Sea shifts dramatically as it meets the Virgin Islands archipelago. Situated roughly 40 miles east of Puerto Rico, these islands serve as a gateway where the deep Caribbean waters merge with the Atlantic Ocean. The broader sea plunges into deep trenches—such as the 15,000-foot chasm separating St. Croix from the northern islands—the immediate waters surrounding the chain are defined by a shallow underwater plateau covered by less than 165 feet of water. 

Positioned at the meeting point of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands are a cluster of approximately 90 islands, islets, and cays noted for their volcanic peaks and white-sand shores. The archipelago is divided into two main territories: the United States Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island) and the British Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and others.) 

The Islands' cultural identity is a unique "creolization" of African, European, and indigenous influences, stemming from a past of Danish and British sugar plantations and the resilience of enslaved peoples. While islands like St. Thomas and St. John are steep and mountainous, St. Croix offers a flatter, plateau-like terrain. 

Historical Comparison: USVI vs. BVI 

The similarities between the two are fairly obvious as both were part of the same geographic chain before being artificially divided by 17th-century European politics. Both relied heavily on enslaved African labor for sugar and cotton plantations throughout the colonial era. There has historically been a free movement of people between the two island groups, with many USVI residents having BVI ancestry.

The differences are more a question of the colonial influences under the Western European construct and culture. The USVI had existed under disparate western European influences until finally, the US purchased the Danish colonies as a strategic military move to prevent German naval use during World War I. The BVI has maintained continuous British rule since the late 17th century and even declined to join the West Indies Federation(6) in 1958 specifically to protect its economic links with the nearby US Islands.

The British Virgin Islands 

The British Virgin Islands comprise an archipelago of more than 50 isles where the geography itself has shaped a world-class nautical playground. Navigating these waters is uniquely accessible; the islands' close proximity allows for short, line-of-sight passages that typically range between 7 and 15 nautical miles, Central to all is the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a well-sheltered corridor between Tortola and the "Little Sister" islands that offers calm conditions ideal for island hopping. While most routes—such as the "classic loop" from Norman Island to Jost Van Dyke—are protected by surrounding landmasses, more adventurous mariners may venture toward the low-lying coral island of Anegada, a longer downwind passage with secluded reefs. 

The Sir Francis Drake Channel 

The strait is named after the English explorer, Sir Francis Drake, (c. 1540–1596). Drake was a pioneering English explorer, privateer, and naval officer of the Elizabethan era. He is most celebrated for being the first Englishman to lead a circumnavigation of the globe. Drake later used it as a staging area before his 1595 attack on the Spanish Island of San Juan. His last passage through the channel was in 1595, shortly before his death at sea near Panama. 

The Channel is a renowned, calm body of water that separates Tortola from several southern islands, including Norman Island and Peter Island. It is known for its protected, year-round, easy cruising conditions. Situated in the Caribbean, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean on both the Northeast and northwest sides, serving as a primary maritime thoroughfare in the BVI. 

The channel stretches from Virgin Gorda in the East to Norman Island in the West, and is bordered by the islands known as the "Little Sisters" to the South. The area typically experiences easterly winds. The channel connects to the Atlantic Ocean in the North and the Caribbean Sea through various passages, including the Round Rock passage, which is situated east of Ginger Island. Round Rock serves as a key navigation point, particularly when entering the Sir Francis Drake Channel from the South. The western side of the island defines the Round Rock Passage. 

The Narrows 

"The Narrows" is commonly referred to as Flanagan Passage (or Flanagan's Passage) because it lies immediately adjacent to Flanagan Island, a small, uninhabited island that serves as a key landmark in the channel between the US and British Virgin Islands. While the term "The Narrows" is often used locally to describe the slim stretch of water separating St. John (USVI) and Tortola (BVI), formal nautical charts and maritime guides typically designate the specific transit area south of this gap as Flanagan’s Passage 

While there isn't a widely recognized historical figure officially credited for the naming of Flanagan's Passage. The name is directly derived from its proximity to Flanagan Island. On older nautical charts, Flanagan Island was often referred to as Witch Island. The transition to "Flanagan" appears in English language charts leading into the 20th century, though the specific namesake (likely a local mariner or early settler) remains a subject of local mystery. 

The passage is the scenic channel separating St. John in the USVI from Tortola and Great Thatch Island in the BVI and is the closest point between the two territories offering spellbinding views, particularly from spots like the Murphy Great House in Leinster Bay. The Murphy Great House, also known as the Windy Hill Ruins, is a historic site located high above Leinster Bay within the US Virgin Islands on St. John. The site is named after James Murphy, a prominent Irish 18th-century merchant, slaver, planter and shipowner. Murphy amassed 1,245 contiguous acres of land, making him the largest sugar producer and slave owner in St. John's history, controlling nearly six hundred enslaved workers. After buying Watermelon Bay in 1796, Murphy acquired adjacent properties, including Annaberg and Mary's Point (1796), Munsburry (1803), and Brown's Bay (1807). Murphy cleared extensive areas of St. John for sugarcane and grazing. 

The name Leinster Bay was likely chosen by Murphy to honor his Irish ancestry. It is a key maritime route for navigating between the islands. Situated between the North side of St. John (USVI) and the West end of Tortola (BVI). It serves as the primary boundary channel between the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.The area is characterized by dynamic blue waters and is a common route for cruisers. 

Nearby is Soper's Hole (7) an historic harbor located on the western end of Tortola, the largest and most populous of the British Virgin Islands (8) named after McCuthbert Soper, an 18th-century plantation owner. Legend also associates it with a pirate named "Black Sam" Soper. It is a key maritime entry point and harbor directly east of St. John.

The Narrows is the closest point between the USVI and BVI, measuring less than two miles wide in some areas. In the mid-1800s, it was known as a "pathway to freedom" for enslaved people on St. John, who attempted to swim or boat across to the BVI after Britain abolished slavery in 1834. Windy Hill Ruins and the Leinster Bay Plantation are part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. 

The Leinster Bay Plantation is a historic 18th-century sugar estate located within the Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John. Its waterfront served as a major launching point for enslaved individuals escaping to the nearby British Island of Tortola, It is a vital passage for mariners traveling between the islands. It features strong currents that can reach several knots and is a primary route for ferries and private charters. The Annaberg Ruins are another famous viewpoint on St. John for overlooking the strait. The Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins are the most extensive and best-preserved historic site on St. John. The Narrows is an international border, crossing it by boat requires clearing customs and immigration at designated ports. 

The Anegada Passage 

The Anegada Passage is a deep strait that connects the Atlantic ocean with the Caribbean. Known as the "Anegada Trough," it is a critical but notoriously difficult waterway for mariners and shipping. It separates the British Virgin Islands to the West from Anguilla and the Leeward Islands to the Southeast. The passage is approximately 40 miles wide and reaches depths of over 7,500 feet. 

The Passage serves as a primary shipping lane for vessels heading to and from the Panama Canal. It is one of only two channels through which subsurface water enters the Caribbean from the Atlantic, creating powerful currents. Mariners often face heavy swells, strong winds, and waves that can pummel ship’s hulls from multiple directions simultaneously. The area was also the site of the massive 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and subsequent tsunami. 

Historical records primarily highlight a massive earthquake and tsunami in 1867 centered in the Anegada Passage or Trough ( sometimes referred to as ‘The Virgin Island Trough’ ) approximately 15 miles southwest of St. Thomas. The magnitude was estimated at 7.5 Mw. The quake triggered two major tsunami waves, occurring about 10 minutes apart. In some areas, waves reached up to 33 feet, among the highest ever recorded in the Lesser Antilles. Severe damage occurred in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and in Frederiksted, St. Croix where several ships—including the US Navy's De Soto and Monongahela—were beached or damaged. The USS Monongahela Stationed at Frederiksted was caught by a massive wall of water—estimated at 25 to 30 feet high—which beached the vessel.

The tsunami carried the Monongahela over the town’s rooftops and deposited it inland in the streets. The Navy’s massive engineering effort later righted the ship. The USS De Soto (a wooden hulled side wheel steamship) anchored at Charlotte Amalie, was repeatedly slammed against a wharf and its hull and iron paddles were smashed, the ship remained afloat and eventually assisted in rescue operations 

The Virgin Islands Trough is the deep oceanic basin that separates St. Croix from the northern islands (St. Thomas and St. John) by roughly 40 miles. The Puerto Rico Trench is situated about 100 miles north of the islands, this is the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. The Anegada Passage, while difficult for small vessels, can be crossed by private vessel, charter flight, or ferry. Oceanographic researchers often use the passage to study tectonic plate movements and heat transport between oceans. 

Origins of Historic BVI Bay Names 

The British Virgin Islands are steeped in maritime lore, with many of its bays named after the pirates, planters, and natural wonders that defined its colonial history. 

The US Virgin Islands 

The US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands are tied together through centuries of maritime history, The US Virgin Islands (USVI) are surrounded by both the Caribbean Sea to the South and the Atlantic Ocean to the North. Located about 40 miles east of Puerto Rico, the archipelago consists of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island. 

The islands sit on the boundary of the North American and Caribbean plates, roughly 100 miles south of the Puerto Rico Trench. The Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean and the eighth deepest in the world. Located roughly 75 miles north of Puerto Rico, it marks the complex boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates.(9)

St. Thomas and St. John border the Atlantic to the north and the Caribbean to the south, while St. Croix is situated entirely within the Caribbean Sea.The waters contain significant marine protected areas, such as the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument and Buck Island Reef National Monument.(10)

Drake’s Seat is Located on nearby St. Thomas (USVI), this legendary scenic lookout offers a panoramic view of the BVI. Tradition says Drake used this vantage point to watch for Spanish ships. While the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and British Virgin Islands (BVI) share an archipelago and early indigenous history, their colonial paths diverged in the 17th century. 

The US Virgin Islands (USVI) are uniquely positioned as the only US territory with coasts on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Atlantic ocean borders the northern shores of St. Thomas and St. John. The Caribbean Sea borders the southern shores of St. Thomas and St. John, and completely surrounds the island of St. Croix. 

Origins of Historic USVI Bay Names 

The names of bays in the US Virgin Islands are a rich linguistic map reflecting the islands' complex history of indigenous habitation, European colonization (Spanish, Dutch, Danish, French, and British), and African influence 

The names of the Virgin Islands reflect a deep historical layering that begins with the indigenous peoples. Long before European contact, St. Croix was known as Ay Ay (meaning "the river" or "the riverland") by the Taíno and Cibuquiera ("the stony land") by the Kalinago. These ancestral designations were largely overwritten in 1493 when Christopher Columbus encountered the archipelago during his second voyage, Over the following centuries, colonial powers further rebranded the islands—transforming Ay Ay into Santa Cruz (and later Saint Croix) and designating other major islands as San Tomas and San Juan. Today, while the European-given titles remain the official designations for the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, the original indigenous names are increasingly recognized as vital links to the region's pre-colonial heritage. 

Historian John F. McKeon lives on St. Croix USVI and in Southampton NY. He holds degrees from Trinity College Dublin, (MPhil with Distinction). and St. Joseph's University New York (Summa Cum Laude) B.A. East Asian History with a Philosophy Capstone Minor in Labor, Class and Ethics. John also has certificate from the Oxford University Epigeum Research Integrity Center. He is a current member of the Society of Virgin Island Historians. 

Recommended Reading: 

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Laurence Bergreen Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1504 (Viking, 2011)

Nicolás Wey Gómez The Tropics of Empire: Why Columbus Sailed South to the Indies (Transformations: Studies in the History of Science and Technology) Hardcover, 2008

https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/01/columbus-caribbean-claims Columbus’ Caribbean ‘Cannibal’ Claims Were Correct January 10, 2020 

Foot Notes

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1. Laurence Bergreen’s Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1 504 (Viking, 2011) provides a detailed, modern account of Christopher Columbus's transatlantic journeys, exploring his navigation skills, the violent nature of his expeditions, and his complex, contradictory personality. 

   
   

2. In his reports regarding his first voyage to the New World (1492–1493), Christopher Columbus mentioned an island he called Charis (or Caris).The name "Charis" is closely linked to the term "Carib" or "Caribs" (Kalinago), the indigenous people who populated the region and whom Columbus believed to be dangerous. Columbus was informed by the local Taino people that the Caribs were cannibals who ravaged other islands, including stealing women. Charis likely refers to the Caribs (Kalinago), the indigenous inhabitants Columbus encountered. Columbus’s reports of these people as "cannibals" (Caniba) have been a subject of long-standing archaeological debate. https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/01/columbus-caribbean-claims/  
   

3. Leeward refers to the prevailing winds in the region, the Islands are downwind or Leeward of the Windward Islands situated to meet the tradewinds. The Leeward Islands include the US and British Virgin Islands, Nevis, St. Kitts, St Barts, Antigua, and Guadeloupe.  
   

4. Hydrology is a scientific field that studies the Earth's waters, focusing on their distribution, movement, and interactions with the environment and living things through the hydrologic cycle. It examines water's chemical and physical characteristics in its various states and is concerned with water near the Earth's surface, emphasizing precipitation, runoff, evaporation and groundwater. 
   

5. From 1880 to 2023, the global mean sea level increased by 21 to 24 cm (8.3 to 9.5 inches). The annual rate of increase is about 3.4 mm (0.13 inch). From 2006 to 2015, the rate was 3.6 mm (0.14 inch), up from an average of about 1.4 mm (0.06 inch) during much of the 20th century. 
   

6. Following the defederation of the British Leeward Islands colony in 1956 and the abolition of the office of governor in 1960, the islands became a crown colony. In 1958 the West Indies Federation was established, but the British Virgin Islands declined to join, in order to retain close economic ties with the US Islands. 
   

7. The area was an early 17th-century settlement for Dutch privateer Joost van Dyk, who farmed tobacco and cotton in the sheltered bay. 

   
   

8. This quaint and colorful port is named after the pirate "Black Sam" Soper who allegedly used the area as a hideout in the 17th century 
   

9. The Earth’s crust is broken up into a series of massive sections called plates. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle geological changes like the building of mountains. 
   

10. Buck Island, home to the Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, USVI, is a world-renowned destination for snorkeling and pristine natural beauty Designated as a national monument by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, it is often described as one of the finest "marine gardens" in the Caribbean