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Hello,
I am 17 years old, and I have volunteered to help out three scientists who are doing a long-term research project on leatherback turtles in St. Croix. At night, I'll be beach-patrolling on the Sandy Point Beach (recording turtle activities and rescuing injured turtles and whatnot), and during the afternoons, I am free to do whatever I want to do. I wasn't particularly concerned about traveling alone until the Aruba incident and the mugging/shooting threads on this site. What are some of the safe, must-see spots on St. Croix? I won't have a car, so would transportation be an issue? Am I supposed to take taxi everywhere? The volunteers are staying at the Cottages by the Sea, which seems to be remote from the rest of the island.. Any suggestions as to what I should in my free time, other than snorkeling and sunbathing? Thank you!
You will be spending time in a beautiful place. Sandy Point is very special but very remote, and you should ALWAYS be accompanied by 'security people' when in the area at night. It is safer in the day time, but the media has issued warnings about single people alone on this beach.
You will be able to get around St Croix with public transportation. You just need to be patient.
Many interesting places to go and see.
Talk to your new associates about your concerns.
janet-
when you come down to help with the turtle project, tell steve and jeanne hi for me! i live in frederiksted, but i rarely get to see them because of how busy they are with the project.
when you're here, everyone with the project usually sticks together during the day. you're constantly staying busy with the people involved with the project - whether it's at night doing the research, or during the day having fun.
one thing i suggest to do is to get certified in scuba diving. it helps take up some time during the day, but you get to have fun at the same time! if you have any questions on diving, i can help get you set up with a dive operator near cottages.
i'm sure we'll meet when you get down. i'm constantly in town. oh, and paul will treat you well while you're at cottages. have a blast while you're down here. feel free to shoot me any questions and keep in touch.
-adam
p.s. do not be worried about working at night at sandy point. there is a marshall that patrols the area while the project is going on and the group stays together. if people split up from the group, it's always in pairs and you have constant radio contact with each other.
Thank you so much for the information and reassurance! I'm leaving this Thursday, and I'm VERY excited about this trip. I hope to see you there!
