Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Navy held most of Vieques for decades. When Congress transferred those lands in 2001 and 2003, the result was approximately 17,771 acres — the largest national wildlife refuge in the Caribbean. The refuge protects beaches, coastal lagoons, mangrove wetlands, and some of the best examples of subtropical dry forest in the Caribbean. Its waters support at least two plants and eight animals on the federal endangered species list, among them the Antillean manatee and four species of sea turtles. Some areas remain closed due to unexploded ordnance from past military use.