14/09/2026
Did you know the U.S. Virgin Islands consist of more than just St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John?
Just off the coast of St. Thomas sits Water Island, the smallest of the four principal U.S. Virgin Islands. At only about 500 acres, it is easy for visitors to overlook especially since it sits so close to St. Thomas.
But Water Island has a fascinating distinction: it did not become part of the U.S. Virgin Islands at the same time as St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.
When the United States purchased the Danish West Indies from Denmark for $25 million in 1917, Water Island was not included in the transfer because it was privately owned. The U.S. government eventually purchased the island in 1944 for $10,000, giving it a very different path into the modern Virgin Islands.
Its history became even more interesting during World War II.
The U.S. military began developing Fort Segarra, an underground defensive installation intended to help protect the strategically important submarine base and harbor facilities on St. Thomas. The war ended before the fort was fully completed, but remnants of the military installation can still be found on Water Island today.
For decades afterward, much of Water Island remained under federal control. It wasn’t until 1996 that administrative control of most of the island was transferred from the federal government to the Government of the Virgin Islands.
Today, Water Island feels worlds away from its military past.
The island is known for its quiet residential atmosphere, golf carts, coastal scenery and Honeymoon Beach, a small beach popular with residents, boaters, and day visitors. There is no major town or large commercial district, which gives Water Island a distinctly different character from neighboring St. Thomas.
And you don’t need an airplane to visit.
A short boat ride from Crown Bay takes visitors across the harbor to Water Island, making it an interesting day trip for travelers who want to see another side of the Virgin Islands.
For guests staying at Emerald Beach, the connection is even closer. Look out across the waters surrounding St. Thomas and Water Island is part of the landscape right in front of you.
Many guests may spend their entire vacation looking toward it without realizing they’re looking at the fourth principal U.S. Virgin Island with a history entirely its own.
