Sandy Cay, located to the southeast of Jost Van Dyke, is just such an island. Ringed on three sides by pristine white sand, Sandy Cay is a mere 14 acres large, and its interior – filled with seagrapes, coconut palms and a small pond – is a habitat for many species of reptiles, birds and insects. Sandy Cay can only be reached by boat, and an average of 65 people a day anchor there, bask on its wide, sand beach and walk along the nature trail that winds through the island’s interior. But popularity doesn’t come without a price. Sandy Cay is in danger of being loved to death. Wholly uninhabited, Sandy Cay is a virtual laboratory for Virgin Islands natural life. “Sandy Cay has been relatively undisturbed for more than 30 years, and for such a small island has extraordinary diversity, nearly 90 plant and tree sources, for example.