THE ISLAND

Wildlife

Cooper Island is home to a variety of wildlife including diving pelicans, hummingbirds, hermit crabs and tiny lizards. Beneath the surface, sea stars, turtles and colourful tropical fish feed amongst the sea-grass and coral gardens.

Lady Bella of Cooper Island

Bella is our beautiful black Labrador. She is very friendly and loves to play with guests on the beach. Don't be afraid of her barking, she likes to protect her beach and is just saying hello. Bella is on a special diet due to her sensitive skin so please don't be tempted to feed her, even if she gives you the doe-eyed look!

Hummingbirds

The rapid beating of a hummingbird's wings (60 to 80 beats per second) makes the distinctive humming sound from which they get their name. Their main diet is sugar from nectar and tree sap and two species can be seen flitting from flower to flower on Cooper Island.

Green-throated Carib

Antillean Crested Hummingbird

Anole Lizards

Several species of Anole lizards can be seen on rocks, tree branches and scampering around the paths. The males try to impress the opposite sex and intimidate rivals with their displays of push-ups and flashes from their brightly coloured dewlap. Usually smaller than 6 inches long, they feed on insects.

Pearly-Eyed Thrashers

These opportunistic, comical birds are related to the Northern Mockingbird and are very bold. They eat fruit, lizards, insects and anything they can grab from an unguarded plate!

This photo shows a Crested Anole Lizard caught by a Thrasher. Luckily, our photograph scared the bird into dropping the lizard which ran up a tree to safety!

Caribbean Hermit Crabs

Also known as Soldier Crab or Purple Pinchers. These crabs live on land, they breathe with modified gills and females lay their eggs in the sea at low tide. The shells of the West Indian Topshell (Whelks) are their favourite homes and you will see the hermits all around the beach club, scavenging behind the cottages. You can hear them rustling in the leaves but as soon as you approach, they pull back into the shell and pretend not to be in!

Goats

Wild goats on the island were originally left by the pirates around the 1700's as a source of food. Today they are still free to roam the hills and rocks of the island. Occasionally you may spot one wandering the beach club paths having escaped the boundary fences to feast on our plants.

Caribbean Sea Stars

Sea Stars (or Starfish) are almost unique in the fact that they use sea water instead of blood to pump around their bodies. (So please don't remove them from the water!) Each year in the early summer months, hundreds of Sea Stars migrate through the shallows around Cooper Island. They come in various colours and sizes - some as large as dinner plates!

Whales

Humpback Whales migrate through the British Virgin Island waters between January and March. If travelling with a calf, the mother stays near the surface of the water, so if you are very lucky you might spot her in the Sir Francis Drake Channel.