Little Jost Van Dyke

Little Jost Van Dyke is located at the east end of Jost Van Dyke. There are two anchorage sites which can be used by BVI yacht charter vessels: At the South West side of the island to North of the Long Bay or At the East side of the island behind the Green Cay and Sandy Spit. The South West side provides enough protection for the charter yachts to be anchored safely during the day when the South East swell is less. The pass between Little Jost Van Dyke and Jost Van Dyke is blocked by the reefs and the breaking swell. But during calm days, this is a beautiful spot. The East side of the island is better protected than the former anchor site but the South East swell is more powerful here than the ones on the South West side. It is not advised to plan to stay on your charter yacht overnight on this location.

Little Jost van Dyke is surprisingly one of the most important islands from the historical perspective, for 2 reasons:

a/ Lettsome family – a prominent quaker family that also owned Green Cay, Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay lived on Little Jost Van Dyke.

b/ Prehistoric Sites – Dr. Brian Bates of Lonwood University Virginia has revealed 2 prehistoric sites – Cape Wright on JVD and the Lettsom Settlement on LJVD, dating back to 600AD.

Dr. John Coakley Lettsom (1744-1815), a quaker that later founded the Medical Society of London in 1773. The role of the Medical Society was to enable poor people to be treated as outpatients.

From the records of a fellow quaker and BVI historical figure – William Thornton, we gather that John was actually born on Tortola. Sent to England as a boy, John returned to the Virgin Islands following the death of his father (1767) and freed his slaves before returning to England.

Little Jost Van Dyke is a small island about 163 acres located on the east end of the island of Jost Van Dyke. It is connected to Jost Van Dyke by an isthmus that extends from Cape Wright of Jost Van Dyke to the point of land just south of Dimmie Don Point on Little Jost Van Dyke. The island Jost Van Dyke and its neighbouring island Little Jost Van Dyke take their name from the Dutch Joost van Dyk, who was presumably the owner of the islands at the time of Dutch occupation. The ideas that he was a pirate are a popular fiction not based on any academically recognized evidence. There are not any major settlements present. It is the perfect spot for anchoring during the daytime. There are beautiful beaches, dive sites like Twin Towers and The Playground. While scuba diving you could find various exquisite fishes and even the locals such as Eagle Rays and Tarpoons. There are secluded islands, Sandy Spit and Green Cay, located further west from Little Jost Van Dyke.

Diving Site: Twin Towers

Twin Towers is located on the north side of the island and is named after its structure – two large rock formation rising from 90 feet with smaller rock formations. It is a very popular Diving Site among the community of divers. There are a variety of fishes found here namely Angelfish, Jackknife fish and the local Eagle rays, which can be found in between the rocks.