Dog Islands

George Dog and neighbours

The Dog Islands among the British Virgin Islands

Dog Islands are a small group of uninhabited islets among the British Virgin Islands, in the open sea between Tortola to the west and Virgin Gorda to the east.

The islands originally received their names from sailors who heard barking when they moored there, and assumed that they must be dogs. However, the barking noises were made by Caribbean monk seals. The sailors also regarded the Caribbean monk seal as a good source of fresh seal meat; as a result, they are now believed by scientists to be extinct.

Geography

The Dog Islands are situated about six mile north-east of the territory's largest island, Tortola, and about two and a half miles north-west of Virgin Gorda, at the mouth of the strait named Sir Francis Drake Channel. The coordinates of the main islet, Great Dog Island are 18°28′96″N and 64°27′70″W.

The uninhabited islets are of volcanic origin and have a total area of about 173 acres.

The group consist of 5 islets:

• Great Dog Island, main island, about 98 acres
• George Dog Island, about 15 acres
• West Dog Island, about 27 acres

There is a subgroup known as the Seal Dogs about two miles north east of Great Dog Island containing:

• East Seal Dog Island, about 2.2 acres and
• Little Seal Dog Island (mostly called 'West Seal Dog'), about 5.7 acres.

Lying to the west of George Dog is a small islet named Cockroach Island.

About the islands

Today the waters around the islets are a popular site for scuba diving.

West Seal Dog is now a BVI National Park.

Outside links

• Location map: 18°29’17"N, 64°27’40"W

• about "The Dogs"
• Map of "The Dogs"
• about Seal Dogs
• about West Dog
• about dive sites at "The Dogs"