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St. Thomas Island


St. Thomas Island (Bulgarian: остров св. Тома, ostrov sv. Toma) or Snake Island (Змийски остров, Zmiyski ostrov) is a Bulgarian island in the Black Sea, 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of Sozopol. It has an area of 0.012 square kilometres (0.005 square miles) (2.97 acres) and is one of a very few places in Bulgaria where wild cacti grow. The Opuntia cacti were brought from the Botanical Garden in Bratislava, Slovakia and planted by the royal botanist Ivan Buresh on the orders of Tsar Boris III in 1933. They have covered most of the island since then.

St. Thomas Island is named after a chapel dedicated to Saint Thomas that once existed on it. Snake Island, the alternate name, refers to the abundant grey water snakes that inhabit it, feeding on fish. The island is part of the Ropotamo nature reserve and lies 0.2 nautical miles southeast of Humata Foreland in Arkutino Bay.

St. Thomas Island from Arkutino

St. Thomas Island

Wild cacti

Coordinates: 42°25′12″N 27°42′00″E / 42.42000°N 27.70000°E / 42.42000; 27.70000


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