Hans Lollik Island
The Hans Lollik Islands are two privately-owned islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands owned by Larry Page. Page purchased Hans Lollik and its smaller neighboring island, Little Hans Lollik, in 2014 for $23 million. Great Hans Lollik Island ("GHL") is found approximately 8,000 feet (2½ km) beyond the central northshore of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, separated from St. Thomas by the Leeward Passage. Little Hans Lollik and Pelican Cay lie to the north of Hans Lollik on the same shelf. The major part of the benthic zone around Hans Lollik is rocky and supports a dense diverse coral habitat. The name of the two islands means "Hans from Lolland" in Danish, and is believed to be derived from a sailor who went by that moniker. Terrestrial features The terrestrial features of the Hans Lollik group are functions of their natural topography, exposure to trade winds, and consequences of human occupation. The east and northeast slopes experience regular northeasterly trade winds. Human occupation has had a significant impact on the ecology of the island. From the early 18th century to the 1850s, the Virgin Islands were clear-cut and farmed. Local historians estimate that about of GHL was cultivated for cotton