The Creque family has sold Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands for $8 million, William Creque, president of Community Motors Inc., confirmed Friday.
The deal was closed in early April, but Creque could not say who the buyers were.
"It was sold through a limited partnership in the B.V.I., " Creque said. "It was all very hush-hush."
Informed sources say the island was purchased by Henry Jerecki, the Harvard professor who also owns Guana Island a few miles away from Norman Island.
Jarecki, an environmentalist who has played a major role in conservation causes in the B.V.I., is likely to turn the island into an ecological research site, allowing the island's flora and fauna to find their way back to their original state, according to local environmental sources who asked not to be named.
The 850-acre Guana Island is home to a posh, upscale resort that charges from $475 a day off-season for a room to $12,000 a day in December for the entire island, which has accommodations for 30 guests.
The island also boasts a wildlife sanctuary, which, according to the Guana Island website, is a haven for many endangered species, including the Masked Booby, the Bridled Quail Dove, and the Crestfallen Traveler.
Jarecki did not respond to inquiries about the purchase of Norman Island. He is reportedly a reserved man who avoids public exposure.
Jarecki's niece, who teaches science at the Community College of the British Virgin Islands in Tortola, also did not return calls regarding the sale and intended use of the famed island that locals like to say was the model used by Robert Louis Stevenson when he wrote "Treasure Island."
In fact, Creque said his great-grandfather actually found treasure, "gold doubloons," on the island.
