As you try to count the stars at this beach in the western reaches of the Caribbean Sea, you may feel a bit like Alice on the wrong side of the looking glass. Here the heavenly shapes aren't above your head -- they're beneath your feet. Scientists believe Starfish Beach's population of starfish, called cushion stars, is drawn by algae on the surface of the white sand. This small stretch of coast is a popular stop on a tour through this archipelago, and other sites -- Bird Island, Dolphin Bay, Red Frog Beach -- inspire just as much whimsy. This storybook island chain does, in fact, have a historical legacy, beginning when Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1502. But fantasy, not history, reigns among these islands. After all, while you're here, walking among the stars is as easy as wading into the shallows.

Photographer Shelly Strazis shot this image with a Canon EOS 5D. The shutter speed was 1/250th of a second at f/5.0 and ISO 100.

If you can name the island chain where this beach is found, which will be featured in the next issue of the magazine, send your answer in by May 1, 2009. Readers who submit the correct answer to us will be entered to win an ISLANDS gift.

ISLANDS next issue - On Sale May 12, 2009

• Photo Contest Winners
• A Walk Across England
• Pros' Stunning Photos