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Cardona (Ponce) (Puerto Rico)
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Area | 0.04 km2 (0.015 sq mi) |
| Country | |
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United States
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| Commonwealth | Puerto Rico |
| Municipality | Ponce |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Density | 0 /km2 (0 /sq mi) |
Cardona is a small, uninhabited, island located 1.30 nautical miles south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Barrio Playa,[1] on the west side of the entrance to the harbor of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The small island is considered part of barrio Playa.[2] It is home to the 1889 Cardona Island Light, which is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The island gained notoriety in 2010 when the Puerto Rican Bird Society made it a target for the erradication of the black rat.
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The island, sometimes erroneously called a cay (or, key), is located at latitude 17°57"24.3' and longitude -66°38'5.9' (latitude 17.95672N, longitude: -66.634982W[3]). The short distance from the mainland shore makes Cardona a popular landing point for aquatic events such as kayaking.
Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Cardona is one of seven islands in the municipality of Ponce.[4][5]
Located west of Ponce Harbor, the island has an area of 8.71 acres.[6] The island is accessible only by private boat, but it can be seen from the observation tower on the La Guancha boardwalk. It is not open to the public.
The island is mostly a low island covered by brushwood.[7] The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest.
Every year the island is visited by dozens of swimmers in the annual Cruce a Nado, an international swimming competition sponsored by the Ponce Municipal Government.[8][9][10]
In 2010, the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican Bird Society) and the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club launched a campaign to erradicate the black rat from the Island.[11]
Though not officially a nature reserve, the island is administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.