Cardona (Ponce)

Coordinates: 17°57′24″N 66°38′6″W / 17.95667°N 66.63500°W / 17.95667; -66.63500

Cardona

Isla de Cardona, Ponce, Puerto Rico, as seen from Club Nautico de Ponce on Isla de Gatas, Ponce, PR, looking Southwest
Cardona
Cardona, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Geography
Location Ponce, Puerto Rico
Coordinates 17°57′24″N 66°38′6″W / 17.95667°N 66.63500°W / 17.95667; -66.63500
Area 0.04 km2 (0.015 sq mi)
Administration
United States
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Municipality Ponce
Demographics
Population 0
Pop. density 0 /km2 (0 /sq mi)

Cardona, also known as Sor Isolina Ferré Island,[1] is a small, uninhabited island located 1.30 nautical miles south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Barrio Playa,[2] on the west side of the entrance to the harbor of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The small island is considered part of barrio Playa.[3] It is home to the 1889 Cardona Island Light, which is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Cardona is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce.[4][5] The island gained notoriety in 2010 when the Puerto Rican Bird Society made it a target for the eradication of the black rat.

Location

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[6]). The short distance from the mainland shore makes Cardona a popular landing point for aquatic events such as kayaking.

Located west of Ponce Harbor, the island has an area of 8.71 acres (3.52 ha).[7] 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.

Geography and climate

The island is mostly a low island covered by brushwood.[8] The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest.

Cruce a Nado

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.[9][10][11]

Black rat

In 2010, the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican Bird Society) and the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club launched a campaign to eradicate the black rat from the Island.[12]

Nature reserve

Though not officially a nature reserve, the island is administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

References

  1. ↑ Repite con nueva marca el Cruce a Nado. Junior Lugo Marrero. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 5 September 2012. Year 30. Issue 1501. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  2. ↑ West Indies Pilot, Volume 1. United States Hydrographic Office. Page 599. Fourth Edition: 1922. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  3. ↑ Puerto Rico 2000: Population and Housing Unit Counts. U.S. Census Bureau. Publication Number PHC-3-53. Published November 2003. Page F-17. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  4. ↑ Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Second Edition. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. 2002. Page 9. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
  5. ↑ CityMelt. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  6. ↑ Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  7. ↑ Restauran hábitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones. BirdLife International. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  8. ↑ West Indies Pilot, Volume 1. United States Hydrographic Office. Page 599. Fourth Edition: 1922. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Second Edition. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. 2002. Page 13. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
  10. ↑ International Competition Playa Ponce. Travelblog.com. "Central America Caribbean » Puerto Rico." 7 September 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2011
  11. ↑ Nuevo record en el cruce a nado de la playa de Ponce. Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  12. ↑ Restauran hábitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
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