Morrillito Explained
| Morrillito |
| Location: | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Pushpin Map: | Puerto Rico#Lesser Antilles#Caribbean |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Area Km2: | 0.04 |
| Country Admin Divisions Title: | Commonwealth |
| Country Admin Divisions: | Puerto Rico |
| Country Admin Divisions Title 1: | Municipality |
| Country Admin Divisions 1: | Ponce |
| Country Admin Divisions Title 2: | Barrio |
| Country Admin Divisions 2: | Playa |
| Population: | 0 |
| Density Km2: | 0 |
Morrillito is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve because of its native turtle traffic.[1] Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Ratones, Cardona, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Morrillito is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce.[2] [3]
Location
The island, sometimes erroneously termed a key (or, cay), is located 5.2miles south of the Puerto Rican mainland and is part of Barrio Playa[4] [5] ward of the Ponce, Puerto Rico, municipality. It is located 590abbr=offNaNabbr=off off the southwest point of Caja de Muertos island and has an area of just 0.015mi2. The island is connected to Caja de Muertos by a bank of shallow waters about 18abbr=offNaNabbr=off deep.[6] It is located at latitude 17.88417 and longitude -66.53361.[7] Its length is 0.31abbr=offNaNabbr=off northeast and southwest.[8]
Geography and climate
The island is a small 31-foot flat-topped island located 200 yards off the southwestern tip of Caja de Muertos and, when viewed from a distance, Morrillito can easily be mistaken for the 170-ft steep hill (called Cerro Morrillo, Morrillo Hill) at the extreme southwestern portion of Caja de Muertos proper.[9] [10] The climate is dry and the island supports a dry forest.
Natural reserve
Together with Caja de Muertos (0.59mi2 and Berberia Key (0.12mi2, Morrillito makes up the Caja de Muertos Natural Reserve. The island was designated as a nature reserve in 1980 after a meeting was held in Puerto Rico by the Puerto Rico Planning Board wherein they considered the recommendation set forth by the Coastal Management Zone Program to turn the island into a protected wilderness area. The island has remained a protected area ever since.[11] The protection is mainly due to its heavy Hawksbill sea turtle traffic which is an endangered species.[12]
See also
External links
- See an aerial photo of flat-surfaced Morrillito (taken looking north) HERE. Source: "¡Una obra magistral Puerto Rico 365!" La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Title in printed edition: "Plasma en Puerto Rico 365° las joyas del archipiélago: la publicación ofrece 224 páginas de expectaculares fotografías." Year 32. Number 1518. Page 20.) Both versions published 2 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- Natural Reserve, official page
- Morrillito at Panoramio
- Harold . Heatwole . Richard . Levins . Michael D. . Byer . July 1981 . Biogeography of the Puerto Rican bank . Atoll Research Bulletin . 251 . 1–55 . 45726059 . 5 February 2020.
Notes and References
- http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/biblioteca/publicaciones/hojas-de-nuestro-ambiente/9-Reserva%20Caja%20de%20muerto.pdf La Reserva Natural Isla Caja de Muertos. Hojas de Nuestro Ambiente.
- 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.
- http://www.citymelt.com/county/Puerto-Rico/Ponce+Municipio-PR.html CityMelt.
- http://www.gis.otg.gobierno.pr/webcensus/ General Purpose Population Data, Census 2000. Unidad de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Área de Tecnología de Información Gubernamental, Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto. Gobierno de Puerto Rico.
- http://www.us-census.org/puertorico/teams/Ponce1930-T626-2657.htm US Census. 1930 Federal Census Team Transcription.
- http://www.enciclopediapr.org/ing/print_version.cfm?ref=08032401 Isla Caja de Muerto Natural Reserve .
- http://es.getamap.net/mapas/united_states/puerto_rico/guayama/_isla_morrillito/ Isla Morrillito.
- https://books.google.com/books?id=n10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA594 West Indies Pilot, Volume 1.
- http://www.ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/25685_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf Booklet Chart: Isla Petrona to Isla Caja de Muertos.
- http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Isla%20del%20Frio&city=Mercedita&state=PR Isla del Frio.
- http://www.puertorico.com/reserves/caja-de-muertos-island-reserve/ Puerto Rico.com: The Puerto Rico Channel. Visiting Caja de Muertos Island Nature Reserve.
- http://www.enciclopediapr.org/ing/print_version.cfm?ref=08032401 Isla Caja de Muerto Natural Reserve .
