Uninhabited island of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Isla Cardona
, also known as
Sor Isolina Ferre 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
[
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]
Located on the
Bahia de Ponce
, the island has an area of 8.71 acres (3.52 ha).
[6]
The island, sometimes erroneously called a key (or
cay
), is located at latitude 17°57"24.3' and longitude -66°38'5.9' (latitude 17.95672N, longitude: -66.634982W
[7]
). The short distance from the mainland shore makes Cardona a popular landing point for aquatic events such as
kayaking
and summing, and 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]
Name
[
edit
]
The name "Cardona" is believed to come from the last name of a family of lighthouse keepers stationed at the island for many decades. Whatever its origin, the island is now also called "
Sor Isolina Ferre
" in appreciation and to the memory of the religious woman that dedicated her life to the betterment of the residents of
Barrio Playa
, of which Cardona Island is a part.
[11]
Tourism
[
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]
The island can be seen from the observation tower on the
La Guancha boardwalk
and is accessible by private boat. Starting in the summer of 2018, tourists can also board a ferry for a trip to the island.
[12]
The island offers "a beautiful, nice snorkeling, some trails to explore, and a lighthouse."
[13]
The ferry trips ceased in January 2020 after
a major earthquake
struck the area, but restarted six months later.
[14]
The island is administered by the
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
.
[15]
Geography and climate
[
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]
The island is mostly a low island covered by brushwood.
[16]
The climate is dry and the island supports
dry forest
.
Black rat
[
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]
In 2010, the Sociedad Ornitologica Puertorriquena (Puerto Rican Bird Society) and the
Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club
launched a campaign to eradicate the
black rat
from the island.
[17]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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.
- ^
West Indies Pilot, Volume 1.
United States Hydrographic Office. Page 599. Fourth Edition: 1922. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^
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.
- ^
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.
- ^
CityMelt.
Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^
Restauran habitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones.
BirdLife International. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^
Lighthouse Friends.
Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^
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.
- ^
International Competition
Playa Ponce.
Travelblog.com. "Central America Caribbean ≫ Puerto Rico." 7 September 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2011
- ^
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.
- ^
Cayo Cardona: Un Nuevo Destino en la Bahia de Ponce.
Waldo D. Covas Quevedo. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1 to 7 August 2018. Year 35. Issue 1809. 1 August 2018. Page 11. Accessed 1 August 2018.
- ^
Cayo Cardona: Un nuevo destino en la Bahia de Ponce.
Waldo Covas Quevedo. Ponce, Puerto Rico: La Perla del Sur. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2020. (Printed edition: 1 to 7 August 2018. Year 35. Issue 1809. 1 August 2018. Page 11.
- ^
Visit Beaittidful Isla Cardona.
Gween. PuertoRicoDailyTrips.com. Accessed 12 July 2020.
- ^
Reinician los viajes a Isla Cardona.
Elvocero.com 10 July 2020. Aceesed. 12 July 2020.
- ^
Cayo Cardona: Un Nuevo Destino en la Bahia de Ponce.
Waldo D. Covas Quevedo. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1 to 7 August 2018. Year 35. Issue 1809. 1 August 2018. Page 11. Accessed 1 August 2018.
- ^
West Indies Pilot, Volume 1.
United States Hydrographic Office. Page 599. Fourth Edition: 1922. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^
Restauran habitat del lagartijo del seco Anolis cooki en la Isla de Cardona y Cayo Ratones.
4 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
External links
[
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]