Morrillito
Encyclopedia
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. 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
.
(or, key
), is located 8.4 km south of the Puerto Rican mainland and is part of Barrio Playa ward
of the Ponce
, Puerto Rico, municipality
.
It is located 180 meters off the southwest point of Caja de Muertos island and has an area of just 0.04 km². The island is connected to Caja de Muertos by a bank of shallow waters about 5.49 meters deep. It is located at latitude 17.88417 and longitude -66.53361. Its length is 0.5 kilometers northeast and southwest.
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. The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest
.
(1.54 km²) and Berberia Key (0.30 km²), 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. The protection is mainly due to its heavy Hawksbill sea turtle traffic which is an endangered species
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
off the southern coast of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve, because of its native turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
traffic. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Ratones, Cardona, Isla del Frio
Isla del Frio
Isla del Frío is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Cardona, and Isla de Jueyes, Isla del Frío is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce...
, and Isla de Jueyes
Isla de Jueyes
Isla de Jueyes are a group of three small uninhabited islands off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Cardona, and Isla del Frio, Isla de Jueyes is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce. At an area of 2.89 cuerdas, they...
, Morrillito is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
.
Location
The island, sometimes erroneously termed a cayCay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
(or, key
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
), is located 8.4 km south of the Puerto Rican mainland and is part of Barrio Playa ward
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
of the Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Puerto Rico, municipality
Municipalities of Puerto Rico
The Municipalities of Puerto Rico number 78 and they make up the smallest electoral division of the Commonwealth. Each municipality is divided into barrios, though the latter are not vested with political authority.-Administrative divisions:...
.
It is located 180 meters off the southwest point of Caja de Muertos island and has an area of just 0.04 km². The island is connected to Caja de Muertos by a bank of shallow waters about 5.49 meters deep. It is located at latitude 17.88417 and longitude -66.53361. Its length is 0.5 kilometers northeast and southwest.
Geography and climate
The island is a small 31-foot flat-topped island located 200 yards off the southwestern tip of Caja de MuertosCaja de Muertos, Puerto Rico
Caja de Muertos is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve, because of its native turtle traffic...
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. The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest
Puerto Rican dry forests
The Puerto Rican dry forests are a subtropical dry forest ecoregion located in southwestern and eastern Puerto Rico and on the offshore islands. They cover an area of . These forests grow in areas receiving less than of rain annually...
.
Natural reserve
Together with Caja de MuertosCaja de Muertos, Puerto Rico
Caja de Muertos is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve, because of its native turtle traffic...
(1.54 km²) and Berberia Key (0.30 km²), 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. The protection is mainly due to its heavy Hawksbill sea turtle traffic which is an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.