Morrillito is a small uninhabited
island
An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
off the southern coast of
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. The island is protected by the ''Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos''
natural reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...
because of its native
turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
traffic. Together with
Caja de Muertos,
Gatas,
Ratones
Isla de Ratones (Spanish for ''mice island'') is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, off the coast of Ponce. The island is part of barrio Canas in the municipality of Ponce. The island gained attention in 2010 w ...
,
Cardona,
Isla del Frio, and
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 Frío, Isla de Jueyes is one of seven islands ascribed t ...
, Morrillito is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of
Ponce.
Location
The island, sometimes erroneously termed a key (or,
cay
A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Grea ...
), is located south of the Puerto Rican mainland and is part of Barrio
Playa ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of the
Ponce, Puerto Rico,
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
.
It is located off the southwest point of
Caja de Muertos island and has an area of just . The island is connected to Caja de Muertos by a bank of shallow waters about deep. It is located at latitude 17.88417 and longitude -66.53361. Its length is 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 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. The climate is dry and the island supports a
dry forest
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
.
Natural reserve
Together with
Caja de Muertos ( and Berberia Key (, 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
The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution that is largel ...
traffic which is an
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
.
''Isla Caja de Muerto Natural Reserve ''.
Encyclopedia Puerto Rico. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
See also
* Fauna of Puerto Rico
References
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
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrillito
Uninhabited islands of Puerto Rico
Protected areas of Puerto Rico
Islands of Ponce, Puerto Rico