Isla Cardona

Isla 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.

Isla Cardona
Isla de Cardona, Ponce, Puerto Rico, as seen from Club Nautico de Ponce on Isla de Gatas, Ponce, PR, looking Southwest
Isla Cardona is located in Puerto Rico
Isla Cardona
Isla Cardona
Isla Cardona is located in Lesser Antilles
Isla Cardona
Isla Cardona
Isla Cardona is located in Caribbean
Isla Cardona
Isla Cardona
Geography
LocationPonce, Puerto Rico
Coordinates17°57′24″N 66°38′6″W
Area0.04 km2 (0.015 sq mi)
Administration
CommonwealthPuerto Rico
MunicipalityPonce
Demographics
Population0 (Unihnabited)
Additional information
Administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Location

Located on the Bahía 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

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 Ferré" 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

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

The island is mostly a low island covered by brushwood.[16] The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest.

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.[17]

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. 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.
  7. Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  8. 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.
  9. International Competition Playa Ponce. Travelblog.com. "Central America Caribbean » Puerto Rico." 7 September 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2011
  10. 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.
  11. Cayo Cardona: Un Nuevo Destino en la Bahía 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Visit Beaittidful Isla Cardona. Gween. PuertoRicoDailyTrips.com. Accessed 12 July 2020.
  14. Reinician los viajes a Isla Cardona. Elvocero.com 10 July 2020. Aceesed. 12 July 2020.
  15. Cayo Cardona: Un Nuevo Destino en la Bahía 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.
  16. West Indies Pilot, Volume 1. United States Hydrographic Office. Page 599. Fourth Edition: 1922. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  17. 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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