Culebrita
Encyclopedia
Isla Culebrita is a small island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico
and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipielago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, it belongs to the barrio
Frailes of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and home of one of the oldest lighthouse
in the Caribbean
. The island is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.
island approximately 1 mile in length. Tidal pools trap small sea life at low tide.
There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief being Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach). The beach is named for the many sea turtle
s that use the beach for breeding grounds and the surrounding waters for grazing. Sea turtles Tina and Ike call Playa Tortuga home. The other two large beachs are Trash Beach and West Beach. Trash Beach is on the windward side of the island and debris is often blown onto the beach. There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths.
The Culebrita Reef lays off the southern coast of the island.
Construction of the Culebrita Lighthouse began on September 25, 1882, and it was completed on February 25, 1886. The Spanish Crown
built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra. It is the most eastern light outside mainland Puerto Rico. It guides navigation through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound connecting in the Puerto Rico Light System with the Cape San Juan Light
.
It was one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard
finally closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard
has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.
The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1981. However, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo
caused extensive damage, and the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn
in 1995. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success. The lighthouse is in danger of collapsing.
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipielago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, it belongs to the barrio
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...
Frailes of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and home of one of the oldest lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The island is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.
Geography
Culebrita is a coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
island approximately 1 mile in length. Tidal pools trap small sea life at low tide.
There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief being Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach). The beach is named for the many sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s that use the beach for breeding grounds and the surrounding waters for grazing. Sea turtles Tina and Ike call Playa Tortuga home. The other two large beachs are Trash Beach and West Beach. Trash Beach is on the windward side of the island and debris is often blown onto the beach. There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths.
The Culebrita Reef lays off the southern coast of the island.
Lighthouse
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra. It is the most eastern light outside mainland Puerto Rico. It guides navigation through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound connecting in the Puerto Rico Light System with the Cape San Juan Light
Cape San Juan Light
Cape San Juan Light is a historic lighthouse located on the northeastern part of the highest point of Cape San Juan in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 and was officially lit on May 2, 1882...
.
It was one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
finally closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.
The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1981. However, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
caused extensive damage, and the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn
Hurricane Marilyn
Hurricane Marilyn was the fifteenth tropical depression and thirteenth named storm of the unusually busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Luis. Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful storm to hit the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989.Marilyn...
in 1995. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success. The lighthouse is in danger of collapsing.