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Isla Culebrita (little ''Culebra'', little snake) is a small, uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico and is part of the
Culebrita is a coral island approximately 1 mile in length and a tourist spot. It is roughly y-shaped with three branches extending from the island's center. ''Punta del Este'' is the easternmost landmass of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief one being ''Playa Tortuga'' (Turtle Beach) on the north side of the island. The beach is named for the many sea turtles 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 beaches are Trash Beach and West Beach. Because Trash Beach is located on the windward side of the island, debris is often blown onto this beach. This is how the beach gets its name. West Beach is where the water taxis from 
There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths. The pools trap small sea life at low tide. The west side of the island contains two lagoons. The Culebrita Reef lays off the southern coast of the island.
In 2006, an environmental and cultural resource survey of Culebrita was carried out by Southeastern Archaeological Research (SEARCH) of Jonesville, Florida and Ellis Environmental Group, LC, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Huntsville in order to identify “cultural resources, sensitive habitats, and endangered plants and animals that may exist” on Isla Culebrita. During the survey, a total of 97 plant species were recorded, none of which are state or federally threatened or endangered species. In addition, 32 birds, 4 reptiles, and 2 mammals were recorded. Of these animals, one federally endangered species, the brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') and one threatened species, the white-cheeked pintail (''Anas bahamensis'') were observed. Endangered
Lighthouse on Culebrita, Culebra, Puerto Rico.jpg, Remains of the Lighthouse on Culebrita
North Anchorage View From Faro Tower.JPG, North Anchorage view from Faro Tower on Culebrita
Turismo en Culebrita, Barrio Fraile, Culebra, Puerto Rico.jpg, Tourists in Culebrita
Culebrita Island.png, A photo taken of people snorkeling in Culebrita
Puerto Rico Archipielago
This is a list of islands of Puerto Rico.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has over 143 islands, keys, islets, and atolls. Only the main island of Puerto Rico () and the islands of Vieques (), and Culebra () are inhabited. Mona Island ( ...
. Together with ''Cayo Botella'' off the northwestern point, and ''Pelá'' and ''Pelaita'' to the west, it belongs to the barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residenti ...
Fraile of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and is part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
The Culebra National Wildlife Refuge ( Spanish: ''Refugio nacional de vida silvestre de Culebra'') is a National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is a unit of the U.S. ...
. The island is home to Culebrita Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s in the Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. Culebrita is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.
Geography
Culebrita is a coral island approximately 1 mile in length and a tourist spot. It is roughly y-shaped with three branches extending from the island's center. ''Punta del Este'' is the easternmost landmass of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief one being ''Playa Tortuga'' (Turtle Beach) on the north side of the island. The beach is named for the many sea turtles 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 beaches are Trash Beach and West Beach. Because Trash Beach is located on the windward side of the island, debris is often blown onto this beach. This is how the beach gets its name. West Beach is where the water taxis from Culebra Island
Isla Culebra (, ''Snake Island'') is an island, town and municipality of Puerto Rico and geographically part of the Spanish Virgin Islands. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieque ...
dock.
There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths. The pools trap small sea life at low tide. The west side of the island contains two lagoons. The Culebrita Reef lays off the southern coast of the island.
Wetlands
Isla Culebrita has two shallow lagoons, the largest of which, ''Laguna de Molino'' (Mill Lagoon), is located in northwest branch of the island. It covers approximately and is about below sea level. The second lagoon, referred to as the eastern tidal flat, is located near the middle of the island's west coast and covers about . Both lagoons are bordered on the seaward-side by a small mangrove fringe. These wetlands are an important habitat for some of the local wildlife.Flora and fauna
In 2006, an environmental and cultural resource survey of Culebrita was carried out by Southeastern Archaeological Research (SEARCH) of Jonesville, Florida and Ellis Environmental Group, LC, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Huntsville in order to identify “cultural resources, sensitive habitats, and endangered plants and animals that may exist” on Isla Culebrita. During the survey, a total of 97 plant species were recorded, none of which are state or federally threatened or endangered species. In addition, 32 birds, 4 reptiles, and 2 mammals were recorded. Of these animals, one federally endangered species, the brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') and one threatened species, the white-cheeked pintail (''Anas bahamensis'') were observed. Endangered green sea turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
s (''Chelonia mydas'') were also observed on the island.
The endangered Culebra skink makes its home in Culebrita.
Gallery
References
{{Authority control Culebra, Puerto Rico Uninhabited islands of Puerto Rico