Culebrita

Isla Culebrita

Nickname: Culebrita
Culebrita lighthouse on top, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on the horizon
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	18°18′49.3″N 65°13′38.8″W / 18.313694°N 65.227444°W / 18.313694; -65.227444
Archipelago	Puerto Rico Archipielago
Length	1.7 km (1.06 mi)
Width	1.5 km (0.93 mi)
Highest elevation	185 m (607 ft)
Highest point	Lighthouse Hill
Administration
United States
Territory	Puerto Rico
Municipality	Culebra, Puerto Rico
Barrio/Ward	Fraile
Demographics
Population	0
Pop. density	0 /km2 (0 /sq mi)
Additional information
Nature Reserve (Culebra National Wildlife Refuge)

Nature Reserve

Isla Culebrita (little Culebra, little snake) is a small, uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipelago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, and Pelá and Pelaita to the west, it belongs to the barrio Frailes of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and is part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. The island is home to Culebrita Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses in the Caribbean. Culebrita is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.

Culebrita is a coral island approximately 1 mile in length. It is roughly y-shaped with three branches extending from the island's center.

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 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.

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 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) and is about 3 feet (0.91 m) 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 0.9 acres (0.36 ha). 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.