Isla de Ratones (Ponce)

Ratones

Native name: Isla de Ratones
Isla Ratones, as seen from Barrio Canas, Ponce, PR
Ratones
Geography
Location	Ponce, Puerto Rico
Coordinates	17°57′18″N 66°40′53″W / 17.95500°N 66.68139°W / 17.95500; -66.68139
Area	0.03 km2 (0.012 sq mi)
Administration
United States
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Municipality	Ponce
Demographics
Population	0
Pop. density	0 /km2 (0 /sq mi)

Coordinates: 17°57′18″N 66°40′53″W / 17.95500°N 66.68139°W / 17.95500; -66.68139

Isla de Ratones 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 when the Puerto Rican Bird Society made it a target for the eradication of the black rat. While named as one single island, it is actually composed of two islands separated by a few feet of shallow water during high tide, which become a single island at low tide.

The island, sometimes erroneously considered a cay (or key), is located 1.0 km south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Punta Cucharas in barrio Canas. The island has an area of 6.94 cuerdas (one cuerda equals 0.97 acres) It is located at latitude 17.95500° and longitude -66.68139°. The short distance from the mainland shore makes Ratones a popular landing point for aquatic events such as kayaking. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Cardona, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Ratones is one of seven islands in the municipality of Ponce.