Mona Island, Puerto Rico Could Become A World Heritage Site

Mona island, off the west coast of Puerto Rico, could be recognize as a World Heritage site.  New Progressive Party Representative Eric Correa Rivera is petitioning the United Nations to add the uninhabited island to its list of sites considered to be of outstanding value to humanity irrespective of the territory on which they are located.


Mona island located west of Puerto Rico and east of the Dominican Republic, has a rich history and a wide range of flora and fauna.  The unique island is one of the most important biological and archeological laboratories in the region.  Correa said, "It is important to recognize the importance of this little island in the development of Caribbean culture.”  Correa, who is chairman of the House Natural Resources, Environment & Energy Committee, sent a formal request to, UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Executive Director, Irina Bokova.


Covering 22 square miles, Mona island is the third-largest island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques.  Mona Island is currently managed as a nature reserve by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural & Environmental Resources.  The island is known among divers for its vibrant reefs and crystal clear waters.


 "Mona island uniqueness should be preserved with this important designation," Correa said.   Receiving the designation of a World Heritage site from UNESCO, would place Mona Island in the same company as El Morro Fort in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. 


Here is a video of Mona Island:




                                                                        

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Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Mona Island (Isla de la Mona) is located 41 miles west off the coast of Puerto Rico.  Mona Island is the third-largest island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques.  It measures about 7 miles by 4 miles, and is the largest of three islands located in the Mona Passage, the other islands being Monito Island and Desecheo Island.


Mona is an ecological reserve and is not permanently inhabited.  Rangers from the island's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources reside on the island to manage visitors and do research projects.  Mona Island has caves and is surrounded by sea cliffs.  Many caves have drawings that were left behind by the Taíno Indians, the island's original inhabitants.  With an arid climate many endemic species inhabit the island, such as the Mona Ground Iguana.  The island serves as a retreat for Puerto Ricans and nature enthusiasts from all over the world.  Scientists, ecologists, and students have visited Mona Island to explore its distinct ecosystem. 


Often compared to the Galápagos island, Mona Island and the surrounding waters have plenty of sea birds, more than 270 species of fish and many endangered sea turtles.  Mona island is known among divers for its vibrant reefs and crystal clear waters.  The lighthouse in Mona Island was built in 1900, and was one of the first two lighthouses built by the U.S Government in Puerto Rico.  In 1981, the Mona Island Lighthouse was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as "Faro de la Isla de la Mona."  Tours to the island are available from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.  Another way to get to Mona Island is by private yacht.


Here is a video of Mona Island:



                                                             

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