Mona, Puerto Rico

The island is a natural reserve and, though there are no native inhabitants, rangers from the island's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources reside on the island to manage visitors and take part in research projects.

History

Pre-Columbian history

Mona Island is believed to have been originally settled by Arawak Indians who arrived from Hispaniola (present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic). An archeological excavation during the 1980s discovered many Pre-Columbian objects on the island that helped support historians' theories of the island's first inhabitants. Stone tools found in a rock shelter have been dated to around 3000 BC. Much later the island was settled by the Tainos, and remained so until the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century.

Colonial period

On November 19, 1493, during his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus encountered the island now known as Puerto Rico, which the natives called Borinquen (or Borikén according to some historians), and which Columbus named San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist). Within hours of setting foot in Puerto Rico, Columbus and his ships headed west to Hispaniola, where he expected to meet several crewmembers who had remained behind from his first voyage. As he left Puerto Rico, he reputedly became the first European to sight the island, which was claimed for Spain. The name Mona derives from the Taíno name Ámona, bestowed by the natives in honor of the ruling Cacique or chief of the island.

In 1502, Fray Nicolas de Ovando was sent to Isla de la Mona to keep an eye, from a safe distance, on the native revolts occurring in Hispaniola. With a group of 2,000 Spanish settlers, Ovando was left in charge of creating a permanent settlement on the island. Due to its small size and location, the island proved inadequate to accommodate such a large settlement, and food became scarce as shipments from Hispaniola and Puerto Rico were received infrequently.

Juan Ponce de León, who accompanied Columbus on his first two voyages, became the first ruling governor of Puerto Rico. In 1508, de León made several visits to Mona Island to gather goods and food from the Taínos residing there. The island, which had an abundant supply of food and other products commonly used by the Taínos on both Mona Island and Puerto Rico, was considered a valuable possession to personally own. In 1509, de Leon became interested in acquiring the island, and this caused a bitter rivalry between him and King Ferdinand II of Aragon who wanted Mona Island for his own private vacation retreat.

In 1515, after some wrangling, Ferdinand II was able to reclaim the island from Diego Colon, Viceroy of the Indies. By then, Isla de la Mona was an important point of trade between Spain and the rest of Latin America, as well as a rest stop for the crews of boats carrying slaves. With his possession of the island, King Ferdinand II gave the resident Taínos two options if they wished to continue living on the island: they could work by fishing, making hammocks and cultivating plants, or they could become miners and help in the mining of guano and other minerals. Realizing that mining would require intense labor, the majority of inhabitants chose to work as fishermen and farmers. By accepting this option, they also were exempted from paying imposed taxes, and were able to avoid the hard labor many other natives endured in mines. In time, natives from other neighboring islands were brought to Mona Island to assist with labor.

After the death of Ferdinand II in 1516, ownership of the island was transferred to Cardenal Cisneros. The island changed ownership again in 1520, when Francisco de Barrionuevo became the island's new landlord. By 1524, Alonso Manso, bishop of Puerto Rico, had become interested in gaining personal wealth, and he accused Barrionuevo, among others, of various crimes under the Spanish justice system of the time. Because of this situation, Barrionuevo exiled himself to one of Spain's colonies in South America, taking many Taínos along with him, and leaving the island practically deserted.

By 1522, ships from other major sea powers such as England, France, and the Netherlands began to arrive at Isla de la Mona to replenish supplies for their transatlantic voyages. The island also provided them and pirates with a refuge from which they could attack and plunder Spanish galleons.

In 1561, during an audience held in Santo Domingo, it was recommended that Isla de la Mona should become a part of that colony (which at the time occupied the eastern half of Hispaniola). The reasons offered were simply that the island was closer to Santo Domingo (presently the Dominican Republic) than to Puerto Rico, and that it had a small population which could help the colony's economy in overall agricultural production. However, the petition was turned down and the island continued to remain politically part of Puerto Rico.

In 1583, the Spanish archbishop of Puerto Rico received royal permission to bring Christianity to Mona Island. However, by this time most Taínos remaining on the island had either died or fled to mainland Puerto Rico due to repeated raiding by European (especially French) ships. From the end of the 16th century up until the mid-19th century the island was largely abandoned by the colonial authorities. It seems to have been sporadically inhabited, although records from this period are somewhat sketchy. It continued to be used as a refuge by pirates and privateers, including the notorious Captain Kidd who hid out there in 1699.

The island's circumstances changed in the mid-19th century when it became the site of commercial guano mining operations. Various companies were granted licences to extract the bat guano (a valuable fertiliser) from the island's caves. Mining continued until 1927.

20th century

]] With the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Isla de la Mona, along with the rest of Puerto Rico, was handed by Spain to the United States. Within two years of occupation, the Mona Island Lightbegan operation. The lighthouse was designed by famous French engineer Gustave Eiffel (who also designed the world famous Eiffel Towerin Paris). It remained in continuous operation until 1976 when it was replaced by a newer automated light. On December 22, 1919 the island was declared an "Insular Forest of Puerto Rico", under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Law #22. During Prohibition the island had a history of smuggling, with its geographic location making it a prime location for rum runners to smuggle rum, bourbon, and other liquor. In 1923, a stash of liquor, drugs, and perfumes, reportedly from the French islands of Martiniqueand Saint Martinand worth US$75,000, was found in a cave by customs officials. In 1942, at the height of World War II, a Germansubmarine bombarded the southern coast of the island. This was one of the few incidents of that war in the Caribbean. From 1945 to 1955 Mona Island was leased to the U.S. Air Force as a military exercise area. Since 1941 the island has also been used for camping and hunting goats and wild boar. In 1960 a small ranger post was established to monitor the island, operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. In July 1972 the Environmental Quality Board of Puerto Rico, because of growing interest in the development of the islands, made a full scientific assessment of Mona and Monita using a local team of volunteer scientists. A two-volume report with maps of natural and historic features was produced. It evaluated the climate, geology and mineral resources, soils, water resources, archaeology, vegetation, animals and insects, and pelagic life around the island. Shortly after that geotechnical and bathymetry studies were conducted by engineering firms to determine the feasibility of using Mona as a deepwater terminal for transferring oil from supertankers to smaller tankers which would continue to the mainland US. That plan was never implemented. 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". In 1993, the island (perhaps all of it), as "Isla de la Mona", was listed on the National Register.

Geography

Mona has an area of about 57 km² (22 square miles) and lies 66 km (41 miles) west of the main island of Puerto Rico, 61 km (38 miles) east of the Dominican Republic, and 49 km (30 miles) southwest of Desecheo Island, another island in the Mona Passage.

Mona has been designated an ecological reserve by the Puerto Rican government and is not permanently inhabited. The US census of 2000 reports six housing units, but a population of zero. The island is a ward (barrio) of the municipality of Mayagüez, together with Monito Island 5 km northwest (Isla de Mona e Islote Monito barrio). This is the largest ward of Mayagüez by area, and the only one without permanent population. The total land area of both islands in the barrio is about 56.93 km² (Mona Island 56.783 km² and nearby Monito Island 0.147 km²), and it comprises 28.3 percent of the total land area of the municipality of Mayagüez. Desecheo Island, 49 km to the northeast, is part of Sabanetas barrio.

Mona is a mainly flat plateau surrounded by sea cliffs. It is composed of dolomite and limestone with many caves found throughout. With an arid climate and untouched by human development, many endemic species inhabit the island, such as the Mona Ground Iguana (Cyclura cornuta stejnegeri). Its topography, ecology, and modern history are similar to that of Navassa Island, a small limestone island located in the Jamaica Channel, between Jamaica and Haiti.

Land cover

Four types of land cover can be identified :

• Cactus (11.27 km²)
• Highland Forest (40.28 km²)
• Central Depression Forest (1.47 km²)
• Coastal Forest (3.77 km²)

Beaches

Isla de Mona
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic District
Nearest city:	Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Built/Founded:	1493
Governing body:	COAST GUARD
Added to NRHP:	December 17, 1993
NRHP Reference#:	93001398

Southeast Playa Escalera Playa Pájaros Playa Brava Playa Coco Playa Caigo

Southwest Playa Uvero-1 Playa Uvero-2 Playa U-8 Playa U-1 Playa Carabinero Playa Mujeres Playa Carite

West Playa Sardinera Playa Carmelitas

The only campsites are at Playa de Pájaros and Playa Sardinera. In addition, Playa Uveros, Pájaros, Playa Mujeres and Playa Brava are important to visitors.

Mona Island today

The island presently serves as a retreat for Puerto Ricans and nature enthusiasts from all around the world, and has also become a popular destination for Puerto Rican Boy and Girl Scouts. Due to the islands' unique topography, ecology and location, Mona, Desecheo and Monito have been nicknamed "The Galápagos Islands of the Caribbean". Scientists, ecologists, and students have visited Mona Island to explore its distinct ecosystem, which includes the endemic Mona Ground Iguana. The island is also home to many cave drawings that were left behind by the island's original inhabitants. Remains of the guano mining industry can also be seen.

An FAA-certified airport that can handle small aircraft was built by the Puerto Rican government. This airport has no ICAO or IATA code. The United States Coast Guard is able to provide transportation with helicopter flights from Eugenio Maria de Hostos Airport in Mayagüez, to help with medicines and first aid equipment; they also fly whenever an emergency requiring hospitalization occurs. Private and commercial planes require a special permit issued by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to use the airport's facilities.

The most common form of transportation is by private yacht, though commercial excursions are available from Cabo Rojo for small groups of up to twelve people traveling together.

Hunting is permitted in season in order to control the population growth of non-indigenous species (goats, pigs and wild cats) because they can represent a threat to various endangered species. The hunting season usually commences in December and ends in April. Camping is allowed from May through November.

In recent years, the island has become a major drop-off point for Dominicans, Cubans, Chinese, Filipinos and even North Koreans trying to reach Puerto Rico illegally. As a U.S. Commonwealth, Puerto Rico is a seen by many illegal migrants as stepping stone to the United States. With the exception of Cubans, who are allowed to stay permanently in the United States due to that country's wet feet/dry feet policy, all other illegal immigrants are usually deported immediately.

Recent tragedies

Various tragedies involving travelers, both legal and illegal, have happened on or close to Isla Mona in recent years. Here is a partial list of some of the most infamous:

• On February 15, 1985, the ferry A. Regina, off course on its nighttime trip from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, breached its hull on a coral reef off the south coast of Mona Island and sank. None of the estimated 200 passengers and crew were injured and the 3,900 ton, 330-foot (100 m) ship and its cargo of automobiles were abandoned and pirated. It lay broken on the reef for many years and was finally removed some time in the 1990s after years of wrangling about who was to pay for the salvage operation.[]

• In 1989, a ship carrying more than 300 illegal Dominican immigrants sank near Isla Mona. After surveying the area, the U.S. Coast Guard determined that there were no survivors. []

• In 2002, a teenager was lost during a Boy Scout expedition on the island. His body was found a few days later. It was determined that he died of severe dehydration.[]

• In January, 2004, a psychologist became disoriented and found himself lost during a sightseeing trip to the southern part of the island. His body was recovered several days later. Dehydration also played a role in his demise.[]

External links

• (Spanish) Map of Mona Island
• (English) Article on Cuban refugees arriving on Mona Island
• (Spanish) History of Mona Island