Caja de Muertos (;Philip S. Marden. Sailing South. (Chapter XIV: From Ponce to Arecibo.) New York: Houghton-Mifflin. 1921. p. 203.Stone & Webster Public Service Journal. Boston: Stone & Webster. Vol 1 (July - December 1907), p.350.J. T. O'Neil. Richard S. Fisher, editor. The Spanish West Indies : Cuba and Porto Rico : geographical, political, and industrial. New York : J.H. Colton, 1855. p.165. also in English: Deadman's Chest or Coffin Island) is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of the main island of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island and its surrounding waters are protected by the Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve, because of its native turtle traffic and ecological value of its dry forests and reefs. Hikers and beachgoers are often seen in the island, which can be reached by ferry from the La Guancha Boardwalk sector of Ponce Playa. Together with Cardona, Ratones, Morrillito, Isla del Frio, Gatas, and Isla de Jueyes, Caja de Muertos is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce.Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Second Edition. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. 2002. Page 9. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.CityMelt. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
History Stone art left on the island attests it has been visited by man over milennnia.Caja de Muerto: ¡mucho con demasiado! Héctor Sánchez Martínez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, PuertO Rico. 30 December 2016. Accessed 27 July 2020. Taíno natives made frequent trips to the island on fishing expeditions, and when they were colonized by the Spanish during the 1511 battle of Spanish–Taíno War for Borikén, the natives attempted a retreat to the Caja de Muertos but shortly afterwards were either captured or killed.Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Autentica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. 1913. Reprinted in 1987 by Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan Puerto Rico. p. 34. During much of the 17th century, the island is known to have been used as a hideout by pirates and mutineers. For example, in 1599-1600 it was used by a group merchants-turned-pirates who, after learning of a Portuguese ship filled with gold, silver, precious stones, and other treasures, attacked it and appropriated its contents. As they attempted to travel back to England, though, they faced an attempted mutiny and, surviving it, took refuge at Caja de Muertos. Venturing to the Puerto Rico mainland for provisions, they were killed, except for one, who later confessed to the existence of the hidden treasure. The Spanish colonial governor then appropriated the remaining treasure for construction projects, among other uses.Walter Cardona Bonet. Shipwrecks in Puerto Rico's History. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and World Archeological Research, Inc. 1989. pp. 204-207.
In 1842, the first known map was drafted using the name of the island as it is known today.Caja de Muerto: ¡mucho con demasiado! Héctor Sánchez Martínez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 30 December 2016. Accessed 27 July 2020. In 1880 the Spanish government started construction of a lighthouse on the island, completing it in 1887.Reserva Natural Isla Caja de Muertos. Grupo Editorial EPRL. Enciclopedia Puerto Rico. 27 August 2014. Accessed 27 July 2020.National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form – Isla Caja de Muertos Light. United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (Washington, D.C.) Page 2. Listing Reference Number 81000690. 22 October 1981. During the 19th century, the island was also a hideout for Puerto Rican patriots who sought independence from Spain. Some of the patriots who hid there include Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis.Reserva Natural Isla Caja de Muertos. Grupo Editorial EPRL. Enciclopedia Puerto Rico. 27 August 2014. Accessed 27 July 2020. During these decades it was the secret meeting places of masons when they were persecuted on the mainland.Caja de Muerto: ¿la isla del tesoro? . La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico 19 June 2012. Accessed 27 July 2020. In 1928, Cayetano Coll y Toste wrote a novel titled "El Tesoro del Pirata Almeida" (The Treasure of Pirate Almeida) inspired by Caja de Muertos island, and in 1883, it inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write the novel "Treasure Island".La-Reserva-Natural-Isla-Caja-de-Muertos. Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. "Hojas de Nuestro Ambiente". October 2009. Revised July 2009. Number P-009. Accessed 27 July 2020.CUEVA ALMEIDA, Isla Caja de Muertos, Ponce. Thomas Miller. Espeleorevista Puerto Rico. Federación Espeleológica de Puerto Rico. Jan-Jun 2011. Issue 4. p. 19. Accessed 28 July 2020.
In 1898, at the time of the American invasion, the island had a population of 64 permanent residents, and a decade later only 16 residents remained.Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Autentica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. 1913. Reprinted in 1987 by Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico. pp. 34,92. These residents had no fresh water in the island, so water was brought in from the mainland when, during periods of little rain, it could not be collected from the rainfall. The island eventually became uninhabited, except for the lightkeepers. In 1945 when the island's lighthouse was automated,National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form – Isla Caja de Muertos Light. United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (Washington, D.C.) Page 2. Listing Reference Number 81000690. October 22, 1981. there was no longer a need to have lighthouse keepers and the island became deserted. After this, the island became a vacationing spot for some owners of private vessels who might venture to the island for a day trip or for fishing.
On January 2, 1980 the island was declared a nature reserve by act of the Puerto Rico Legislature and entrusted to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to be guarded and administered. It is administered in conjunction of the Ponce Municipal Government. In 1985, the Government of Puerto Rico gave its approval for the development of a tourism center at Caja de Muertos.Reserva Natural Isla Caja de Muertos: Laboratorio Natural para Fomentar el Estudio de las Aves dentro del Escutismo. Javier González Delgado. Universidad Metropolitana, Escuela Graduada de Asuntos Ambientales. San Juan, PR. Page 6. 7 December 2010. Accessed 25 January 2019. The lighthouse was restored by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, and for a while housed a museum.Recursos Naturales y Ambientales dará prioridad a Caja de Muertos. Primera Hora Access 3 April 2009Recursos Naturales y Ambientales dará prioridad a Caja de Muertos. Jose Fernandez Colon. NoticiasOnline.com 20 February 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2010. The Puerto Rico Ports Authority had public transportation to the Island until 1993; shortly thereafter a company called “Island Venture” started offering daily trips.Caja de Muerto: ¿la isla del tesoro? La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico 19 June 2012. Accessed 27 July 2020. Service was interrupted twice, after Hurricane Maria and after the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes, both of which badly damaged La Guancha, the area on the mainland where passengers boarded the catamarans to the island. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources built a dock, barracks for reserve personnel, a small museum, trail signs, and compost bathrooms for tourists.
In 2009, the government of Puerto Rico announced plans to make development of the island and restoration of its lighthouse, both for tourism purposes, a priority of the DRNA.Recursos Naturales y Ambientales dará prioridad a Caja de Muertos. José Fernández Colon. NoticiasOnline.com 20 February 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2010. By the summer of 2012, there were three businesses making tour trips there, including one for charter trips only.Isla con nombre que aterra: Caja de Muerto atrae al turista que busca practicar snorkeling, bañarse en aguas cálidas o, sencillamente, tirarse en la arena alejado del bullicio. El Nuevo Dia. 8 July 2012. Accessed 27 July 2020. In 2010, Playa Pelícano received the Blue Flag beach certification. In 2017, much of what DRNA had built was destroyed by Hurricane Maria and the tourist ferry was halted, but restarted about a year later.Cerrará temporeramente la Reserva Isla Caja de Muertos: Hasta que los pronósticos del tiempo mejoren. Primera Hora. 12 September 2018. Accessed 27 July 2020.Unen esfuerzos para promover el turismo en Isla Caja de Muertos: Isla Caja de Muertos es una reserva natural administrada por el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y uno de los mayores atractivos turísticos del sur. Inter News Service. El Vocero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 20 January 2019. Accessed 27 July 2020.
However, government inaction following the 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes left the reserve without DRNA rangers for over a year, since the housing structure was severely damaged and not timely repaired or replaced and they limited to maritime patrolling despite having obsolete equipment and expired bulletproof vests. In 2021, the last of three vehicles assigned for this task broke down and the rounds stopped altogether. This had several repercussions on the natural reserve, leading to tourists illegally breaching the perimeter, anchoring in the sand, riding jet skis, camping, hosting parties and vandalizing the remains of the fallen structure. The preservation program that monitors and protect the reproduction habitat of the hawksbill sea turtle was halted, due to the rangers being unable to follow up on their nesting habits, leaving 25 stations unattended.
When queried about the situation in April 2022, the DRNA claimed that the housing structure would eventually be reconstructed since disaster mitigation funds had been approved for that purpose. However, the process was still in the early stage, since the government had yet to name a contractor for the project. The agency also claimed that patrolling had taken place when the boat “was available”.
Location Caja de Muertos is located 5.2 mi (8.4 km) south of the Puerto Rican mainland and is part of the PlayaGeneral Purpose Population Data, Census 2000. Unidad de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Área de Tecnología de Información Gubernamental, Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto. Gobierno de Puerto Rico. Retrieved February 16, 2010.US Census. 1930 Federal Census Team Transcription. Retrieved 33 February 2010. barrio of Ponce, Puerto Rico, municipality.
Geography and climate The island measures long northeast-southwest, and up to wide [ on the average]. It has an area of . Close by are Morrillito Key [ off the southwest point, ] and Berbería Key [ to the northeast, ], both part of the Caja de Muertos Natural Reserve. Berbería Key belongs to Rio Canas Abajo barrio of Juana Díaz municipality.
The climate is dry and the island supports dry forest. A still-functioning lighthouse, Caja de Muertos Light, established in 1887 and automated in 1945, sits atop the highest hill on the island. This 170 foot high hill is located at the southwest extreme of the island.
Features The island has four beaches: Pelicano, Playa Larga, Carrucho, and Coast Guard. The island also possesses fauna and flora not found anywhere else in the world.Por algo le llaman 'El Edén del Caribe'. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011. The island has no permanent residents, but the Government of Puerto Rico maintains Department of Natural Resources staff and security personnel there. In 1899, it registered a permanent population of 64 residents, but it since declined to zero.Guillermo A. Baralt. La Historia de El Nuevo Dia (1909-2000): "Al servicio de mi tierra". Page 44. Fundación El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2002. .
Etymology