DNER sets buoys to mark off Pelican Beach on Caja de Muerto

Natural and Environmental Resources Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez said the buoys “precisely demarcate the area that can be used for permitted maritime activities in this important nature reserve.”

By The Star Staff

Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez announced Tuesday that personnel from the Office of the Commissioner of Navigation installed a series of buoys and maritime ropes to demarcate the Pelican Beach area on the Caja de Muerto islet on the outskirts of Ponce, “with the goal of safeguarding the lives and property of residents visiting” the area.

The DNER chief added in a written statement that the buoys “precisely demarcate the area that can be used for permitted maritime activities in this important nature reserve.”

“This action allows bathers to enjoy the area in this reserve, while also protecting residents, as the land area of Caja de Muertos remains closed to the general public,” Quiles said.

The island, with a land area of some 412 acres (1.2 hectares), is part of the Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve and is located about eight nautical miles south of the area known as Ponce Beach.

“We know that during the summer months, Caja de Muerto islet is very popular with water sports enthusiasts, thanks to its crystal-clear waters and beautiful scenery,” the official said. “Therefore, we have implemented this action plan so that swimmers, as well as boat operators, know their limits in the only area in the nature reserve designated for beach enjoyment.”

Quiles also announced that the DNER will be implementing a surveillance plan for the islet during the months of June and July.

The reserve’s terrestrial area has been closed since the 2020 earthquakes, and the DNER, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is seeking funding for its rehabilitation, including the lighthouse built in 1887.