Mona Island

Mona Island (Spanish: Isla de Mona) is the third-largest island of the Puerto Rican archipelago, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques. It is the largest of three islands in the Mona Passage, the strait between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, with the others being Monito Island and Desecheo Island. It measures about 7 miles by 4 miles (11 km by 7 km), and lies 41 mi (66 km) west of Puerto Rico, of which it is administratively a part as one of two islands comprising the Isla de Mona e Islote Monito barrio in the municipality of Mayagüez. The island is managed under the Mona and Monito Islands Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Islas de Mona y Monito). There are no permanent inhabitants, as only rangers and biologists from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources temporarily reside on the island to manage visitors and take part in research projects. along with the neighboring island of Monito, it forms part of the Mona and Monito Islands National Natural Landmark which recognizes and preserves the ecosystem of the islands as an outstanding example of diversity and natural history. The island is home to a number of endemic species such as the Mona ground iguana, and it is an important seabird area.