Carenero, Los Roques

Cayo Carenero
Interactive map of Cayo Carenero
Geography
LocationCaribbean Sea
Coordinates11°53′46″N 66°51′50″W / 11.89611°N 66.86389°W / 11.89611; -66.86389
ArchipelagoLos Roques Archipelago
Area0.56 km2 (0.22 sq mi)
Highest elevation6.9 m (22.6 ft)
Administration
Demographics
Population0

Cayo Carenero is a key (cayo)[1][2] in the western Caribbean Sea, located in the Los Roques Archipelago.[3] It is situated in the northeastern portion of this group of islands, which form a national park.[4] Administratively, it is part of the Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory and the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela.[5][6]

Geography

The island is part of the designated Primitive Marine Zone (PM), an area of the national park where tourist activities are permitted under certain restrictions, provided they do not harm the local ecosystem. It features a mangrove system that protects its waters from wave action. Carenero can be reached by boat from other keys and is popular for its calm, crystal-clear waters.

Located in the western part of the park, Carenero has an elongated and narrow shape. It lies west of Cayo Espenqui, northwest of Isla Larga, and northeast of Cayo Bequevé and Selesquí. It has an estimated surface area of 56 hectares (0.56 square kilometers).

The key's elongated, narrow, and curved shape tapers off at one end into a sandspit. Its terrain is mostly low and flat, a characteristic feature of Caribbean islands of coral and sandy origin. Because the terrain is flat and exposed to the trade winds, water and sediment tend to accumulate in small depressions inland, shaping the island's landscape.

A system of shallow interior lagoons is located in the center of the key. Two main bodies of water stand out, surrounded by dense coastal vegetation. The color of the water in these lagoons changes from light green to dark and brown tones, driven by variations in depth, salinity levels, or the accumulation of organic matter.

Mangroves grow around these lagoons, contrasting with the drier, flatter, and more open central areas of the island, which are characterized by salt flats and arid-climate vegetation.

The coasts of the key differ significantly depending on their exposure to the wind and marine currents:

  • Windward coast (exposed to the wind): Receives the direct impact of the open sea. Waves break constantly and forcefully against a barrier reef or coral deposits.
  • View of Cayo Carenero
    Leeward coast (protected from the wind): A zone of calm, shallow waters with turquoise and light blue tones. This calm allows fine white sand to accumulate, forming stable beaches.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Planificación, Venezuela Oficina Central de Coordinación y (1983). La planificación en Venezuela: compilación sistemática de legislación (1958-1983) (in Spanish). CORDIPLAN.
  2. ↑ Catálogo del patrimonio cultural venezolano, 2004-2005: Dependencias Federales, DF 01-12 (in Spanish). Ministerio de la Cultura, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural. 2005.
  3. ↑ Mosier, Andrea; Foley, Allen Michael; Brost, Beth (2002). Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 29 February Through 4 March 2000, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center.
  4. ↑ Amend, Thora (1992). Parque Nacional Archipiélago Los Roques (in Spanish). Fundación Polar. ISBN 978-980-07-0744-9.
  5. ↑ "Venezuela: Parque Nacional Archipiélago de Los Roques". Parkswatch.
  6. ↑ Baamonde, José Méndez (1978). Archipiélago Los Roques/Islas de Aves. Departamento de Relaciones Públicas de Lagoven.
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