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. 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.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 be eventually reconstruct 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 PlayaUS 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