Six Ecosystems in 316 acres of land!

To learn more about some of the amazing ecosystems in Puerto Rico I went on a two-hour road trip with SPEAK (an English association) to the nature reserve ‘Las Cabezas de San Juan’ in Fajardo. The first thought I had was: Why is it called like that? The nature reserve received its name thanks to three headlands that were considered strategically important to the Spaniards. More so that they asked Queen Isabella of Castile to grant permission for the construction of the Lighthouse that now stands on top of ‘Cabo San Juan’.It became a nature reserve under the jurisdiction of the Coastguards of the USA and an agreement with ‘Fideicomiso’ in 1898. The reserve’s allure lies within the mystery of the six ecosystems that make it a unique spot in the entire island because of their unnatural proximity to one another.

Our tour began with a sandy beach and a coral reef. As we rode along the trail with the view of the beach the smell of salt enriched the air. The coral reef acts as a shield for all the animals that live in it and on the other side were the water is not deep because it protects them from the constant tug and pull of the waves. One of these animals is the marine turtle which is in danger of extinction.

Then we were encouraged to stay in a neat line and to stick together as we entered the maze of mangroves, one could easily get lost in there. We walked on a wooden bridge built around a forest of four types of mangroves: Buttonwood, Black, Red and White. The tour guide made the explanations fun and interactive. She asked for some volunteers to touch the leaves of the buttonwood mangrove and report. I touched the leaf and felt it had salt on top of it. The volunteers were given permission to taste the salt each had just touched. The salt was quite potent, the salt back home seemed like a wimp compared to this one. The mangrove absorbs the salt from the water and releases it through its leaves, this helps it stay alive in such a salty environment. The black mangrove is peculiar as it breathes through its tubular roots that pop out of the ground facing the sky. Sharing home with the black mangrove are volcanic rocks. The red mangrove on the other hand has a different root system that helps the tree stabilize itself in the water. When the tree absorbs more salt than it can bare it simply relocates it on the older leaves and sheds them. As these leaves fall into the lake the water reflects their red color on the surface making the water look red when it is actually transparent. The white mangrove is called this way because of its white tree trunk. Scientists are investigating the wonders of their coexistence in such a tight space.

The rocky beach was our next stop. A place where we could soak up all the peace and art that nature gives us. The beach was surrounded my orchids and a field of long graceful grass. The coast was covered in big rocks of all shapes and colors. This beach is not a safe place for swimmers because of the rocks and corals found there and the depth of the water, add to that the dangerous waves. The beach, however, welcomes all to explore it and roar hellos and goodbyes with every wave. Remember that when visiting any place at all to not take anything from it other than pictures. If every person that visited this beach, for example, took a rock or a sea shell then what would we have left?

Our journey ended as we rode up to the Lighthouse. Inside we received a quick tour showing us the exhibitions which were composed of whale and manatee bones found in the near beach, a sample of fish that live in the coral reef, and the best one of all an explanation of how the Bioluminescent Bay works with the ones who make it all possible, the plankton. The bay glows at night because of the plankton that light up when they perceive motion around them. This is a result of the solar light they receive during the day. As they glow they slowly lose their ability until the next day when they regain more energy. Visitors are in for a special surprise! At the top of the lighthouse I could see ‘El Conquistador Hotel’, Palomino Island, Icacos Island, Culebra and Saint Thomas, a view of the Bay and of course the stunning Atlantic ocean. Puerto Rico is one of the few places in the world where there is a Bioluminescent Bay and my lovely home has three: La Parguera’s Bay in Lajas, Fajardo’s Bay and Mosquito Bay in Vieques.

'Las Cabezas de San Juan’ is open to everyone from infants to adults and elderly folks. They have kindly categorized different types of tours designed around certain skill sets. For example, there is a walking tour that lasts about three hours which can only be done by those who are in good physical condition but there is another tour taken on a trolley for those who can’t walk great distances or are just looking to relax. Other tours can be taken on bicycle or kayak! Prices can vary. Students will receive a discount. It all depends on the wants and needs of the visitors but everyone is guaranteed to have a fun and educational time.

Remember! See more photographs from this trip on my Instagram !