Our Itinerary is set!, The T.S. Kennedy is getting prepared to sail for Sea Term 2015. After enjoying a holiday break the Cadets will board the
Kennedy soon after the New Year holiday.
This year the cadets will be heading to the Caribbean Sea to the islands of Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Additionally, this years Seaterm has a scheduled visit to southern Florida’s city of Fort
Lauderdale. In today’s blog we will explore the Island of Puerto Rico, and in
subsequent blogs we will learn more about St Thomas and Fort Lauderdale.
The island of Puerto
Rico is located in the Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean. Its Geographic
Coordinates are Latitude: 18° 15" N Longitude: 66°
30" W. It has a shape almost
like a rectangle. The island is approximately 100 miles long by 35 miles wide the coast measures approximately 580 km, With an area of 3,425 square miles
(9,104 sq km), Puerto Rico is the third largest island in the United States and
the 82nd largest island in the world.
Puerto Rico is close to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic
Ocean. The Puerto Rico Trench is about 1,090 miles (1,750 km) long and 60 miles
(100 km) wide. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, lies within the Puerto
Rico Trench, the trench seems to have been opened continuously for about 70
million years. It is partially filled with sediments.
The island is very mountainous (covering about 60%), Puerto
Rico’s ecosystems include rain forests,
deserts, beaches, caves, oceans and rivers. The mountainous interior is formed
by a central mountain chain extending across the interior of the island, from
Mayagüez to Aibonito, The second main geographical feature is the coastal
lowlands, which extend 13 to 19 km (8 to 12 mi) inward in the north and 3 to 13
km (2 to 8 mi) in the south. A series of small valleys lie perpendicular near
the west and east coast. This area was originally formed by the erosion of the
interior mountains.
The third geographical
feature is the karst region in the north. This area consists of formations of
rugged volcanic rock dissolved by water throughout the geological ages.
This limestone region is an extremely attractive zone of extensive mogotes,
sinkholes, caves, limestone cliffs.
El Yunque Peak
is the Caribbean National Forest. These 28,000 acres are all that remain of the
rain forest that once covered much of the
island. More than 100 billion gallons (yes, billion) of rain fall here each
year, creating a lush forest with many types of plants.
Living in the forest is
the tiny coquí frog. This tiny creature (a quarter to one inch
in size) is considered to be the national mascot. The largest number of bird
species can be found at Guánica Forest, which is home to 700 plant species of
which 48 are endangered and 16 exist nowhere else. Puerto Rico also has some of
the most important caves in the west hemisphere. The Río Camuy runs underground
for part of its course, forming the third largest subterranean river in the
world. There are fine examples of stalactites, stalagmites and, of course, plenty
of bats. Close by you can find the Cueva
del Infierno, on which 2,000 caves have been discovered; in them live 13
species of bat, the coquí, crickets, an arachnid called the "guavá".
Puerto Rico, due to
its short width and its east-west running mountain chain, does not have long
rivers or large lakes. The longest river is the Grande de Arecibo, which flows
to the northern coast. Puerto Rico does not have any natural lakes, although it
has 15 reservoirs, commonly called lakes, formed by damming the main rivers to
produce hydroelectric power and water for irrigation.
A tropical rain forest in
the northeastern section of the island has tree ferns, orchids, and mahogany
trees; part of this tropical area is included in the Caribbean National Forest.
Iguanas and many small lizards abound, and bats are present. The island has
animals that are not found anywhere else in the world.
For example the Puerto
Rican Parrot lives only in a few hidden areas of the Caribbean National Forest.
The Puerto Rican Parrot is bright green, about a foot in length, with red
forehead, blue primary wing feathers, and flesh-colored bill and feet.
Barracuda, kingfish, mullet, Spanish mackerel, tuna, lobster, and oysters are
among the many fish inhabiting coastal waters.
The climate is Tropical Marine with an average temperature
of 80°F (26°C). Puerto Rico enjoys warm and sunny days most of the year.
The winds blow from the East, and moderates temperatures and rainfall.
Weather and climate
scientists use graphs to provide a visual picture of the changes in weather
overtime.
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