Cayo Felipe
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 Interactive map of Cayo Felipe | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 11°53′02″N 66°50′54″W / 11.88389°N 66.84833°W |
| Archipelago | Los Roques Archipelago |
| Area | 0.07 km2 (0.027 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Venezuela | |
| Federal territory | Territorio Insular Miranda |
| Federal dependency | Federal Dependencies of Venezuela |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Pop. density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
| Additional information | |
| Protected area: Los Roques Archipelago National Park | |
Cayo Felipe[1] (also written as Isla Felipe[2] and alternatively named Brujusqui)[3] is the name given to a flat, coral island belonging to the South American country of Venezuela.[4] [5]Administratively, this key is part of the Territorio Insular Miranda, which is a functional administrative subdivision of the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela. Geographically, the island is situated in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, serving as an integral part of the protected Los Roques Archipelago National Park. It is located relatively close to other keys, specifically situated between the islands of Lanquí to the north and Mosquitoqui to the south, while being positioned northeast of Isla Larga and southeast of Cayo Carenero. Within the internal ecological zoning and management divisions of the national park, this island is officially categorized as part of the Managed Natural Environment Zone (locally known as Zona de Ambiente Natural Manejado).[6]
The total geographic surface area of this island is approximately 7 hectares, which is equivalent to 0.07 square kilometers (or about 0.06 square miles). Cayo Felipe represents a small, low-lying insular formation of purely coralline origin, which is characteristic of the reef-building processes in the Venezuelan Caribbean. Geographically, this key is situated in the central-western portion of the archipelago under the approximate coordinates of 11°53'02" N and 66°50'54" W. It is strategically surrounded by other notable island formations of the Roques complex;[7] toward the northeast lies the elongated shape of Cayo Carenero at an approximate distance of 5.6 kilometers, while toward the east, one can find the striking trinitarian silhouette of Cayo Remanso. Further towards the west and the south, deeper marine waters known as the Bajo and Remolinos del Sambol open up, which effectively defines the transitional character of this key between shallow internal coral reefs and the deeper outer slope.
Geography
[edit]The general morphology of the key is markedly elongated and highly asymmetrical, oriented on a geographic axis running from west to east with a pronounced curvature towards the northeast at its easternmost tip, giving it a general silhouette resembling a boomerang or a truncated crescent. The northern coastline of Cayo Felipe is directly exposed to moderate maritime currents and presents narrow beaches composed of fine white sand that are intermittently interrupted by deposits of coral fragments and low-growing coastal xerophytic vegetation. On the contrary, its southern face is notably more protected and concave, looking directly towards a small, shallow internal lagoon of calm waters that remains sheltered between Felipe and the surrounding sandbanks. Intricate coral reef formations completely border the periphery of the key, being especially dense and complex on its southern and eastern flanks, where they act as a vital natural barrier that dissipates wave energy and continuously favors the sedimentation of fine biogenic coral sands.
From an ecological perspective and in terms of terrestrial land cover, Cayo Felipe presents a very defined vegetation zoning that is clearly observable even from space. The largest portion of its interior surface is dominated by a dense carpet of xerophytic and halophytic shrubby vegetation, combined with small patches of mangroves that colonize the muddy and wet edges of the south and southeastern coasts of the key. In its central strip, the low-lying terrain is interrupted by small saline depressions or seasonal hyperhaline lagoons displaying ocher and reddish tones, which are filled with saltwater during the highest tides or local rainy seasons. The western end of the key culminates in a delicate, highly dynamic sand spit of a bright white color, which constantly changes its physical shape under the influence of seasonal marine currents and winds, serving as an important resting and nesting site for several species of marine migratory birds protected within the national park.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "LEY DE LA COMISION NACIONAL PARA EL ESTUDIO Y PLANIFICACION DEL DESARROLLO DE LA ZONA DEL CARIBE VENEZOLANA". web.laoriental.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ Amend, Thora (1992). Parque Nacional Archipiélago Los Roques (in Spanish). Fundación Polar. ISBN 978-980-07-0744-9.
- ↑ Gabaldón, Mario (1991). Parques nacionales de Venezuela (in Spanish). Fundación Banco Consolidado. ISBN 978-980-07-0743-2.
- ↑ "Inparques" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ Quevedo, Pedro J. Guzmán (1990). Derrotero de los puertos, costas e islas de Venezuela: desde el Orinoco hasta el lago de Maracaibo, incluyendo las región insular (in Spanish). El Autor. ISBN 978-980-300-125-4.
- ↑ "VENEZUELA VIRTUAL | Ciudades | Los Roques | Zonificación". www.mipunto.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ Baamonde, José Méndez (1978). Archipiélago Los Roques/Islas de Aves (in Spanish). Departamento de Relaciones Públicas de Lagoven.
- ↑ Zamarro, Javier (2003). Guía del Parque Nacional Archipiélago Los Roques (in Spanish). Ecograph.