Roca Partida
Coordinates: 18°59′50″N 112°03′54″W / 18.99722°N 112.065°W
Roca Partida (English: Broken Rock) is the smallest of the Revillagigedo Islands in Mexico, administrated by the state of Colima. It is uninhabited, with an area of only 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
Like the other islands in its group, it is volcanic in origin, but unlike San Benedicto and Socorro which are still active, Roca Partida has eroded to a piece of bare rock, devoid of terrestrial vegetation. It is some 100 metres (300 ft) long and about 8 metres (26 ft) wide, and rises into two peaks divided by a low-lying area - hence the name. These were some 25 and 34 metres (80 and 110 ft) high in 1953 but the higher one appears to have eroded several meters since then (see photo below). No land animals or fresh water occur on Roca Partida.[1]
A number of seabirds breed here:[2]
- Nazca Booby, Sula granti
- Northeast Pacific Brown Booby, Sula leucogaster brewsteri
- East Pacific Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus crissalis — a doubtfully distinct subspecies
- East Pacific Brown Noddy, Anous stolidus ridgwayi
For the first two named, Roca Partida is one of the most north-easterly breeding sites.
Roca Partida is considered one of the most beautiful dives in Mexico. It is a military zone so permits must be obtained to go there.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Marine Life of Roca Partida
- Scuba Diving in Roca Partida
- Photo. Retrieved 2007-NOV-21.
- Information page with map
- Photo of Roca Partida
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