Desecheo, which has no known bodies of surface water, reaches a maximum elevation of 715 ft and has an annual precipitation, on average, of 40.15 in. The lack of surface water limits its flora to thorny shrubs, small trees, weeds and various cacti, including the endangered higo chumbo . Fauna includes various species of seabirds, three endemic species of lizard, introduced goats and rats, and a population of rhesus monkeys introduced from Cayo Santiago in 1967 as part of a study on adaptation. Before the introduction of rhesus monkeys the island was the largest nesting colony of the brown booby, however, no species presently nests on the island.
Geology
Although politically part of Puerto Rico, along with the islands of Mona and Monito, Desecheo is not geologically related to the main island. It is believed that the island has been isolated, at least, since the Pliocene. However, the island is part of the Rio Culebrinas formation which suggests that it was once connected to Puerto Rico.
History
No evidence of Pre-Columbian human settlement of the island has been uncovered. Christopher Columbus was the first European to visit the island during his second voyage to the New World; however, it was not named until 1517 by Spanish explorer Nuñez Alvarez de Aragón. During the 18th century the island was used by smugglers, pirates and bandits to hunt imported feral goats. During World War II, and until 1952, the island was used as a bombing range by the United States Armed Forces. From 1952 to 1964 the United States Air Force used Desecheo for survival training. In 1976 administration of the island was given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in 1983 it was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge. In 2000 it received a Marine reserve designation and fishing is allowed within 1/2 mile around the island.
Conservation and Restoration
In the early 1900s, Desecheo NWR was still a major nesting ground for thousands of seabirds. Approximately 15,000 Brown Boobies, 2,000 Red-footed Boobies, 2,000 Brown Noddies, 1,500 Bridled Terns, and hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Laughing Gulls, and Sooty Terns nested here. Invasive mammals, including goats and rats, began to impact Desecheo NWR early in the 20th century. Around and during the time of World War II, the island was used as an artillery range by the US Air Force. That and the invasive species’ damage to Desecheo's ecosystem have been severe, and by the turn of the millennium, virtually no seabirds were using the refuge. In response, in 2016 the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Island Conservation, and other key partners, including the US Department of Agriculture, and Bell Laboratories and Tomcat, worked together to remove invasive rats from the island. One year later, Desecheo Island was declared free of invasive species, and signs of recovery were observed, including Audubon's Shearwaters sighted on the island for the first time and new Bridled Tern nests discovered. In addition, 72 Federally Threatened Higo Chumbo cactus,, were found and measured pre and post eradication. In 2017, individuals with flowers and huge yellow fruits were observed which is a good sign for the overall reproductive status of the population.
Diving
Because of a healthy reef and clear waters, with common visibility ranging from, Desecheo is a very popular place for diving fans. Although diving is permitted around the island, the refuge is closed to the public due to the presence of unexploded military ordinances. Trespassers are subject to arrest by Federal law enforcement officers.
Amateur radio
As a separately administered area, under Amateur Radio rules Desecheo is considered a distinct "entity" for DXCC award purposes. Several DXpeditions have gone to the island, which has the ITU prefix KP5. The Fish & Wildlife Service currently restricts such operations. The first approved DXpedition in fifteen years was allowed on the island between February 12 and 26, 2009, making 115,787 contacts. Attempts to allow public access to Desecheo and the island of Navassa, which is located between Haiti and Jamaica, were made in the U.S. Congress, but the bill failed to reach the floor of the House of Representatives prior to the end of the 109th Congress, rendering the proposal dead.
