The Abrolhos Archipelago () are a group of 5 small islands with

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s off the southern coast of

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

state in the

northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, between 17º25’—18º09’ S and 38º33’—39º05’ W.

Caravelas Caravelas is a city of about 20,000 inhabitants in southern Bahia, Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-lar ...

is the nearest town. Their name comes from the ("Abre Olhos" meaning: Open your eyes), a

rock awash A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition of sand or wave erosion ...

or submerged sandbank that is a danger to ships. There is a conspicuous

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...

in the group, SS Rosalinda.

History

These islets were surveyed by Baron Roussin. As part of the instructions for the second survey voyage of HMS ''Beagle'', the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

noted "the great importance of knowing the true position of the Abrolhos Banks, and the certainty that they extend much further out than the limits assigned to them by Baron Roussin", and asked Captain

Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy, politician and scientist who served as the second governor of New Zealand between 1843 and 1845. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of ...

to take soundings and establish the position of the reefs. The work was carried out from 27 to 30 March 1832, giving

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

the opportunity to examine the wildlife and

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

of the islands. Known to the Royal Navy in the First World War as the Abrolhos Rocks, the area was used as a refuelling point (coal) during Doveton Sturdee's operations against the German cruisers of Admiral Von Spee in late 1914. This operation ended with the Battle of the Falklands and the subsequent sinking of the only survivor, SMS Dresden.

Features

Islands

Ilha de Santa Bárbara Ilha de Santa Bárbara () is the largest island in the Abrolhos Archipelago, measuring long, wide and above sea level, it belongs to the Brazilian Navy and is not included in the limits of Abrolhos Marine National Park nor under its jurisdictio ...

, the largest island. There is a

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

military outpost and a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

. *Ilha Siriba, the only island open to visitors *Ilha Redonda *Ilha Guarita *Ilha Sueste

Submerged banks

*''Parcel dos Abrolhos'', a large submerged reef extending from north to south east of the archipelago. Located to the east of Santa Barbara Island, its limits are not well defined. *''

Parcel das Paredes Parcel das Paredes is a large submerged bank in Brazil with an area of about 200 km2. It is a coralline structure located in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore near Caravelas, Bahia State. Geography The ''Parcel das Paredes'' lies about 30&nbs ...

'', located to the northwest of the archipelago and the largest feature of the wider Abrolhos. * Sebastiao Gomes Reef, Coroa Vermelha Reef and

Viçosa Reef Viçosa is Portuguese-language placename: * Nova Viçosa, Bahia, Brazil *Viçosa, Alagoas, Brazil *Viçosa, Minas Gerais Viçosa is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. Its population was estimated at 79,910 inhabitants. It is ...

, located to the southwest of the Parcel das Paredes. * Timbebas Reef, located to the north near the coast.

Wildlife

The extensive reefs of the island group are an area of rich marine fauna. The uninhabited islets are a breeding ground for pelagic birds. The

Abrolhos Marine National Park The Abrolhos Marine National Park ( ) is a national park that was established in 1983 covering most of the Abrolhos Archipelago area in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Location The park was established on 6 April 1983. It covers about . It became ...

() is a

Marine Park A marine park is a designated park consisting of an area of sea (or lake) set aside to achieve ecological sustainability, promote marine awareness and understanding, enable marine recreational activities, and provide benefits for Indigenous peo ...

located in the Abrolhos Archipelago since 1983. It is strictly forbidden to disembark on Ilha Guarita and Ilha Suest.Brazil Govt. - Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos
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Gallery

Notes

References

* *

External links

Satellite photo (Google)Abrolhos Isle Portal

Centro de Sinalização Náutica Almirante Moraes Rego

ABROLHOS
(en espanhol) {{Authority control , additional=Q10280145 Landforms of Bahia Archipelagoes of the Atlantic Ocean Islands of the South Atlantic Ocean Protected areas of Bahia Archipelagoes of Brazil Uninhabited islands of Brazil Lighthouses in Brazil