Abrolhos Marine National Park, Archipelago and marine national park in Bahia, Brazil
The Parc national marin d'Abrolhos is a marine protected area off the southern coast of the Brazilian state of Bahia, made up of five small volcanic islands surrounded by the largest coral reef system in the South Atlantic. The reefs here take a distinctive mushroom-like shape, rising from the seafloor in tall columns known locally as chapeirões.
The islands were known to sailors as early as the 16th century, when the hidden reefs made this stretch of ocean one of the most feared along the Brazilian coast. The area was declared a national park in 1983, making it one of the first marine parks in Brazil.
The name Abrolhos comes from a Portuguese expression meaning 'open your eyes', originally a warning for sailors navigating the hidden reefs. Today, that same call to attention fits the experience of watching humpback whales surface or spotting sea turtles gliding through the water.
The starting point for boat trips to the archipelago is the town of Caravelas on the southern coast of Bahia, where organized excursions can be arranged for day visits or multi-day stays on board. There are no hotels on the islands themselves, so most visitors either sleep on their boat or stay in Caravelas before heading out.
Charles Darwin visited the Abrolhos reefs in the early 19th century and was struck by coral formations he had not seen anywhere else on his voyages. The mushroom-shaped chapeirões that caught his attention are found nowhere else in the world.
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