Atol das Rocas Lighthouse, Lighthouse on Rocas Atoll, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Leuchtturm Rocas is a lighthouse tower standing on a circular coral atoll off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The structure sits on a reef formation approximately 2 kilometers in diameter and serves as a navigation marker for ships traveling in Atlantic waters.
The first signal station was established on 1 January 1883: a light on a 14-metre wooden post. A 16-metre iron turret followed around 1910, and in 1914 a metal-lattice tower was automated because of the keepers' isolation and the harsh climate. A 16-metre reinforced-concrete tower entered service on 20 August 1935, replaced by the current 15-metre aluminium tower in 1967.
The lighthouse is owned by the Brazilian Navy and run by the Centro de Sinalização Náutica e Reparos Almirante Moraes Rego (CAMR) within the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation. The atoll, together with the Fernando de Noronha reserves, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, and the lighthouse stands inside the Rocas Atoll Biological Reserve, a Ramsar site since 2015.
The lighthouse operates entirely on solar power through panels and batteries, requiring no external energy supply regardless of season. Access to this remote atoll is challenging and limited, so advance planning and local guidance are essential for any visit.
The 1935 reinforced-concrete tower, 16 metres high, was deactivated in 1969 and now appears collapsed on Google Earth; the current aluminium tower stands set back from its ruins at the water's edge. The light's focal height is 18 metres, giving a range of about 24 kilometres, and it is listed as ARLHS FDN003, Admiralty G0146 and NGA 110-17880.
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