Great Isaac Cay, Bahamas

Great Isaac Cay Lighthouse

Great Isaac Cay Lighthouse in 2004
Bahamas
Location Great Isaac Cay
South Bimini
Bahamas
Coordinates 26°01′41.7″N 79°05′22.1″W / 26.028250°N 79.089472°W / 26.028250; -79.089472Coordinates: 26°01′41.7″N 79°05′22.1″W / 26.028250°N 79.089472°W / 26.028250; -79.089472
Year first constructed 1859
Deactivated 2000-2009
Foundation concrete basement
Construction cast iron tower
Tower shape tapered cylinfrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / pattern white tower, black lantern
Height 46 metres (151 ft)
Light source solar power
Range 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)
Characteristic Fl W 15s.
Admiralty number J4620
NGA number 11900
ARLHS number BAH-002
Managing agent Bahamas Port Department[1][2]


Great Isaac Cay is a small Bahamian island located about 20 miles (32 km) NNE of the Bimini Islands. It is accessible only by boat.

Lighthouse

The most prominent feature of the island is its lighthouse, which was erected in 1859, and stands about 151 feet (46 m) tall. It has been claimed that a full moon causes unusual sounds to be heard on the small island. In the late 19th century local lore tells of a ship wreck on the island with one survivor, an infant. The child’s distraught mother, known as the Grey Lady, is said to haunt the island to this very day, wailing in sorrow during the full moon.

On August 4, 1969, the station was discovered to have been abandoned by its two keepers, who were never found.[3] Many believers in the Bermuda Triangle claim that the keepers were two more victims lost to its mysterious forces.[4] however, the hurricane record from 1969 indicates that Hurricane Anna , the first hurricane of 1969, on 1–2 August, passed close enough to Great Isaac Island to cause dangerous weather for the tiny rock island. By the 4th of August, the hurricane was well into the Atlantic Ocean.

The grounds are open to the public, although the lighthouse itself has had stairs removed to block access to the interior of that structure. The keepers’ house, cistern, and assorted buildings are crumbling into ruins. The derelict collection of abandoned buildings make Great Isaac Cay a popular destination for boaters.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Great Isaac The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 August 2016
  2. ↑ Great Isaac Light Lighthouse Explorer. Retrieved 23 August 2016
  3. ↑ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the Bahamas". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  4. ↑ Quasar, Gian. Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery (The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2004), Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Vanished Ships, p.71.
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