Puerto Morelos Lighthouse

Puerto Morelos Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in the town and port of Puerto Morelos, on the Riviera Maya in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The current lighthouse is the third in a succession of lights that have operated at the site on the seafront, close to the main pier.[1] The second lighthouse, known as the Inclined Lighthouse (Spanish: Faro Inclinado), began tilting in 1967 and remains in place.

Puerto Morelos Lighthouse
LocationPuerto Morelos
Mexico
Coordinates20.848037°N 86.875221°W / 20.848037; -86.875221
Tower
Constructed1905 (first)
1946 (second)
Constructionconcrete tower
Height14 metres (46 ft) (current)
10 metres (33 ft) (first)
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markingswhite tower, red lantern
OperatorSecretariat of Infrastructure Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1968 (current)
Focal height16 metres (52 ft)
Range15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 6s.
Mexico no.CF-23-170[1]

History

Little is known about the original light when the station was started in 1905, but the second lighthouse built in 1946 is well known as the Faro Inclinado, and a symbol of the town.[1][2]

The leaning tower was the result of the foundations being washed away by Hurricane Beulah in September 1967. The 10 metres (33 ft) high concrete structure, painted white with blue trim, now lies disused but has been kept as a testament to the storm, and as a local landmark.[1][3]

The third lighthouse which was built in the 1980s but further back from the beach, was also damaged by another hurricane, this time by Wilma in 2005, with the top of the 14m high cylinder-shaped tower requiring repairs, and repainting.[1] This current light has a focal height of 16m above sea level, with a range of 15 nautical miles and consists of a flash of white light every six seconds.[4]

The lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation, and is registered under the Admiralty number J4438 and has the NGA identifier of 110–15704.[1]

See also

References

  1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Mexico: Caribbean Coast (Quintana Roo)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  2. Nick Rider (August 2005). Yucatan and Mayan Mexico. New Holland Publishers. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-86011-211-9.
  3. Christine Delsol (9 July 2012). Frommer's Cancun and the Yucatan. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 158–. ISBN 978-1-118-33366-2.
  4. List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2015. p. 181.

Media related to Puerto Morelos Lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.