The Ilhas Cagarras (Cagarras Islands) are an uninhabited
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
located off
Ipanema
Ipanema () is a neighbourhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon and Arpoador. The beach at Ipanema became known internationally with the popularity of the bossa nova jazz song, "The Girl from Ipane ...
, a major beach of the southern coast of the city of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, Brazil. They have been designated a federal
natural monument
A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.
Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, nat ...
since 2010.
Location
The archipelago is in the municipality of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
It has an area of .
It is an important area for fisheries and tourism, and is subjected to upwelling of cold waters during summer.
The water quality is relatively poor due to its close proximity with Rio's city waste water disposal.
The islands are nonetheless frequented by day excursions of eco-tourists.
The archipelago consists of the following islands ("ilha" in Portuguese means island, "ilhota" = islet):
* Ilha Cagarra
* Ilha de Palmas
* Ilha Comprida
* Ilha Filhote
* Ilhota Grande
* Laje de Cagarra
The first three are the largest. Ilha Cagarra, the island group's namesake, is the tallest (79m/259 ft.) and most visible from land.
Although the islands Ilha Redonda and Ilha Redondinha are located nearby, they are not part of the Cagarras archipelago.
Origin of the name
There is no consensus among authors about the origin of the name of this archipelago. The most commonly accepted version says that the toponymy would be due to the large amount of excrement (in Portuguese, "cagádas" ) of seabirds that live, nest and feed on these islands. After feeding mainly on fish, these birds excrete their feces, rich in calcium, on the rocky slopes of the islands, staining them white. This hue is clearly visible from the shore of
Ipanema
Ipanema () is a neighbourhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Leblon and Arpoador. The beach at Ipanema became known internationally with the popularity of the bossa nova jazz song, "The Girl from Ipane ...
, one of the south beaches of Rio de Janeiro
In 1730, its main island, appears on a nautical chart with a Frenchified name "Island Cagade." In another letter, dated 1767, the same appears with the island carrying its name in Portuguese: "Crappy Island." "Ilha Cagáda"
Another possibility for its name, is that Portuguese sailors wrongly identified the frigatebirds (fragatas in Portuguese) that nest on these islands, with the Scopoli's shearwater (cagarras in Portuguese) seabirds that live in the archipelagos of
Madeira
)
, anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
, song_type = Regional anthem
, image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg
, map_alt=Location of Madeira
, map_caption=Location of Madeira
, subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
and the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
(Portuguese territories): the
shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae
The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwa ...
or cagarra (''
Calonectris diomedea'') is not found on Brazilian islands.
History of the Archipelago
The islands are situated in proximity to the discharge in the sea of sewage from almost all the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, through the Ipanema canal, an important work of sanitary engineering built in the 1970s in accordance with the Protocol of Annapolis.
CONAMA proposed making the Ilhas Cagarras Archipelago and
Area of Relevant Ecological Interest on 14 September 1989, but nothing was done at the time.
Creation of the natural monument was due to the initiative of Mr Fernando Gabeira of the Green Party.
On 13 April 2010 the incumbent vice president
José Alencar
José Alencar Gomes da Silva (; 17 October 1931 – 29 March 2011) was a Brazilian businessman, entrepreneur and politician who served as the 23rd vice president of Brazil from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2010. In business from a young age, A ...
signed a decree creating the Cagarras Islands Natural Monument.
The purpose was to preserve the remnants of the island ecosystem in the
Atlantic Forest
The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and th ...
domain, to preserve the scenic beauty, and to maintain a refuge and nesting area for migratory shorebirds. The monument consisted of the Cagarras, Palmas and Comprida islands and the Filhote da Cagarra islet, as well as the water for around the land.
Any activity that could damage the ecosystem or disturb the aquatic fauna and sea birds was prohibited.
The consultative council was created on 14 December 2010.
The natural monument is part of the
Carioca Mosaic
The Carioca Mosaic ( pt, Mosaico Carioca) is a protected area mosaic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It includes various federal, state and municipal conservation units in and around the city of Rio de Janeiro.
History
The Carioca Mosaic ...
, created in 2011.
References
Sources
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External links
Gallery with pictures of the archipelago
Islands of the South Atlantic Ocean
Uninhabited islands of Brazil
Archipelagoes of the Atlantic Ocean
Geography of Rio de Janeiro (city)
Landforms of Rio de Janeiro (state)
Archipelagoes of Brazil
Natural monuments of Brazil