Mauger Caye Light is an active
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
on the atoll island of Mauger Caye, the most northerly in the
Turneffe Cays archipelago, which lies east of the coast of
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
. It is one of a number of lighthouses, which have been built on the
cay
A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...
s in the coastal waters of Belize. At the southern end of the Turneffe atoll, is a similar but smaller light known as Caye Bokel. The name Mauger comes from the
Creole word for meagre, and Bokel is from the Dutch word for elbow.
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]
Description
The lighthouse consists of a white framework tower which is 19m high; the light is mounted above a watch room and gallery at the top of the tower. A spiral staircase incorporated within the tower allows access to the room and light.[
The low-lying nature of the island means the light also has a focal height of 19m above sea level, which has a range of 13 nautical miles and consists of a pattern of two flashes of white light every ten seconds.][
The exposed nature of the site means it can be vulnerable to passing hurricanes. During ]Hurricane Keith
Hurricane Keith was an Atlantic hurricane in October 2000 that caused extensive damage in Central America, especially in Mexico and Belize. It was the fifteenth tropical cyclone, eleventh named storm, and seventh hurricane of the 2000 Atlantic h ...
the island was badly damaged, with sands being shifted and washed away, exposing the roots of the many palm trees. The duty light keepers, "only survived because they were able to take shelter in a concrete bunker near the lighthouse accommodation, which itself completely disappeared".[
The lighthouse is operated and maintained by the port authority of Belize. It is registered under the Admiralty number J5940 and has the NGA identifier of 110-16280.][
The surrounding coral reef means the island is a popular dive site, which can be reached by boat from Belize.][
]
See also
* List of lighthouses in Belize
References
External links
Belize Port Authority
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mauger Caye
Lighthouses in Belize
Belize District