Great Isaac Cay, Bahamas

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.

Great Isaac Cay
Great Isaac Cay Lighthouse in 2017
Great Isaac Cay
Bahamas
LocationGreat Isaac Cay
South Bimini
Bahamas
Coordinates26°01′41.7″N 79°05′22.1″W
Year first constructed1859
Deactivated2000-2009
Foundationconcrete base
Constructioncast iron tower
Tower shapetapered cylinfrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower, black lantern
Tower height46 metres (151 ft)
Light sourcesolar power
Range23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 15s.
Admiralty numberJ4620
NGA number11900
ARLHS numberBAH-002
Managing agentBahamas Port Department[1][2]

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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