Fernando de Noronha, Archipelago : BRAZIL
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, around 354 km offshore from the Brazilian coast. The islands of this archipelago are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains. Consisting of 21 islands, the base of this enormous volcanic formation is 756 m below the surface. The main island, from which the group gets its name, makes up 91% of the total area. The islands of this archipelago are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains. Consisting of 21 islands, islets and rocks of volcanic origin, the main island has an area of 18 km², being 10 km long and 3.5 km wide at its maximum. The base of this enormous volcanic formation is 756 m below the surface. The main island, from which the group gets its name, makes up 91% of the total area; the islands of Rata, Sela Gineta, Cabeluda and São Jose, together with the islets of Leão and Viúva make up the rest. The climate is tropical, with two well defined seasons. The rainy season lasts from March to September, the rest of the year sees little rain. Unfortunately, the original land vegetation of the islands was cut down, what is left today is mainly vines and bushes. The island was covered in forest until the 19th century, when it was cleared to prevent prisoners on the island from building rafts. The islands are now predominantly covered by shrubs, with some areas of recently planted secondary forest. Many of the plants on the island today were introduced by people.
Two hundred some miles off Natal on Brazil's northeastern coast, in waters untainted by sediment from Brazil's major rivers, lies Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago looking today much like it did when it was discovered five hundred years ago. Its distance from shore and the limited tourist facilities aren't a drawback to visitors who rave enthusiastically about these spectacular islands. The archipelago is called Fernando de Noronha (see map.) The islands are the remains of volcanic mountains jutting up from the Atlantic. There are twenty small islands, one larger one, and scores of beautiful beaches where clean sand, pure water and fabulous marine life abound. Claimed by Américo Vespúcio for the Portuguese in 1503, early settlers built a fortress, now in ruins, at Vila dos Remedios, the largest populated town. (See map.) The islands were a prison, then a convenient stopover point for early flights to Europe, and the facilities used by one European airline gave the name AirFrance to a local community. There was also a WW II air base. Today, the Brazilian Air Force maintains a base there. Although the islands support a large variety of wildlife species, they are relatively unpopulated and tourism is restricted to 420 visitors at a time. In fact, the longer you stay, the higher your permit fee will go. There is one paved road, Brazil's shortest national highway, one hotel and many pousadas which fill to capacity in the summer season.
Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proportion of the island surface of the South Atlantic and their rich waters are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark, turtle and marine mammals. The islands are home to the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the Western Atlantic. Baia de Golfinhos has an exceptional population of resident dolphin and at low tide the Rocas Atoll provides a spectacular seascape of lagoons and tidal pools teeming with fish. Criterion (ix): FNNMP/AdRBR represents over half the insular coastal waters of the Southern Atlantic Ocean. These highly productive waters provide feeding ground for species such as tuna, billfish, cetaceans, sharks, and marine turtles as they migrate to the Eastern Atlantic coast of Africa. An oasis of marine life in relatively barren, open ocean, the islands play a key role in the process of reproduction, dispersal and colonisation by marine organisms in the entire Tropical South Atlantic. Criterion (vii): Baía dos Golfinhos is the only know place in the world with such a high population of resident dolphins and Atoll das Rocas demonstrates a spectacular seascape at low tide when the exposed reef surrounding shallow lagoons and tidal pools forms a natural aquarium. Both sites have also exceptional submarine landscapes that have been recognised worldwide by a number of specialised diving literatures. Criterion (x): FNNMP/AdRBR is a key site for the protection of biodiversity and endangered species in the Southern Atlantic. Providing a large proportion of the insular habitat of the South Atlantic, the site is a repository for the maintenance of marine biodiversity at the ocean basin level. It is important for the conservation of endangered and threatened species of marine turtles, particularly the hawksbill turtle. The site accommodates the largest concentration of tropical seabirds to be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, and is a Global Centre of Bird Endemism. The site also contains the only remaining sample of the Insular Atlantic Forest and the only oceanic mangrove in the South Atlantic region.
Two hundred some miles off Natal on Brazil's northeastern coast, in waters untainted by sediment from Brazil's major rivers, lies Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago looking today much like it did when it was discovered five hundred years ago. Its distance from shore and the limited tourist facilities aren't a drawback to visitors who rave enthusiastically about these spectacular islands. The archipelago is called Fernando de Noronha (see map.) The islands are the remains of volcanic mountains jutting up from the Atlantic. There are twenty small islands, one larger one, and scores of beautiful beaches where clean sand, pure water and fabulous marine life abound. Claimed by Américo Vespúcio for the Portuguese in 1503, early settlers built a fortress, now in ruins, at Vila dos Remedios, the largest populated town. (See map.) The islands were a prison, then a convenient stopover point for early flights to Europe, and the facilities used by one European airline gave the name AirFrance to a local community. There was also a WW II air base. Today, the Brazilian Air Force maintains a base there. Although the islands support a large variety of wildlife species, they are relatively unpopulated and tourism is restricted to 420 visitors at a time. In fact, the longer you stay, the higher your permit fee will go. There is one paved road, Brazil's shortest national highway, one hotel and many pousadas which fill to capacity in the summer season.
Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proportion of the island surface of the South Atlantic and their rich waters are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark, turtle and marine mammals. The islands are home to the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the Western Atlantic. Baia de Golfinhos has an exceptional population of resident dolphin and at low tide the Rocas Atoll provides a spectacular seascape of lagoons and tidal pools teeming with fish. Criterion (ix): FNNMP/AdRBR represents over half the insular coastal waters of the Southern Atlantic Ocean. These highly productive waters provide feeding ground for species such as tuna, billfish, cetaceans, sharks, and marine turtles as they migrate to the Eastern Atlantic coast of Africa. An oasis of marine life in relatively barren, open ocean, the islands play a key role in the process of reproduction, dispersal and colonisation by marine organisms in the entire Tropical South Atlantic. Criterion (vii): Baía dos Golfinhos is the only know place in the world with such a high population of resident dolphins and Atoll das Rocas demonstrates a spectacular seascape at low tide when the exposed reef surrounding shallow lagoons and tidal pools forms a natural aquarium. Both sites have also exceptional submarine landscapes that have been recognised worldwide by a number of specialised diving literatures. Criterion (x): FNNMP/AdRBR is a key site for the protection of biodiversity and endangered species in the Southern Atlantic. Providing a large proportion of the insular habitat of the South Atlantic, the site is a repository for the maintenance of marine biodiversity at the ocean basin level. It is important for the conservation of endangered and threatened species of marine turtles, particularly the hawksbill turtle. The site accommodates the largest concentration of tropical seabirds to be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, and is a Global Centre of Bird Endemism. The site also contains the only remaining sample of the Insular Atlantic Forest and the only oceanic mangrove in the South Atlantic region.
