Ilheu da Baleia

Ilheu da Baleia
Ilheu da Baleia
Waters	Atlantic Ocean
Archipelago	Azores
Geographical location	39 ° 5 '45 "  N , 28 ° 2' 53"  W Coordinates: 39 ° 5 '45 "  N , 28 ° 2' 53"  W.
length	255 m
width	60 m
surface	1 ha
Residents	uninhabited

Ilhéu da Baleia is an uninhabited island on the northwest tip of the Azores island of Graciosa in the immediate vicinity of the Farol da Ponta da Barca lighthouse . The rocky island, which resembles a stranded whale and rises steeply from the sea, offers nesting sites for numerous sea ​​birds .

The almost one hectare island is about 50 m off the coast of Graciosa. It belongs to the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa . The island was created by coastal erosion from a volcanic cone , of which only parts of the vent remain. Their surface is very rugged

Ilhéu da Baleia, together with the nearby cliff coast of Ponta da Barca, is designated as a breeding ground for various sea birds by BirdLife International as Important Bird Area PT061 "Ilhéu da Baleia e Ponta da Barca". Mainly represented are the sepia shearwaters ( Calonectris diomedea ), the Barolo shearwaters ( Puffinus baroli ) and the Madeira wave walkers ( Oceanodroma castro ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ponta da Barca e Ilhéu da Baleia on the Geoparque Açores website , accessed on July 24, 2019 (Portuguese).
2. ↑ Data sheet for the Important Bird Area PT061 (PDF; 97 kB), accessed on July 24, 2019 (Portuguese)

Web links

Commons : Ilhéu da Baleia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files