The Cape St Blaize Lighthouse has been a beacon to navigators since 1864. It is open Monday – Friday to the public from 10h00 – 15h00. It is closed over the weekends and public holidays. It is only one of two manned lighthouses on the South African coast today.

• Montagu Street (The Point), CBD, Mossel Bay
• Phone: +2744 690 3015
• Fax: +2744-690 3015
• E-mail: John.Basson@transnet.net

Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse

The lamp in Mossel Bay’s iconic lighthouse was first lit on the 15th of March, 1864. The tower is 20.5 metres high, and stands about 52 metres above sea level.

Cape St. Blaize is so-named because Bartolomeu Dias and his crew first landed in Mossel Bay on St. Blaize’s Day (3 February) in 1488 (St. Blaize is known in Portuguese as São Brás). However, the Lighthouse is also situated directly above the archaeologically important Cape St. Blaize Cave, which was used by local hunter-gatherers herders over a period of about 200,000 years – so the area is by no means just a modern observation post.

The Lighthouse was originally lit by a fountain lamp that was visible as a single red light for 15 nautical miles. The lamp was upgraded using various different types of paraffin burners in 1875, 1897, and 1911, and it was finally electrified on the 6th of April, 1931. The light’s power increased with each upgrade, too – from 4,500 candelas in 1875, to 450,000 in 1931.

The Lighthouse’s foghorn was installed in 1914, and upgraded in 1945 and 1989, while a radio beacon with the call sign ZRF was installed in 1959.

Latitude  34° 11’10.45″S
Longitude  22° 9’22.83″E

Tags: cape st blaize, lighthouse