Lighthouses of Mayotte

Mayotte (Mahoré) is the easternmost of the Comoros, a group of islands in the Mozambique Channel midway between Madagascar and the African continent. France gained control over the island in 1843 and incorporated it into its Comoros colony. Independence for Comoros was planned for 1978, but in 1975 the Comorian parliament declared independence unilaterally. Deputies from Mayotte abstained, however, and in 1976 the people of Mayotte voted to continue their link to France. France then vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have confirmed Comorian sovereignty over Mayotte. Since 2003 Mayotte has been classified as an overseas community of France, but in 2011 it is scheduled to become an overseas département of the French Republic. Dzaoudzi, on the northeast coast, is the capital of the territory. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112. Lighthouses Cap Douamougno Date unknown. Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. White tower, height unknown. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located atop a promontory at the northern tip of Mayotte. May be accessible only boat, as there do not appear to be any roads to this location. Site status unknown. Admiralty D6891; NGA 32777. Île M'Songoma Feu Antérieur Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; very quick flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. White tower, height unknown. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The range apparently guides vessels through an opening in the coral reefs off the northeast coast of Mayotte. Located on Île M'Songoma, a small island about 5 km (3 mi) north of Dzoumonyé. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D6892; NGA 32777.2. Île M'Songoma Feu Postérieur Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; very quick flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. White tower, height unknown. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory of the mainland of Mayotte about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) south of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D6892.1; NGA 32777.21. Isle Blanche Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. White tower, height unknown. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island off the north coast of Mayotte, about 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of the new port of Longoni and about 7 km (4.5 mi) northwest of Koungou. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty D6894; NGA 32777.5.

Feu Postérieur du Passage Bandrélé Bureau des Phares et Balises photo courtesy of Michel Forand

* Passage Bandrélé (Bandélé) Feu Antérieur

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); quick-flashing red light, intensified on the range line. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal tower with a conical roof; the light is shown through a square window. Tower painted white with a red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. Almost certainly the light is identical to the rear light shown at right. The range apparently guides vessels through an opening in the coral reefs off the east coast of Mayotte. Located on the coast about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Mamoutzou. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MAY-001; Admiralty D6900; NGA 32768.

* Passage Bandrélé (Bandélé) Feu Postérieur

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); quick-flashing red light, intensified on the range line. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal tower with a conical roof; the light is shown through a square window. Tower painted white with a red horizontal band. 1-story keeper's house nearby. A photo appears above. Located in Bandélé, 275 m (900 ft) west northwest of the front light; Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MAY-002; Admiralty D6900.1; NGA 32772.

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Posted October 30, 2005. Checked and revised June 3, 2009. Lighthouses: 6. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.