Ilha de Cotunduba

Ilha de Cotunduba
Cotunduba Island
Bird's eye view of the northeast side of Ilha de Cotunduba
Ilha de Cotunduba is located in Brazil
Ilha de Cotunduba
Location within Brazil
LocationRio de Janeiro, Brazil
Coordinates22°57′49″S 43°08′57″W / 22.96358°S 43.14928°W / -22.96358; -43.14928
Area22.53[a] ha (55.7 acres)
DesignationNatural monument
Created12 November 1990 (1990-11-12)

Ilha de Cotunduba (Cotunduba Island) is an uninhabited island located on Guanabara Bay, off the coast of Leme and Urca, in city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The island has a 340 metres (1,120 ft) long peduncle to the southeast, dubbed the "Lower Cotunduba".[1] The island's highest point is at 73 metres (240 ft) above sea level, with Lower Cotunduba reaching only 4 metres (13 ft) above sea level.[1]

It has for multiple decades been part of an environmental protection area (Área de Proteção Ambiental, APA); initially, the APA do Morro do Leme, Urubu e Ilha de Cotunduba, created in 1990, which prohibited any construction in its territory, permanent or otherwise, unless for scientific or cultural purposes and with permission by the City.[2] This protection was expanded in 1995, further designating the island as a Wildlife Conservation Zone (Zona de Conservação da Vida Silvestre, ZCVS) and prohibiting within its limits, among other things, the extraction of any resources, the disposal of any material, and the setting off of fireworks.[3]

Despite its protection status prohibiting fishing in the surrounding waters, artisanal fishing is still often practiced on and around the island.[4]

Events

The island was historically used as a target to test weaponry, particularly from the nearby Fortaleza de Santa Cruz da Barra, around 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) away. This was the case, for example, on 25 September 1885,[5] and on the morning of 6 November 1902.[6] In the latter case, Campos Sales, then president of Brazil, visited the fort to participate in the inauguration of its new artillery.[6] From there, the island was shot multiple times with different weapons, though a few shots reportedly missed.[6]

During heavy fog in the late afternoon of 13 November 1894, Hamburg Süd's Amazonas steamboat, heading for the Port of Santos, crashed on the island and breached its hull.[7] Due to its compartmentation, however, it didn't sink, and neither the crew nor any of its 13 passengers sustained any injuries.[7]

On 7 August 1918, two men were stranded on the island after being thrown off their chata by strong waves. They were rescued by three fishermen who were sailing nearby.[8]

Fauna

In study results published in 2013 by the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro, it was reported that the tropical house gecko was found on the island, an invasive species that competes with the native Gymnodactylus darwinii.[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Area of the island and surrounding 50 metres (160 ft) buffer zone.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Plano de Manejo do Monumneto Natural do Parque Natural Municipal Paisagem Carioca" (PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 2013. p. 68. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Alencar, Marcello (12 November 1990). "Decreto Nº 9.779 de 12 de novembro de 1990" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Maia, Cesar (5 July 1995). "Decreto Nº 14.008 de 05 de julho de 1995". Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Rubim, Maíra (4 April 2026). "Refúgio escondido entre a Urca e o Leme: conheça a Ilha de Cotunduba". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Sob o commando do coronel Filinto continuaram hontem na fortaleza..." Diario de Noticias (in Brazilian Portuguese). National Library of Brazil. 26 September 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Fortaleza de Santa Cruz, 6". A Noticia (in Brazilian Portuguese). National Library of Brazil. 7 November 1902. p. 1. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Vapor Allemão Amazonas". Jornal do Commercio (in Brazilian Portuguese). National Library of Brazil. 15 November 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "O rebocador "Zázá" partiu, na manhã de ontem..." A Epoca (in Brazilian Portuguese). National Library of Brazil. 8 August 1918. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2026.

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