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Did You Know?

The Cape St Blaize Lighthouse is situated on the headland at the western entrance to Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It was completed in 1864 and first lit on 15 June of that year, making it one of the older lighthouses on the South African coast. The lighthouse was designed by the colonial engineer John G. Gamble and built from local stone, with a distinctive white-painted tower that stands approximately 21 metres high. Its light has a range of about 22 nautical miles and was originally powered by oil, later converted to electricity. The lighthouse is named after the nearby Cape St Blaize, which itself was named by early Portuguese navigators in honour of Saint Blaise, the patron saint of throat ailments, after they sought shelter there in the 15th century. The site is a declared national monument and remains an active navigational aid, operated by the South African Navy's hydrographic office. The surrounding area, including the caves beneath the headland, has yielded archaeological evidence of early human habitation, adding to the historical significance of the location.

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