SHANGRALA'S

LIGHTHOUSES
OF THE WORLD!

From Cuba to Wales, coastal regions around the world are exposed to their fair share of storms. Yet while coastal residents get cozy inside with a good book and a hot thermos, what if 'inside' meant being stuck in a lighthouse? Nothing more than a few bricks in a ferocious sea really. Tirelessly guiding those stuck in bad weather, lighthouses suffer silently, maybe slightly creaking in the wind and braving any storm like true pillars of strength. See for yourself.

Here's photos collected from around the world. Enjoy :)

Mouro Lighthouse, Spain

One would think that the most spectacular images of lighthouses being pounded by a fierce storm would be those battling it out in the ocean. Residents of Lake Michigan, however, will disagree as they can't complain of not having their fair share of spectacular lakeshore action. The frequent storms draw spectators happy to get drenched as long as their cameras get away unscathed.

Kereon Lighthouse in Brittany, France:


South Haven Lighthouse -
Don't miss the huge icicles on the bridge:


Sheboygan Lighthouse, Lake Michigan,
Clearly weather beaten:


Lake Michigan's Grand Haven lighthouse
Pounded by the waves:


And here, totally frozen over and in a storm.
Can't beat this image:


Oswego Lighthouse on Lake Ontario in New York state:

And the lighthouse keepers? Do they have to fear for their lives as the waves crash around them, often engulfing the lighthouse completely? Well, most of the lighthouses pictured here are unmanned even though they may have a house-like structure attached to them. People still need to check on the machinery once in a while, e specially the lamps, but in most locations, there's no need for anyone living in a lighthouse year-round.

The lighthouse in Seaham, Durham County, UK
Being dwarfed by the waves:


A lighthouse in the North Sea
Getting pounded by waves and 130 km/h winds:


A lighthouse in Porthcawl on the South Wales coast
Getting swallowed by waves:

In La Jument, Brittany, in France, however, one lighthouse keeper got the shock of his life when he was waiting for a rescue helicopter during a fierce storm in 1989. Upon hearing the sound of an approaching helicopter, he went outside, ready to be picked up. Only it wasn't his rescue 'copter but photographer Jean Guichard's. Guichard was out to get some amazing shots of the picturesque lighthouse in the storm when he captured the lighthouse keeper as well in a photograph that went around the world.

The photograph that made La Jument in Brittany famous:

The lighthouse keeper who investigated was able to retreat back inside before the big wave crashed around the lighthouse. Phew! Brittany is a region that seems especially storm-prone. The peninsula in northwestern France is situated between the British Channel and the Bay of Biscay and its coastline is dotted with lighthouses.

The lighthouse of Ar-Men in Brittany
Engulfed by a wave:


Three lighthouses braving the storm in Tempete, Brittany:

Given these kind of dangers, it is not surprising that the last manned lighthouse was built in the US in 1962. Modern lighthouses are automated structures in inaccessible locations where functionality matters more than aesthetics. Lighthouse structures directly constructed in the water are called wave-washed lights because they have to withstand the constant impact of the water.

A fair bit of wave washing at El Malecon, Havannah's
Famous seaside walkway:

Mouro Island is a marine nature reserve in the province of Cantabria in northern Spain, just off the port of Santander. Though the region profits from the Gulf Stream bringing warmer water, the coastline is exposed to the Atlantic and does see pretty fierce storms, especially in the winter. Our very first and very last image show the walls of water that the Mouro Lighthouse has to withstand.

Dramatic - Mouro Lighthouse, Spain: Mouro Island




Ye are the light of the world...
Let your light so shine before men,
That they may see your good works,
And glorify your Father which is in heaven.
- Matthew 5:14a,16

        

^BACK To TOP^



For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)

Yes! Click Here To GO TO THE ARCHIVES!-




Like This Page?

If you are looking for more, here are some good places to start:


Angel Falls!-
Jellyfish Lake!-
Beaches In India!-
Awesome Bridge!-
Montreal Gardens!-
Oregon Aquarium!-
Who Is This Jesus?-
Great White Shark!-
Real Fantasy Trees!-
Undersea Restaurant!-
A-Z Animated GIF Images!-





-To SHANGRALA-


SPECIAL THANKS Goes To JO ANN COWART For Sharing This With Us.

---

Copyright © 1996 Netscape Communications Corporation. Mozilla is
a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.
Note: This is an Unofficial God, Jesus Christ, Family, & Cartoon Fan Site.
© All graphics representing Disney characters are copyrighted by Disney.
Likewise all other graphics & music Copyright © by their own Individual Artists.
I do not own any graphics on this site. If you do, please notify me and I'll give
you proper credit, a link, or remove it immediately according to your wishes.
~*~ Copyright © 1997-2009 Elrhea M. Bigham ~*~

---