Cal Islet (Portuguese: Ilhéu da Cal, also: Ilhéu de Baixo) is a small island about 500 m (1,600 ft) south of Porto Santo Island, in the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. With an area of 1.40 km2 (0.54 sq mi),[1] Cal is the largest of six islets close to Porto Santo. The highest point is 178 m (584 ft).[2] The islet has never been inhabited.
Cal Islet houses an important testimony to the history and culture of Porto Santo. It was once mined for lime (cal in Portuguese). Its extraction led to several accidents, one of which killed sixteen workers, victims of a mine collapse. The mines are no longer active, but remnants are still intact and can be visited with a proper license and specialized escort.
The construction of a cable car was planned to connect the tip of Calheta (in Porto Santo) to the islet. The project was abandoned because the large numbers of visitors would have endangered the regeneration of the islet's fragile ecosystem.[3]
Ecological Preservationedit
Side view of the Island seen from a beach in Porto Santo
Despite of its rough appearance, this islet is home to a very rich flora, which includes the usual coastal shrubs and some traces of laurisilva, probably due to its difficult access. It is also a breeding ground for at least four species of birds, the Atlantic canary, the Berthelot's pipit, the plain swift and the little shearwater[4] and home to endemic land snails, Amphorella cimensis[5] and Leiostyla relevata.[6] For these reasons, its ecosystem is protected by the Portuguese PDM and Rede Natura 2000.[3]
In these areas with very high ecological value and great vulnerability to human pressure or reduced capacity for regeneration, only activities of a scientific nature are allowed and, exceptionally, in previously selected areas, places of observation in the scope of leisure and recreational uses.
— Municipal Master Plan of Porto Santo, article no.54.
Referencesedit
^m@pas online 2018-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, Direção-Geral do Território
islet, portuguese, ilhéu, also, ilhéu, baixo, small, island, about, south, porto, santo, island, madeira, archipelago, portugal, with, area, largest, islets, close, porto, santo, highest, point, islet, never, been, inhabited, ilhéu, viewed, from, porto, santol. Cal Islet Portuguese Ilheu da Cal also Ilheu de Baixo is a small island about 500 m 1 600 ft south of Porto Santo Island in the Madeira Archipelago Portugal With an area of 1 40 km2 0 54 sq mi 1 Cal is the largest of six islets close to Porto Santo The highest point is 178 m 584 ft 2 The islet has never been inhabited Cal IsletIlheu da CalCal Islet viewed from Porto SantoLocation within the Municipality of Porto SantoGeographyLocationAtlantic OceanCoordinates33 00 32 N 16 23 13 W 33 0089 N 16 3869 W 33 0089 16 3869Total islands1Area1 40 km2 0 54 sq mi Highest elevation178 m 584 ft Concelhos Municipalities Porto SantoDemographicsPopulation0 Ilheu de Baixo redirects here For an island of the same name in the Azores see Baixo Islet Contents 1 History 2 Ecological Preservation 3 References 4 External linksHistory edit nbsp Cal Islet Cal Islet houses an important testimony to the history and culture of Porto Santo It was once mined for lime cal in Portuguese Its extraction led to several accidents one of which killed sixteen workers victims of a mine collapse The mines are no longer active but remnants are still intact and can be visited with a proper license and specialized escort The construction of a cable car was planned to connect the tip of Calheta in Porto Santo to the islet The project was abandoned because the large numbers of visitors would have endangered the regeneration of the islet s fragile ecosystem 3 Ecological Preservation edit nbsp Side view of the Island seen from a beach in Porto Santo Despite of its rough appearance this islet is home to a very rich flora which includes the usual coastal shrubs and some traces of laurisilva probably due to its difficult access It is also a breeding ground for at least four species of birds the Atlantic canary the Berthelot s pipit the plain swift and the little shearwater 4 and home to endemic land snails Amphorella cimensis 5 and Leiostyla relevata 6 For these reasons its ecosystem is protected by the Portuguese PDM and Rede Natura 2000 3 In these areas with very high ecological value and great vulnerability to human pressure or reduced capacity for regeneration only activities of a scientific nature are allowed and exceptionally in previously selected areas places of observation in the scope of leisure and recreational uses Municipal Master Plan of Porto Santo article no 54 References edit m pas online Archived 2018 09 14 at the Wayback Machine Direcao Geral do Territorio Porto Santo Historia a b Ilheu de Baixo ou da Cal em Porto Santo visit portosanto Retrieved October 10 2020 Ilheus do Porto Santo PDF SPEA Archived from the original PDF on 2007 06 10 Retrieved October 10 2020 D Teixeira et al 2016 Amphorella cimensis IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 Retrieved 2018 10 05 M B Seddon 2010 Leiostyla relevata IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010 Retrieved 2018 10 05 External links editOlhares aeiou pt photo of Cal Islet Ilheu da Cal nbsp This Madeira location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cal Islet amp oldid 1184071915, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
