Danger Point is a rocky headland located in the Overberg section of the Western Cape, about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) from Gansbaai by road. The peninsular is aptly named; not only has it been the graveyard of many ships (at least 20 vessels have been lost in the immediate vicinity), it is also the hunting ground of the Great White Sharks that have made this area so famous.
Numerous requests for a navigational aid at Danger Point had been largely ignored by the colonial government, even after the disastrous loss of the HMS Birkenhead in 1852. It was only in May 1892, after a report submitted by renowned British engineer William Tregarthen Douglass, that a commission agreed to the construction of a lighthouse. The contract was awarded to Mr. R. Cochrane, under the supervision of Clerk of the Works John Bruce, and the build was completed towards the end of 1894. The lighthouse was commissioned on the 1st of January 1895. |
Located in the Overberg District of South Africa’s spectacularly beautiful Western Cape province, Gansbaai is a popular tourist destination on the Cape Whale Coast. Although it made its mark in decades past as an important fishing town, it is now famous for its shark diving industry, magnificent fynbos scenery, and excellent farm-to-table cuisine.
Gansbaai has been inhabited by humans and their ancestors for more than 80,000 years. Sheep farmers originally settled here at the beginning of the 18th century, and the first fishing cottages were built in 1811. The settlement was given the name Gansbaai (“Goose Bay”) due to the presence of a freshwater fountain frequented by wild Egyptian Geese. |
LSA Number |
21 |
Name |
Danger Point |
Province |
Western Cape |
Location |
Near Gansbaai |
GPS Coordinates |
S34.630351 E19.302399 34°37'49.3"S 19°18'08.6"E |
ARLHS Number |
SAF-012 |
Admiralty Number |
D6320 |
NGA Number |
32216 |
Active |
Yes |
First Established |
1895 |
Commission Date |
1 January 1895 |
Decommission Date |
Not applicable |
Construction Type |
Octagonal masonry tower |
Daymark |
Tower painted white; lantern painted red. |
Tower Height |
18 meters (59 feet) |
Focal Plane |
45 meters (148 feet) |
Luminous Intensity |
1,700,000 candelas |
Nominal Range |
27 nautical miles |
Characteristic |
L.Fl.(3)W.R. |
Period |
40 seconds |
Pattern |
Fl. 2s, ec. 4s; Fl. 2s, ec. 4s; Fl. 2s, ec. 26s |
Pattern Description |
3 long white flashes every 40 seconds. |
Manned |
Yes |
Site Open |
Yes |
Fenced |
Yes |
Tower Open |
Yes |
Accommodation |
Yes |
Access Method |
Car |
Access Notes |
All access roads are tarred. |