Piedras Blancas Light

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Piedras Blancas Light
Location: San Simeon Bay, California
Coordinates
WGS-84 (GPS)		 35°39′56″N, 121°17′04″W
Year first constructed: 1875
Year first lit: 1879 (current tower)
Automated: 1975
Foundation: Masonry
Construction: Brick
Tower shape: Conical with flat top
Markings/Pattern: white
Height: 74 ft, 142 feet above sea level
Original lens: First order bivalve Fresnel lens
Current lens: VRB-25
Range: 21 nm
Characteristic: Flashing white 10s
Coastal scene with Piedras Blancas Light in the background.
Coastal scene with Piedras Blancas Light in the background.

Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California, United States, on the northern entrance to San Simeon Bay, California. It is an active private aid to navigation, and is maintained by the United States Bureau of Land Management. Guided tours for visitors are available.

[edit] History

The first-order Fresnel lens on the 115-foot Piedras Blancas Lighthouse was first illuminated in 1875. On December 31, 1948 and January 1, 1949 three magnitude 3.8 to 4.6 earthquakes centered 6 miles off the point damaged the lantern room. The lens, lantern room, ornate railing, and the upper portion of the tower were removed, reducing the height of the tower to 74 feet. The lens in now on display in the nearby community of Cambria The United States Coast Guard staffed the lighthouse until 1975, when the tower was automated and the station unmanned.

[edit] Pinniped colonies

An elephant seal colony of about 7500 individuals is located near the lighthouse year-round. Fenced observation areas are available for visitors.

[edit] External links

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