Lighthouses of The Gambia

The Gambia, or more precisely the Republic of The Gambia, is a small nation of West Africa straddling the River Gambia. Banjul, at the mouth of the river, is the capital and the only major port. A former British colony independent since 1965, The Gambia is surrounded by the larger nation of Senegal. Although it is the smallest nation of mainland Africa it is densely populated, with a population estimated at 2.4 million.

British slave merchants had outposts on the Gambia River as early as 1588 and the country was the point of departure for perhaps a million slaves before the trade was ended.

The British did not build any traditional lighthouses in the colony but there are several modern lights.

Navigational lights in The Gambia are maintained by the Gambia Ports Authority.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
World of Lighthouses - Gambia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - The Gambia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for The Gambia.

 


Barra Point Light, Fort Bullen, November 2021
Google Maps street view by Matej Priteržnik

Lighthouses
* Cape St. Mary (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal mast centered on a concrete platform supported by four robust concrete piles. Reto Müller's photo is at right and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The Admiralty and NGA say the light is on a water tower but the photo proves that it was moved to this platform in front of the water tower. As a result the focal plane may be less than the listed value. Cape St. Mary is a bluff about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of the entrance to the River Gambia. Located facing the Atlantic Ocean in the Fajara neighborhood, about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of the cape. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D3021; NGA 24452.
* Banjul Point
Date unknown (probably recent). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. NGA describes the lighthouse as a "metal framework tower." The location of the light is rather uncertain. The Google Maps satellite view places the light on a building, but Google's street view shows no light there. Instead the light appears to be on a skeletal tower close to the waterfront; Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. The national capital city, Banjul is built on a peninsula forming the south side of the River Gambia entrance, with the harbor sheltered on the south side. Located at the east end of the peninsula. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty D3027.5; NGA 24465.
* [Fort James Island, Kunta Kinteh Island]
Date unknown. Reactivated (?); 8 m (26 ft); listed with white flash every 14.5 s. Approx. 5 m (17 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. This light is back on the Admiralty list, although a closeup photo (a little over halfway down the page) and a second photo show that the lamp had been removed from the tower. Bing has a satellite view of the island and fort. Fort James is a slave traders' fort, first built by German merchants in 1651 and captured by the British in 1661. Abandoned with the end of the slave trade in 1779, the ruined fort is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2011 the island was renamed for Kunta Kinteh, a Gambian portrayed in the popular U.S. television series Roots as an ancestor of the author Alex Haley. Erosion is eating away at the island and the ruins. Located on a small island in the River Gambia about 30 km (19 mi) from the sea and 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Albreda. Accessible only by boat; tours are available from Banjul. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS GAM-002; Admiralty D3030; NGA 24468.
* Barra Point (Fort Bullen) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); three quick red flashes every 15 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower mounted on the northwestern rampart of Fort Bullen. Part of a 2021 street view by Matej Priteržnik is at the top of this page, another photo is available, Liz MacKenzie-Barrett has a view from the river, and Google has a satellite view. Built by Britain in 1826, Fort Bullen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A light was displayed from a flagpole of the port beginning in 1863 but it is not known how long this light was maintained. The present light appears to be of modern origin. Located on Barra Point, the north side of the entrance to the River Gambia, opposite Banjul. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS GAM-001; Admiralty D3027; NGA 24464.
Cape St. Mary Light
Cape St. Mary Light, Fajara, February 2013
contributed photo copyright Reto Müller; used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining page: Senegal

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Posted October 10, 2008. Checked and revised May 10, 2024. Lighthouses: 3. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.