Guanabara Bay

Did You Know?

• The name Guanabara comes from the Tupi language, goanã-pará, meaning 'bay similar to the sea'.
• Portuguese explorers first encountered the bay on January 1, 1502, and named it Rio de Janeiro.

History

The Portuguese named it Rio de Janeiro; while commonly thought to be a mistake for a river, the term 'rio' at that time could refer to bays or rias. French colonists under Huguenot Admiral Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon invaded in 1555 to establish France Antarctique, building Fort Coligny on Serigipe Island. Portuguese military expeditions expelled them in 1563, after which the colonial government fortified several points, including Santa Cruz, São João, Lajes, and Villegaignon forts, making the bay nearly impregnable from naval attack. Other islands were used by the Navy for storehouses, hospitals, drydocks, oil reservoirs, and the National Naval Academy. In 1985, the Brazilian government banned underwater exploration amid a dispute with American treasure hunter Robert Marx, who claimed evidence of a Roman shipwreck. Carl Feagans reported that 16 amphorae, made for antiques-lover Americo Santarelli in 1960 or 1961, were deliberately sunk in the bay to appear ancient; 4 were later recovered, leaving 12 scattered, two of which lobster divers found in 1974.

Description

Over 130 islands dot the bay, including Lajes, Ilha do Governador (site of Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport), Ilha de Paquetá, Ilha das Cobras, Flores, Ilha Fiscal, Ilha da Boa Viagem, Villegagnon, and Fundão. The Rio-Niterói Bridge, 13.29 km long with a central span 72 m high, crosses the bay, which sees heavy boat and ship traffic, including regular ferry lines. The Port of Rio de Janeiro and two airports—Galeão and Santos Dumont—are on its shores. The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's main campus sits on artificial Fundão Island, and smaller bridges connect Fundão and Governador islands to the mainland.

Environment

Guanabara Bay's once rich ecosystem has suffered extensive damage from urbanization, deforestation, and pollution, with over 70% of sewage from 12 million Rio de Janeiro inhabitants flowing untreated into the bay as of 2014. Three major oil spills have occurred; the most recent in 2000 involved a leaking Petrobras underwater pipeline releasing 1,300,000 L of oil, destroying large mangrove areas that have not recovered. One of the world's largest landfills, Jardim Gramacho, adjacent to the bay, closed in 2012 after 34 years, having supported 1,700 people scavenging recyclables. Preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics aimed to improve conditions, but progress was slow, with concerns that efforts might be short-term. The marine ecosystem was severely damaged; the bay was once a whaling ground, and now Bryde's whales are occasionally seen near the entrance. A population of botos inhabits the bay and faces severe risk of decline.