Ilhas Cagarras

The Ilhas Cagarras are an uninhabited archipelago located 5km off Ipanema, a major beach of the southern coast of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They have been designated a federal natural monument since 2010.LocationThe archipelago is in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It has an area of. It is an important area for fisheries and tourism, and is subjected to upwelling of cold waters during summer. The water quality is relatively poor due to its close proximity with Rio's city waste water disposal. The islands are nonetheless frequented by day excursions of eco-tourists. The archipelago consists of the following islands ("ilha" in Portuguese means island, "ilhota" = islet): Ilha Cagarra Ilha de Palmas Ilha Comprida Ilha Filhote Ilhota Grande Laje de Cagarra The first three are the largest. Ilha Cagarra, the island group's namesake, is the tallest (79m/259 ft.) and most visible from land. Although the islands Ilha Redonda and Ilha Redondinha are located nearby, they are not part of the Cagarras archipelago.Origin of the nameThere is no consensus among authors about the origin of the name of this archipelago. The most commonly accepted version says that the toponymy would be due to the large amount of excrement ( in Portuguese, "cagádas" ) of seabirds that live, nest and feed on these islands. After feeding mainly on fish, these birds excrete their feces, rich in calcium, on the rocky slopes of the islands, staining them white. This hue is clearly visible from the shore of Ipanema, one of the south beaches of Rio de Janeiro