The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago

Joaquim das Virgens Neto - PS7JN

            Saint Peter and Saint Paul is a island group belong to Brazil, distant 1000 km of Natal-RN on Northeast direction and are sited in 5o 55’ 02” N e 29o 20’ 44” W. Is formed by 11 islets (Belmonte, Sul, Erebus, Coutinho, Sudeste, Cambridge, Cabral, Nordeste, Beagle, Cabeço das Tartarugas e Pillar) disposed in a total área of 17.000 m2, with highest point in 19m above sea level and the greatest islet, Belmonte with 200 x 100m, have better habitation conditions. On it, exists some inprovement provide by Marinha do Brasil as a Scientific Station (a house with balcony, cuisine, radio room, bathroom and bedroom, is powered by solar sells or diesel generator, and a unsalther engine), a Pier and a little crane build in 1998 and a lighthouse build in 1995 in replacing to the that have build in 1933. The island is habited all year by groups of four researchers by season of 15 days and transported by fishboats. These researchers work in some areas main geology, biology, fishing, psicology, architeture, oceanography, etc. The flora is composed by some low brush and moss. The fauna is composed by hundreds of marine birds grouped in two main species.

             The island rise about 80 millions of years ago by tectonics process when a bit of earth manttle (The part under earth crust), sudden rise up over a tectônic faut of ocean floor. So, the main rock is a milonitized peridotite without relations with voucanic rocks. In the all world don´t have other island formed in a similar geotectonic process.

            Don´t know exactly who discover the rocks but know with Juan da Nova de Castello see it in 1513 but other source propose that the Capitain Manuel de Castro Alcoforado do it in 1511. The first register in map is attributed to the portugese cartograph Diego Ribeiro in Carta del Navegare Universalissima et Diligentissima. Before this have soppositions that the rocks may be represented in Piri Reis maps in 1513 or in Juan da Cosa maps in 1503. The first register of a disembark is attributed to Capitain Amasa Delano with Perseverance ship in 1799. Other sources indicate that french Lozier de Bouvet do it in 1738. The name origin is unknown but knows that the venturous Laperouse visits is 1738 the name was in use. In 1832 Charles Darwin was there in Beagle Ship in your scientifical voyage. Somebode say that in the Second War the island was meeting point to germany submarines operating in Atlantic Ocean because your deep waters. In aviation was place to the sink of hidroplane os Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral in first Atlantic Ocean cross in 1922.

               In Radio World, to Saint Peter and Saint Paul Rocks was alocated the calls PP0S to PY0S. The island have the 34th place in most wanted country in DX-Magazine. Your IOTA number is SA-014, the DIB number is 03, the DFB number is OC-01 and gridlocator is HJ50hw. Since the first expedition in 1967, when was operated the call PY0DX (the DX-pedition PY0XA in 1966 was a fraud), was maked more then 18 DX-peditions by some countries, five them after the Scientifical Station edification. By two times was used satellites comunications, in 1994 and 2001 (both by PS7JN).

Joaquim das Virgens Neto - PS7JN