Billy Rock

Billy Rock is a reef lying about half a mile off Cape Pembroke, the easternmost headland of East Falkland.

This reef has proven itself dangerous to shipping: by the mid-nineteenth century it was reckoned that some fifteen ships had been wrecked on Billy Rock, driven here by the strong tidal race between the cape and the offshore islands. For this reason the Cape Pembroke Lighthouse was built on the cape in 1855, and rebuilt 1906.

The lighthouse was deactivated after being damaged in the 1982 Falkalnds War, but modern navigational techniques and a reduction in the volume of shipping passing Cape Pembroke have since lessened the risk from the rock.

Location

• Location map: 51°40’60"S, 57°43’0"W