Construction of lighthouse 1849-1854 (≈ 1852)
Edited by Léonce Reynaud on the Upper North Bank.
15 juillet 1854
First ignition
First ignition 15 juillet 1854 (≈ 1854)
White fixed lamp lit for the first time.
15 octobre 1854
Headlight automation
Headlight automation 15 octobre 1854 (≈ 1854)
Becoming a permanent fire without a guard.
20 novembre 1975
Replacement of lantern
Replacement of lantern 20 novembre 1975 (≈ 1975)
Installation of an aerogenator.
2011
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 2011 (≈ 2011)
Order of 15 April 2011.
2012
Classification of historical monuments
Classification of historical monuments 2012 (≈ 2012)
Order of 23 October 2012.
2016
Energy modernization
Energy modernization 2016 (≈ 2016)
Replacement with solar panels.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Léonce Reynaud - Architect
Designer of the lighthouses of the Whales and Whales.
Augier - Engineer
Author of the original tower plans (1669-1682).
Joseph Laurent - Master locksmith
Forged the metal lantern in 1736.
Origin and history
The Whale Lighthouse is a marine construction located three kilometres northwest of the Île de Ré, on a rocky strip. Designed by architect Léonce Reynaud, also in charge of the Baleines Lighthouse, it was originally planned to reach 50 metres high. However, due to geographical difficulties, its final height was reduced to 31 metres. Construction took place from 1849 to 1854, and the lighthouse was first lit on the night of 15 July 1854. It was a white fixed light, installed on a cylindrical tower made of cut stone masonry.
As soon as it was inaugurated, the lighthouse of Les Baleineaux was automated, becoming one of the first in France to no longer be guarded from 15 October 1854. Despite a supply platform at its base, its operation was designed to be autonomous. In 1975, its lantern was replaced by an aerogenator and in 2016 it was replaced by solar panels. The lighthouse has been listed as historic monuments since 2011 and has been listed since 2012.
The Whale Lighthouse was built to complement the marine lighting system around the Island of Re, in response to the dangers of the Whale Rocks for navigation. Its architecture, with a flared base with a concave profile, was designed to resist the waves, following the model of the trumpet tower. This lighthouse at sea, although less well known than its terrestrial counterpart, the Whale Lighthouse, plays a key role in securing the region's maritime approaches.
The national archives retained eleven plans of the lighthouse, then called Haut-Banc-du-Nord, developed between 1852 and 1856. These documents demonstrate the technical challenges encountered in its construction. Today, the lighthouse of the Whales, although lacking its original lantern, remains a remarkable example of 19th-century marine engineering and a protected heritage of New Aquitaine.
