Formigas (Islets of the Ants)

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The Formigas Islets (Portuguese: Ilhéus das Formigas [fuɾˈmiɣɐʃ]; literally, Islets of the Ants), sometimes referred to as the Formigas Bank, are a group of uninhabited rocky outcroppings in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal. The bank is located 43 kilometres (27 mi) northeast of Santa Maria and southeast of São Miguel, covering a surface area of approximately 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft). The submerged Dollabarat Reef is in the same area. The only structure on the islets is a lighthouse located on Formigão (Big Ant), the largest islet.
The Formigas were discovered by Portuguese explorers Diogo de Silves and Gonçalo Velho Cabral in 1431 during their journey to Madeira. The islets were neglected due to the contemporaneous discovery of the neighboring inhabitable islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel. In the 16th century, Portuguese chronicler Gaspar Frutuoso reported on the Formigas' rich marine life.
The Formigas served as both an aid and hindrance to navigation from their discovery well into the 20th century. On 8 April 1832, the British ship Zyllah wrecked on a subsurface rock at the Formigas and its crew had to be rescued the next day by the British merchantman Morley. Nearly ninety years later on 16 June 1921, the Greek cargo ship Olympia ran aground and wrecked at Formigas; the crew survived.
The islets have long garnered scientific and commercial interest. In 1886 the Italian ship Corsaro visited the Formigas Islets, dredging the area for the first time for scientific research purposes. Prince Albert I of Monaco's Princess Alice expedition also visited the islets in 1895 to investigate the marine life, for both scientific and commercial fishery purposes.
Since 4 April 1988, the Formigas Bank has the status of Nature Reserve and is protected by a decree of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores (Regional Legislative Decree Nº11/88/A). It is also considered a European Site of Community Importance (Rede Natura 2000). The habitats protected by the Azorean decree include the area from the emerged islets to depths of more than 1,700 metres (5,600 ft), yet this has not stopped incidences of commercial fishing. Consequently, the area is regularly patrolled by a Portuguese naval vessel based in Ponta Delgada.
Since 16 June 2008, the Formigas Islets and neighboring Dollabarat Reef have been recognized as a Ramsar Convention wetland under the name Ilhéus das Formigas e Recife Dollabarat.