Boston – Four new webcams have been installed on Little Brewster Island, offering free panoramic real-time views from Boston Lighthouse of the island and surrounding areas.
The cameras enhance maritime safety by providing a picture of real-time sea conditions and visibility at the outer reaches of the harbor, allowing mariners to make informed decisions about their trip prior to leaving the dock.
"We identified a need to place a camera system on the Boston Lighthouse, providing operational safety and security awareness for the Sector,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class John Northup, Coast Guard Sector Boston Waterways Management. “We also wanted to provide the public with access as well, granting them the ability to view the outer harbor before they depart on their voyages. The camera system gives the public a first-person view from the oldest lighthouse in America, something you usually don't see every day, but now you can!"
The webcam’s installation is the result of cooperative efforts between the U.S. National Park Service, Hull Lifesaving Museum, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boston and Aids-to-Navigation Team Boston.
Originally built in 1716, Boston Light is the nation’s oldest lighthouse station, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and is still an active aid-to-navigation that casts a 27-mile light beam through a second-order revolving Fresnel lens that was installed in 1859.
Access to these webcams is free and available to the public here: www.nps.gov/boha/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm