The bay that washes the shores of France and Spain from the Atlantic Ocean is called the Bay of Biscay. It belongs to the largest bays on our planet. What is known about him? The most interesting facts about the bay.
The Bay of Biscay is part of the Atlantic Ocean. It crashes into the European continent in a large triangle. The Bay of Biscay is famous for its resort areas, and also attracts the attention of many oceanographers. The fact is that on the territory of the bay, at times, giant waves arise, which have not yet been fully studied.
History of the Bay of Biscay
The bay got its name in honor of the Spanish province of Basque Country and its inhabitants, which it washes on the territory of Spain. In France, these expanses of water have another name - the Gulf of Gascon. This is what the Basques are called in this country.
The Bay of Biscay is enormous. The total area of its territory is 194 thousand square meters. km. This is the third largest bay on planet Earth. Its average depth is 1700 m. And the deepest place is located off the coast of Spain and is 5120 m.
The water temperature in the bay is always positive, regardless of the season. In summer it reaches +22 - +24 degrees, and in winter - +5 - +6 degrees. Therefore, even in winter, the Bay of Biscay is not covered with ice.
At the same time, strong winds blow here in winter, which reach 100 km / h. This weather can last up to two to three weeks.
Constant changes in atmospheric pressure contribute to frequent changes in precipitation. And in summer, there are strong fogs on the surface of the water.
The bottom of the Bay of Biscay is solid rocks. Due to their constant collapse, giant waves are formed in the bay, which can reach a height of more than 10 meters. All these facts indicate that navigating the bay is a great danger to ships or yachts.
The bay is home to a wide variety of marine animals. In particular, dolphins, several species of sharks, smooth whales, mussels, oysters, squids and so on can be found here.
Bay of Biscay Resorts
The entire coast of this bay consists of a huge number of different resorts. Moreover, they are located both in France and in Spain.
The most famous Spanish resorts in the Bay of Biscay are Bilbao, Biarritz, San Sebastian and others. In addition to the beaches in these towns, you can visit various fish festivals, as well as aquariums and museums.
In France, on the coast, you must visit cities such as Nantes and La Baule. The latter resort is known for its curative mud and a very long beach area, which in total exceeds 12 km.
Interesting facts about the Bay of Biscay
The worst hurricane on the coast in the history of the Gulf took place in 1999. At that moment, the wind speed reached 200 km / h, and more than 20 people died.
Many ships have sunk in the bay. During the Second World War alone, over 5,000 units of naval equipment sank to the bottom here.
There are many islands in the bay. One of them on the coast of Spain is connected to the land by a staircase consisting of 267 steps.
In some places, where the rocks rise above the water, you can see rock paintings that have been preserved since ancient times.
