The Bay of Biscay is one of the busiest maritime routes connecting Europe and America. Its deep waters and convenient harbors make it attractive for transporting large cargoes.
The narrowness of the strait also makes it a crucial route for oil tankers and ships transporting liquid natural gas. Therefore, any issues in this region could disrupt fuel supplies, which in turn would impact global oil prices.
The Bay of Biscay is an important fishing area known for its high concentration of tuna and other fish species. Fishing in this region is a significant source of income for many fishing towns and villages in Northern Spain and Southwestern France.
The Bay of Biscay also plays an important role in tourism. Many resorts and cities are located on the shores of the strait, and the beaches and resorts are a huge attraction for tourists from around the world. In addition, cruise liners and other vessels travel through the strait, as well as stop at ports for refueling and other necessary operations.
Economic use of the Bay of Biscay
In the Bay of Biscay, fishing is widespread, with plenty of sardines, cod, and flounders being caught for trade. The fishing industry in these waters has been thriving for many centuries.
Near the French coast, oyster fishing is common in bays and lagoons. In some regions, there are farms where oysters and mussels are cultivated and supplied to many restaurants and stores not only in France but around the world. In addition to oysters, crabs, shrimps, and other edible marine animals are caught near the bay shores.
Landmarks on the Bay of Biscay
On the shore of the bay there are many attractions, both ancient and modern.
In the Spanish city of Bilbao, one of the famous modern attractions is the Guggenheim Museum. The museum is a huge futuristic structure made of glass and concrete, resembling an incredible animal or plant in appearance. The museum houses collections of contemporary art of various genres, as well as temporary exhibitions, concerts, and conferences.
Besides the museum in Bilbao, there are many interesting places: the old town of Casco Viejo, the Gothic church of Saint Anthony, the Cathedral of Saint Santiago, the glass bridge of Zubizuri, and much more.
Near Bilbao on the coast of the Bay of Biscay is the city of Balmaseda, where there are structures from the Roman Empire and earlier times. Tourists often come here to see the ancient buildings of past civilizations.
Nearby is the rocky island of Gastelugache, on which stands an ancient chapel, built around the ninth century.
The ancient city of Santander is also rich in attractions: here you should see the Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the Botin Art Center, the Pereda Gardens, the Porticada Square, the museum of the primitive era and archaeology, the sports palace, and much more.
In the French city of Bordeaux, there are also many interesting places, the main attractions include: the Stock Exchange Square, Public Garden, Wine Museum, Gross Cloche Tower, Saint Peter's Cathedral, submarine base, and much more.
Economic activity
- Significant wave education along the coast contributes to surfing, especially at the resorts of Cote d'Argent, as well as on the Basque coast.
- The bay is one of the places where the Solitaire du Figaro race takes place.
- Cabotage in Europe is an important activity in the Persian Gulf.
- It is crossed by two ferry lines between Spain and England: Santander-Plymouth and Bilbao-Portsmouth, as well as a ferry line between Spain and France: Hihon-Montoir-de-Bretagne.
- The presence of numerous seaside resorts, the most famous of which are La Baule, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Royan, Arcachon, Mimizan, Biarritz, San Sebastian.
- Detection of cetaceans using identification courses from ferries.
- The bay has significant fish resources that contribute to the development of fishing, as well as the overexploitation of some of these natural resources; 28 out of 34 stocks of fish populations are in poor condition, even in very poor condition. For example, the common sole (Solea solea) population is overfished; the biomass of producers has been decreasing since 1993, and catches are increasingly worrying young classes. European eel is also threatened by overfishing at the mouth of the river and poaching of glass eels and water pollution. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, this species, once one of the most common, has recently been included in the red list of fish species at risk of extinction.
Trading Ports
The main French trading ports in the Bay of Biscay:
- Lorient commercial port
- large seaport Nantes-Saint-Nazaire
- commercial port Sables-d'Olonne
- large seaport La Rochelle
- major seaport Bordeaux
- commercial port Bayonne
Main trading ports of Spain in the Bay of Biscay:
- Port of Pasajes
- Port of Bilbao
- Port of Santander
- Port of Gijón
- Port of Avilés
Environmental degradation and anthropogenic impact
Good environmental condition is not achieved in the Persian Gulf, for many reasons, including eutrophication and turbidity from excessive sources of suffocation and blocking of funds. Overfishing and local poaching (from sturgeon), selective extraction of materials, development of the coastal zone, destructive consequences of trawling on resources, various marine pollution, accidental and chronic, ammunition from underwater deposits, violation of wildlife, and, possibly, most importantly - changes in water temperature and salinity regime or currents.
Dolphins often fall victim to fishing nets, although their capture has been illegal since 2011 (but is allowed if accidental).
According to the France Nature Environnement association, the Bay of Biscay is 'threatened with becoming a
From the late 1960s to 1983, several countries dumped radioactive waste in various locations in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Bay of Biscay.
Accidents
On June 1, 1943, the Douglas DC-3 's flight BOAC 777, departing from Portela Airport in Portugal to Whitchurch Airport, near Bristol, in England, was attacked by eight long-range German fighter-bombers, Junkers Ju 88C-6, off the French coast in the Bay of Biscay, resulting in the deaths of seventeen people on board, including the actor Leslie Howard.
Geography
The Basque coast along the Bay of Biscay
Biarritz Beach (French Basque Country)
Parts of the continental shelf extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas and, therefore, the turbulent sea for which this region is known. The bay experiences strong storms, especially in the winter months. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the Atlantic Ocean's most severe weather; abnormally high waves occur there. Until recent years, merchant ships were a common sight during Bay of Biscay storms.
Degree
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the boundaries of the Bay of Biscay as 'a line joining Cap Ortegal () to Penmarch Point ()'.
The southernmost part is the Cantabrian Sea.
Rivers
The main rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay: Loire, Charente, Garonne, Dordogne, Adour, Nivelle, Bidasoa, Oyarzun, Urumea, Oria, Urumea, Deba, Artibai, Lea, Oka, Nervion, Agüera, Saja, Nansa, Deva, Sella, Nalon, Navia, Esva, Eo, Landro, and Sor.
Climate
At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, a large triangle of fog fills the southwestern half of the bay, covering only a few kilometers inland.
With the onset of winter, the weather becomes harsh. The depressions often enter from the west and either bounce to the north, the British Isles, or enter the Ebro Valley, dry up, and finally reappear as powerful storms when they reach the Mediterranean Sea. These depressions bring harsh weather at sea and bring light, albeit very constant rain, to its shores (known as Orballo, sirimiri, Morrina, Orbayu, orpin, or Calabobos). Sometimes, powerful hurricanes (Galernas) form with a sudden drop in pressure, moving along the Gulf Stream at tremendous speed, resembling a hurricane and eventually breaking in this bay with their maximum power, such as the Klaus storm.
The Gulf Stream enters the bay along the continental shelf boundary counterclockwise (Rennell Current), maintaining moderate temperatures year-round.
Main cities
Main cities on the Bay of Biscay coast: Bordeaux, Bayonne, Biarritz, Brest, Nantes, La Rochelle, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, Gijón, and Avilés.
History
The southern end of the bay is also known in Spanish as "Mar Cantábrico" (Cantabrian Sea), from Estaca de Bares to the mouth of the Adour River, but this name is not commonly used in English. It was named by the Romans in the 1st century BC as Sinus Cantabrorum (Bay of the Cantabri) and also as Mare Gallaecum (Galician Sea). On some medieval maps, the Bay of Biscay is marked as El Mar de los Vascos (Sea of the Basques).
The Bay of Biscay has been the site of many famous naval battles over the centuries. In 1592, the Spanish defeated the English fleet during the Battle of the Bay of Biscay. The Biscay Campaign of June 1795 consisted of a series of maneuvers and two battles between the British. The Channel Fleet and the French Atlantic Fleet off the southern coast of Brittany during the second year of the French Revolutionary Wars. USS California sank here after hitting a sea mine on June 22, 1918. In 1920, SS Afrique sank, losing power and running aground during a storm, claiming the lives of 575 people. On December 28, 1943, the Battle of the Bay of Biscay was fought between HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise and a group of German destroyers as part of Operation Stonewall during World War II. U-667 sank on August 25, 1944, when it struck a mine. All hands were lost.
On April 12, 1970, the Soviet submarine K-8 sank in the Bay of Biscay due to a fire that damaged the nuclear reactors of the submarine. The attempt to save the submarine failed, resulting in the deaths of forty sailors and four nuclear torpedoes. Due to the great depth (15,000 feet or 4600 m), no rescue operations were conducted.
Bay of Biscay Islands
In the Bay of Biscay, there are many islands, especially near the French coast, which is characterized by numerous rocks and uneven terrain. One of the largest islands near the French coast is Belle-Île, with an area of over eighty square kilometers. The island is located fourteen kilometers from the Brittany region, with a population of over five thousand people. Belle-Île is popular among vacationers and farmers, which significantly increases the number of people on the island during the summer.
A smaller French island is Noirmoutier, separated from the mainland by a two-kilometer strait. Noirmoutier's area is almost fifty square kilometers, and the population numbers ten thousand people. The island is known for its agriculture and well-developed tourism sector.
Another large island is called Re, its area is eighty-five square kilometers, and the population is over seventeen thousand people. The island is a popular tourist destination for the French who come here for resorts in the summer.
One of the large islands in the Bay of Biscay is Oleron, with an area of over one hundred and seventy square kilometers. It is located on the western coast of France and connected to the mainland by a bridge over three thousand meters long.
Besides the large islands, there are many small and very tiny islets near the French coast where no one lives. From the Spanish side, there are practically no islands, and large ones are completely absent.
Wild nature
Ecological Park Playaundi
Playaundi Environmental Park is a coastal wetland covering an area of 24 hectares, located where the Bidasoa River flows into the sea in the Bay of Biscay. Playaundi's nature consists of a wide variety of flora (visitors mainly observe them in spring) and binoculars arrive throughout the year due to bird migration habits). This natural park is home to many birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects.
marine mammals
Car ferries from Hythe to Nantes / Saint-Nazaire, from Portsmouth to Bilbao, and from Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Poole to Santander provide one of the most convenient ways to see cetaceans in European waters. Often groups of specialists board the ferries to learn more information. Volunteers and ORCA staff regularly observe and monitor cetacean activity from the ships' bridges on the Brittany Ferries route from Portsmouth to Santander. In this area, you can see a variety of whale and dolphin species. Most importantly, it is one of the few places in the world where beaked whales, such as Cuvier's beaked whale, are relatively frequently observed. Biscay Dolphin Research has been tracking cetacean activity from the cruise ferry P&O Ferries Pride of Bilbao during voyages from Portsmouth to Bilbao.
North Atlantic right whales, one of the most endangered whale species, once came into the bay to feed and likely to calve, but the Basque whaling nearly wiped them out by the 1850s. The eastern population of this species is considered nearly extinct, and southern right whales in the Bay of Biscay have not been recorded, except for a pair in 1977 (possibly a mother and calf) at 43°00′ N 10°30′ W, and another pair in June 1980. Other late 20th-century records include one sighting off the coast of Galicia at a western longitude in September 1977 reported by a whaling company, and another one observed near the Pyrenees Peninsula.
The best places to observe larger cetaceans are in the deep waters beyond the continental shelf, especially above the Santander Canyon and Torrelavega Canyon in the south of the bay.
The alga Colpomenia peregrina was introduced and first discovered in 1906 by oyster fishermen in the Bay of Biscay.
In these waters inhabit Grammatostomias flagellibarba (scaleless dragonfish).
Features of recreation
On the coast of the Bay of Biscay, there are ancient cities abundant in amazingly interesting historical sites. This place will appeal to those who enjoy combining beach holidays with historical and cultural tourism.
Insufficient popularity of resorts has its advantages. Many places are characterized by tranquility and a measured way of life. Therefore, the coast of the Bay of Biscay will appeal to those who appreciate a quiet family vacation.
The north of Spain is popular among water sports enthusiasts. The Biscay coast is perfect for tourists who are into diving and surfing.
Resting in Spain in the north of the country will not be cheap. Many resorts in this area are considered elite. The specific cost depends on the choice of resort, but overall prices here are quite high.
History
The southern region of the bay is also known in Spanish as the 'Mar Cantábrico' (Cantabrian Sea), from Estaca de Bares to the mouth of the River Adour, but this name is not commonly used in English. It was named by the Romans in the 1st century BC as Sinus Cantabrorum (Bay of the Cantabri), and also Mare Gallaecum (Galician Sea). On some medieval maps, the Bay of Biscay is referred to as 'El Mar de los Vascos' (Basque Sea).