Bay of Biscay. Mysterious and mysterious. The place where the Atlantic Ocean is washed by the coasts of Spain and France. A place where seafarers perish in the abyss of the waves. Why is it considered the most dangerous of the entire nearest water area? How to escape from the elements?
The Bay of Biscay has the glory of the most unpredictable and mysterious place. Here often there are fogs, the banks are cut by rocks, and sharp changes of weather are simply dangerous for life. Because of them, deep funnels or waves are formed, reaching a height of 25 meters. They are called wave-killers. Therefore, crossing this bay will be difficult even for an experienced seafarer.
Of course, modern technology and improved rigging of ships significantly reduced the number of victims of the fatal gulf. But even today it is very dangerous to travel on it. The most dangerous and unpredictable period is winter. At this time, storms can last up to 12 days.
As for the name of the bay, there are some inconsistencies here. We call it Biscay, but the inhabitants of the coastal zone refer to it differently. The main water area for them is the Cantabrian Sea. Spain, apparently, this name is closer. And only its eastern part for the Spaniards is the Bay of Biscay, and for the French - Gascon. The very word "biscay" comes from the "Basque" - the so-called coastal inhabitants. Earlier, by the way, they were called "Vascoons", later the first letter was changed to "b". Perhaps in the French language it was replaced with "g", so the names of the gulf in these nations are now slightly different.
Since ancient times Basques have explored the bay. In the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries , a lot of valuable information was received. But really valuable data could be found only in our time. In 2007, researchers from America opened the world to the mystery of the origin of the famous wave-killers. It is interesting that they are formed even in those places where there is a very deep depth. There are such waves for many reasons. The energy potentials of different layers of the water column, the amplitudes of waves colliding with each other, etc., are affected. In such areas, not only the gigantic wave height can be formed, but also deadly funnels.
Apparently, the sea depths do not frighten tourists. There are always plenty of them on the coast. Still, because a twelve-kilometer beach can boast not every resort! La Baule is famous all over the world for its balneological resorts. Russian bohemians prefer Biarritz. And for the Tuna Festival, which is held annually in the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, many locals also come together.
Among the attractions of the coast are not only the sea depths. Along the coastline cliffs pile up, on which one can see real rock carvings, made several thousand years ago. Ancient architecture is also worthy of attention. In the French city of La Rochelle, there is an ancient fortress and a German bunker for submarines. And in the Spanish San Sebastian is an international jazz festival, which also attracts tourists.
That's it, the Bay of Biscay. Insidious, but insanely attractive.