Somme Bay
| Somme Bay | ||
|---|---|---|
 Shallow water and dunes in the Somme Bay |
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| Waters | ||
| Land mass | Western Europe | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 12 '5 " N , 1 ° 37' 37" E | |
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| surface | 72.00 km² | |
The Somme Bay (French Baie de Somme ) is the name of the Somme estuary , which, with an area of around 7200 hectares, is the largest of its kind in northern France. Administratively, the Bay of Somme belongs to the Somme department in the Hauts-de-France region .
Geologically speaking, it is not a bay , but an estuary . The watercourse of the Somme, which is expanded in the shape of a funnel and underflowed with salt water, suggests associations with a sea bay, which led to such a name being given.
Geography, landscape and nature
The Somme funnel extends for about ten kilometers from southeast to northwest to the point where it flows into the English Channel . On its south side are the fishing ports of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Le Hourdel ; the seaside resort of Cayeux-sur-Mer is by the sea. The infrastructural center of the north side is the municipality of Le Crotoy ; The natural landscape of the Marquenterre extends northwest to the lighthouse of Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont .
This landscape is characteristic of an estuary, due to the history of its formation through the extreme tidal range : At high tide, heavy salt water penetrates upstream and flows under the fresh water of the Somme; this flood current brings in a lot of sand and silt, which cannot be completely removed by the weaker ebb current. The consequences are
- Silt zones and salt marshes (around 1500 ha) that are under water at high tide, on the one hand and
- Sand dunes (about 3000 ha) on the other hand;
3000 hectares of these two landforms are under nature protection in the Somme Bay.
This reserve naturelle de la baie de Somme was set up in 1994. Its core zone is the Parc du Marquenterre on 250 hectares in the extreme north, which is home to over 300 species of birds. Numerous migratory birds find a stopover here in winter on their way to their southern roosts.
A colony of dog seals (both harbor seals and gray seals ) has been living in Somme Bay again since the 1980s . These animals were common in the area in the mid-19th century, but by 1950 the population had almost disappeared due to excessive hunting. In the year 2000 74 copies were counted again.
Infrastructure / tourism
Access to the nature reserves by car is restricted outside the settlements and the information center at the entrance to the Parc du Marquenterre.
- Bicycle tours, hikes, horse rides, boat trips and sightseeing flights are regulated by local organizations.
- Between Noyelles-sur-Mer , which is inland, and the seaside resorts of Le Crotoy, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Cayeux-sur-Mer, a tourist railway has been operating since 1970, the "network of sea baths" (Reseau des Bains de Mer) after the shutdown of regular passenger traffic. Six operable steam locomotives are currently in use, as well as historic diesel locomotives on the route to Cayeux. This network is supported by a non-profit association in cooperation with the region, the department and the communities along the route.
- North of the Marquenterre there is a holiday apartment settlement with a golf course , surrounded by water, forest and dunes.
- Culinary: Besides fresh fish and mussels, the Mouton des Préts salées, the sheep of the salt marshes, are a specialty of the area. At low tide they graze on the salt marshes outside the dikes, which gives their meat a special taste.
literature
- Jacques Béal: Bay of Somme . Actes Sud, 2005, ISBN 978-2-742-75553-0 .
