101 Facts About The Bay Of Biscay For The Budding Sailor In You

The Bay of Biscay is found towards the northeast Atlantic Ocean and in a southern direction from the Celtic sea.

The Bay of Biscay starts at Point Penmarc'h, continuing towards Spain's border and is found towards the west coast of France. In terms of location, the Bay of Biscay is found in Spain's north and the western direction of Cape Ortegal.

The Celtic Sea is an area of the North Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean is off the south coast of Ireland. The Cantabrian Sea is along the southern region of the Bay of Biscay, which washes over Spain's northern coast.

The depth of the gulf is estimated to be 5,723 ft (1,745 m) on average, and the maximum depth is around 15,534 (4,735 m). The name of the gulf has an English origin.

It was named after districts of western Basque along the northern Spanish coast. Since the continental shelf extends to the bay, it results in shallow waters in some places and a rough sea overall.

The bay is known for its rough storms, which are common during winters. The waves are high and long.

There is fierce weather, resulting in accidents of huge vessels. The following rivers lead to the Bay of Biscay: Charente, Loire, Dordogne, Garonne, Oka, Lea, Sor, Landro, Miera, Ason, Saja, Pas, Sella, Nansa, Nalon, Eo, Deva, Aguera, Urumea and many more.

The climate during early summer and late spring is accompanied by fog in a triangular shape that covers the southwest part of the bay.

Winter depressions are common from the west Ebro Valley and move towards the north to the British Isles. While there is severe weather on the sea, causing huge waves and rough weather, on shores, it causes constant rainfall.

Read on to find out about the good weather and extreme weather caused by violent storms, sperm whales, merchant vessels and the cruise ship with the highest depth, the canary islands, many species of marine mammals around the Caribbean, and more!

After reading these interesting facts on the Bay of Biscay, be sure to check out our facts about the Bay of Bengal and the Bay of Campeche.

Fun Facts About The Bay Of Biscay

Are you planning to embark on an expedition to the Bay of Biscay? Or are you just interested in knowing more about this region? We have compiled a list of some interesting facts about the Bay of Biscay for you here!

The Bay of Biscay is is a gulf which is located to the northeast of the Atlantic Ocean and to the south of the Celtic Sea. This gulf runs along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal.

Rivers like Loire, Charente, Garonne, Dordogne, Adour and Nivelle are some main rivers that empty themselves into the bay. Some of the primary cities that lie next to the Bay of Biscay are cities of France like Nantes, Brest, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Biarritz, and Bayonne. Other major cities of Spain are Donostia-San Sebastian, Santander, Gijon, Aviles and Bilbao.

The Bay of Biscay is full of dolphins and whales. Whales, like beaked whales such as the Cuvier's beaked whale, can be found there.

Cetaceans can be found beyond the continental shelf in the deep waters. Winters on this bay are accompanied by harsh storms that are quite scary and dreaded by the ships sailing on the waters of the Bay of Biscay.

It is after the western Basque districts that the bay is named. The bay covers a total area of 86,000 sq mi (223,000 sq km), and the depth of the waters of the bay are 5,722 ft (1,744 m).

During harsh storms, many ships have sunk in the waters of the Bay of Biscay. Some, like the SS Afrique and Soviet Submarine K-8, sunk there too.

Scary Facts About The Bay Of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay is considered an extremely wide extension of the North Atlantic Ocean, which is present on the western coast of Europe. Here are some really scary facts about the Bay of Biscay that will surely spook you.

The reason why the Bay of Biscay is referred to as the scariest sea is because of its severe weather conditions. During summer and late spring, fog hangs around the sea and covers a major portion of it. During winter, depressions develop in the gulf, resulting in constant rainfall on the shores and huge storms in the sea.

The storms bring in huge waves of great heights, which can wreck any ship. Many ships are known to have sunk in the waters of the Gulf of Biscay. Some, like the Soviet Submarine K-8 and the SS Afrique, are famous and historical and are known to have been wrecked by the waves of the bay.

It is difficult to send a rescue team to the Bay of Biscay as the winds are strong. As such, merchant vessels passing along this region must tread with extreme caution as a rescue can be delayed for extended durations.

Marine Life Facts About The Bay Of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay has very interesting marine life. The Bay of Biscay is certainly not a country. It is a bay on the shores of some major cities of France and Spain. It also has abundant marine life filled with many sea animals. Let's go through some marine life facts about the Bay of Biscay:

Many interesting sea creatures are found in the waters of the bay. Creatures like the sperm whale, harbor porpoises, bottlenose whales, beaked whales, some common dolphins like the short-beaked dolphins, and also the striped dolphins are found here.

The Bay of Biscay is home to many exotic animal species which are cherished by marine lovers. Scientists have spent time researching the various sea creatures found there.

However, many of the sea creatures found in the waters of the Bay of Biscay are on the threatened list. They must be protected. Blue whales and harbor porpoises are some of the threatened creatures that are found in the deep waters of the Bay of Biscay.

Often, hunters hunt whales and kill them for their skin, which can fetch a high price and is used for making many items. There are many fish species found there too. The long-snouted seahorse, European eel, and gulper shark are also now decreasing and are on the threatened creatures list.

Geographical Facts About The Bay Of Biscay

The important geographical facts about the Bay of Biscay are as below.

The Bay of Biscay has been described by the International Hydrographic Organization as "a line joining Cap Ortegal (43°46'N 7°52'W) to Penmarc'h Point (47°48'N 4°22'W)".

The Cantabrian Sea refers to the southern portion of the Bay of Biscay. Many rivers end up there, like the rivers of France and Spain. Many cities of France and Spain lie on the shores of the Bay of Biscay.

It is the Gulf stream that enters the bay by following the continental shelf and its border in an anticlockwise way and is known to moderate the temperature of the bay.

Many naval expeditions are known to be made in the waters of the Bay of Biscay.

The battle of Biscay on December 28, 1943, was fought between the HMS Enterprise, HMS Glasgow, and the Germans in the historic Second World War. It was fought as a part of the Stonewall Operation.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 101 Facts About Of Bay Of Biscay, then why not take a look at our facts about James Bay in Canada or Lake Erie in Canada.