Bay of Biscay
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The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located in the Celtic Sea, named after the Spanish province of Biscay.[1] The Bay of Biscay reaches a maximum depth of 4735 m, with an average of 1744 m.[2]
Geography and history
Parts of the continental shelf extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas.[3] The southern end is also called "Mar Cantábrico" in Spanish, from Estaca de Bares to the mouth of the Adour river.[4] The area became known as the "Valley of Death" by U-boat crews following repeated losses from RAF attacks from 1943 until the end of the war.[5][6] The Cantabrian Sea occupies the bay's most southerly section.[7]
Numerous significant naval conflicts have occurred within the Bay of Biscay throughout history.[8] The June 1795 Biscay campaign involved the British Channel Fleet and the French Atlantic Fleet in a series of maneuvers and two separate battles.[8]
What the cited sources add
The Marine Insight account states that the Bay of Biscay has always been feared by seamen, with several incidents of merchant vessels losing direction in Biscay storms.[1] Ships going to the Mediterranean sometimes chose the French River route rather than Biscay Bay due to its legendary reputation.[1] In May 2000, two yachts faced a disastrous journey even when they left with no signs of bad weather.[1] The USS Californian, acquired by the Navy in mid-May 1918, struck a mine in the Bay of Biscay on 22 June 1918 and sank, though all her crew were rescued.[9]
Various kinds of dolphins and whales are seen in the waters of the Bay of Biscay.[1]
References
- "Why the Bay of Biscay is Dangerous for Ships?", Marine Insight, 2011-10-21. facts only, no text reused. marineinsight.com
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Bay of Biscay", Eoearth.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Summary of Wave Data Needs and Availability: A Report", 1979, p. 7 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "El mar de los vascos, II: del Golfo de Vizcaya al Mediterráneo", Euskomedia.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Bay of Biscay", uboat.net (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "The Bay of Biscay", uboat.net. facts only, no text reused. uboat.net
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: VVAA, "Estrategia marina. Demarcación marina Noratlántica. Parte I. Marco general evaluación inicial y buen estado ambiental.", 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bay of Biscay" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "USS Californian (1918–1918)", History.navy.mil (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "USS Californian (1918–1918)", History.navy.mil. facts only, no text reused. web.archive.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Bay of Biscay (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Bay of Biscay (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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