Baie de Somme

Baie de Somme (, Bay of the Somme or Somme Bay; Picard: Béie d'Sonme) is a large estuary in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The bay drains six rivers into the English Channel. The biggest of these is the River Somme. The Baie de Somme covers a total area of . The bay is noted for its ornithological richness, as well as being a major tourist attraction.

When the tide is out, the Baie is characterized by wide, flat areas of marsh and sand. Here, the delicacy of glasswort (locally:salicornes) is collected. Small ponds are dug into the marshes and filled with fake plastic ducks. This is to attract migratory birds for hunting. As the tide rises the bay fills. At this time many working, leisure and tourist boats cross between the surrounding villages.

The largest towns on the bay are Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy, Cayeux-sur-Mer and, a few miles inland of the bay, Noyelles-sur-Mer. Other smaller towns such as Le Hourdel, Le Tréport, or Mers-les-Bains are spread out around the region.  These towns are popular tourist destinations. They are connected together by the preserved steam railway line, the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme. Several of the towns are grouped into the  Communauté d'agglomération de la Baie de Somme.
The Bay of Somme is the habitat of multiple fauna and flora species. The most famous fauna are the Grey seal and the Harbor seal, locally referred as "phoque veau-marin". The Harbor seal population can be estimated at 650 to 700 individuals living in the bay. The Grey seal has a smaller population of around 350 individuals.

 References 

Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
Category:Pages with unreviewed translations