Page 112 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

110

ATLANTIC OCEAN NORTHEAST ATLANTIC OCEAN EAST
Cap Ferret Banc d’Arguin

TYPE Coastal dunes on TYPE Coastal dunes and
a spit tidal flats
COMPOSITION Sand, COMPOSITION Yellow
grasses, forest sand
1
LENGTH 7 / 2 miles (12 km) LENGTH 100 miles
(160 km)
LOCATION Coast of Aquitaine, southwest of LOCATION Between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou on
Bordeaux, southwestern France the northwest coast of Mauritania, West Africa
Cap Ferret lies at the southern end of The Banc d’Arguin National Park
a long sand spit in western France. It is a vast region of dunes, islands, and
separates the Arcachon Lagoon from shallow tidal flats covering more than
the Atlantic Ocean and forms part of 4,600 square miles (12,000 square km)
the spectacular Aquitaine coast, which of the Mauritanian coast. The dunes,
at 143 miles (230 km) is the longest which consist mainly of windblown
sandy coast in Europe. This region is sand from the Sahara, are concentrated
characterized by a series of straight, in the southern region of the Park.
sandy beaches backed by longitudinal Banc d’Arguin contains a variety of
sand dunes, which are the highest dune plant life and is a major breeding or
formations in Europe. They include wintering site for many migratory
the highest individual European sand birds, including flamingos, pelicans,
dune, the Dune du Pilat, which rises and terns. It was declared a World
to about 380 ft (115 m) above sea level. Heritage Site in 1987.
Behind the main dune area is a
forest, originally planted in the 18th
century to try to prevent the dunes
from shifting. Unfortunately, this coast
is undergoing serious erosion, of more
than 33 ft (10 m) a year in some
places, mainly because excessive urban
development has degraded the
vegetation cover.
SAND MOUNTAINS
Along the coast to the north and south of Cap
Ferret, mini-mountains of pale, rippling sand
are backed by an extensive vegetation cover. SAND BANKS AT BANC D’ARGUIN

Jeffreys Bay is famous both as a highly is known as Supertubes. Here, the a single ride. The same waves that
INDIAN OCEAN SOUTHWEST
popular surfing spot and for the large combination of shoreline shape, attract surfers are also responsible for
Jeffreys Bay numbers of beautiful seashells that bottom topography, and direction of the vast numbers and wide variety
wash up on its shores. It consists of wave propagation regularly generates of seashells that are washed up onto
TYPE Series of gently a series of wide beaches strung out waves that form huge, glassy-looking the beach with each tide.
sloping, dissipative along a southeast-facing stretch of the hollow tubes as they break. Other Conchologists have identified the
beaches
South African coastline. nearby wave breaks in Jeffreys Bay shells of over 400 species of marine
COMPOSITION Sand As a surfing destination, Jeffreys have been given such colorful names animals, including various gastropods,
LENGTH 9 miles (15 km) Bay is regularly ranked among the top as Boneyards, Magna Tubes, and chitons, and bivalves, making the bay
five beaches in the world by those Kitchen Windows. Some of these the most biologically diverse natural
LOCATION West of Port Elizabeth, eastern Cape seeking the “perfect wave.” The most waves can carry a skilled surfer several coastline in South Africa. Dolphins,
Province, South Africa
acclaimed surfing spot or wave “break” hundred yards along the beach on whales, and seals are also seen.
HUMAN IMPACT
HIDDEN DANGERS

Every surfing spot, including
Jeffreys Bay, has dangers that
would-be surfers should know
about. The most important
OCEAN ENVIRONMENTS HEADING FOR SUPERTUBES and is then funneled back out to
are rip currents. The enormous
volume of seawater washed up on
shore by the waves tends to pool
at specific points on the beach

sea in swift currents. These move
rapidly away from the beach,
straight out through the surf zone,
and can sweep unsuspecting
swimmers out to sea. They can be
The waves at Supertubes may be
escaped by swimming parallel to
10 ft (3 m) high and invariably break
the shore. At Jeffreys Bay, there
right-to-left as viewed from the shore.
have also been rare reports of
surfers being bitten by sharks,
most often by the sand tiger or
ragged-tooth shark.