The Banks of the Gironde Estuary in Charente-Maritime, France

The pictures from the banks of the Gironde estuary that we display in this gallery were taken in the department of Charente-Maritime. They were taken during the winter and spring and are part of a wider project on the Charente-Maritime over the 4 seasons.

The Gironde estuary is 75 km long and 12 km wide at its mouth. It is the largest in Western Europe, covering an area of 635 km2. The Gironde estuary is the joint of two rivers, the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, which join their ongoing Ambès beak. He gave his name to the department of Gironde.

One of the main characteristics of the estuary is the presence of several hundred hut with fishing net called "carlet" in French. They are used by traditional fishermen. Carlets are personal and the purchase price is approximately EUR 30 000. They are managed by a central agency located in Bordeaux.

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The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.
The banks of Gironde Estuary from Charente-Maritime. Photographs by Amar Guillen.

The drop offs of Safaga in the Red Sea, off Egypt

Giant gorgonians on a Safaga drop-off in the Red Sea.
Giant gorgonians on a Safaga drop-off in the Red Sea.

Safaga is a small fishing village located 60 kilometers south of Hurghada. It is an unspoilt destination that is full of surprises for divers and photographers eager to see beautiful dive sites. In this slideshow, we endeavored to show some pictures of the walls of Panorama Reef and Abu Kefan.

The walls of Safaga have nothing to envy to the reefs of St. John in relation to soft corals, hard and living on coral reefs. The only difference is that the pelagic encounters are rare in Safaga: no sharks and just few turtles. The walls are impressive and covered with soft corals, hence the high concentration of small reef fish. The dives are done on the outside of the Bay of Safaga and are located one hour by boat from the coast. When the wind speed is above 4 Beaufort, it is not possible to leave the bay and the drop offs are inaccessible.

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  1. Zion Canyon, Utah state, USA
  2. Bryce Canyon, Utah state, USA
  3. Key Largo, Florida, USA
  4. Landscapes of Death Valley, California State, United States

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