Marine protected areas rich in biodiversity
It contains nearly 45% of the protected marine species, 75% of the French coral reefs, 19% of the seagrass beds and a total of 224 ecological anchorages installed in 5 years. Some areas are forbidden to motorized watercraft and others are forbidden to anchor, but they lend themselves to the discovery of a rich heritage during a day of sailing.
6 French nature parks located in metropolitan France
In the Channel and North Sea
- Natural Marine Park of the Picardy Estuaries and the Opal Sea
It is an area of 2,300 km2 located off the departments of Seine-Maritime, Somme and Pas-de-Calais. It is limited to the north by the town of Ambleteuse and to the south by the town of Tréport. At sea, the Park extends to the maritime traffic separation device, in the middle of the Strait of Pas de Calais. The typical Picardy estuaries of the Opal Coast are the Canche, the Authie and the Somme.
In the south, you can discover the high cliffs characteristic of the Alabaster Coast, whose bottom is a sandy area with some rocky shoals off shore. More than 1,000 grey and calf seals can be seen there.
This natural park has a rich maritime heritage with many small fishing ports and a traditional shipbuilding of small typical boats: flobarts, yoles, dundee, sauterelliers.
In the Atlantic
- Iroise Natural Marine Park
From the tip of Finistère, the marine area of 3,500 km2 is included between the island of Sein, Ouessant and the limits of the territorial sea. The Iroise Marine Park is home to the national nature reserve located on the islands of the Molène Archipelago. It is also a UNESCO reserve. Many lighthouses guide the navigation of boaters, subject to violent storms and numerous reefs. The Fromveur, a cold and powerful current is rich in marine biodiversity: fish, crustaceans, marine mammals, including the bottlenose dolphin and the grey seal, but also marine birds. It is also the largest field of algae on the French coast.
- Marine Natural Park of the Gironde Estuary and the Pertuis Sea
This area of 6,500 km2 in the heart of the Bay of Biscay is located between the mouth of the Payré in the north and the tip of the Negrade in the south. The water body is characterized by its sandy coasts, its rocky foreshores and its mud flats. The three most frequented sailing areas are the island of Ré, the island of Oléron and the island of Aix with respective anchorages at Rivedoux sud, Plage de Boyardville and Baby-Plage. 60% of the boaters sail there on boats, half of which are over 9 m long. The frequentation is mainly local. The lake is rich in fish, especially the meager ones. One of the points of interest is the Great Lighthouse of Cordouan located at the mouth of the Gironde.
- Natural marine park of the Arcachon basin
This semi-enclosed lagoon, both sheltered and open to the ocean, is the meeting point of the fresh waters of the Leyre and the Atlantic Ocean. Twice a day, the tides change the configuration of the water, known for its numerous oyster beds. There are also many species of fish such as eel, cuttlefish or sole in its oceanic part, sea bass and dolphins. Arcachon has become the second largest marina in the Atlantic basin. Up to 12,000 boats frequent the water during the summer and are present at anchor or in the port. Very few of them cross the passes which can be dangerous, the majority of the navigation is concentrated in the lagoon. The most popular destinations for boaters are the Bird Island, the Arguin Bank, the Cap Ferret peninsula and the cabanes tchanquées.
In the Mediterranean
- Gulf of Lion Natural Marine Park
Between Leucate and Argelès, the coast is sandy with long sandy beaches. Between Argelès-sur-Mer and Cerbère, the rocky coast is home to numerous creeks and cliffs. There are posidonia meadows, underwater corals, and sandy bottoms on which it is possible to anchor on 14 buoys at sea, installed between April and November since 2011 to avoid anchoring on the meadow areas. 38 buoys will be added during 2022.
- Natural Marine Park of Cape Corsica and Agriate
With its 6,830 km2, it is the largest marine park in France, rich in numerous species. It includes the nature reserve of the Cape Corsica islands and the Pelagos sanctuary. Within this natural area, 4 marine protected areas are regulated. The landing, circulation, parking and gathering of people and motor vehicles are prohibited at all times on the land territory of the nature reserve. The anchoring of boats is forbidden within ten meters of the coastline, as represented in the cadastre, of the islands of Giraglia and Capense, and in the entire maritime part bordering the Finocchiarola islands. Finally, it is forbidden to anchor in the barrier reef of San Fiurenzu.
