Morecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay at low tide

The Morecambe Bay is a watt in Morecambe Bay in northwest England. The Wadden Sea is 305 square kilometers, the largest contiguous mud flat area in the United Kingdom and one of the largest and most important European refuges for shorebirds. During times of bird migration stop here thousands of birds. However, a large number wintered in the area of ​​Morecambe Bay and uses this food -rich area as a breeding area

The Wadden Sea is the estuary of five major rivers. These form a funnel-shaped tidal zone. On the north and the east are each salt marshes. Especially the extended Watt is at extreme low water, which occurs mainly in the spring. During this time, the Watts strips have a width of 12 kilometers.

The Morecambe Bay has large stocks of fire geese and pintails and Knots, Schnepf birds such as curlews and Alpine beach runners, oystercatchers and redshank. The overwintering stock of Red Knot is estimated at 65000-70000 individuals. This represents 15 percent of the wintering population in Europe and Africa.

The bay is known for its fast anflutenden tides. On the night of February 5, 2004 where it caused a serious accident when a group of illegal Chinese immigrants who gathered there shells, were surprised by the oncoming tide. 23 collectors were drowned in the icy water and only one person could be rescued by the summoned Seerettungskräfte alive from the water, 14 more made ​​it without help till the land. The rescue operations were also delayed by the failure because the Chinese were able to get not well understood due to lack of English skills compared to the called by mobile phone police.