Bay of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal.The south area of the Bay of Biscay washes the northern coast of Spain and is known as the Cantabrian Sea.The average depth is 1744m and the greatest depth is 4735m.NameThe Bay of Biscay is named after Biscay on the northern Spanish coast, probably standing for the western Basque districts . Its name in other languages is: Bizkaiko golkoa Pleg-mor Gwaskogn Golfe de Gascogne Golfo de Biscaia Gascon Golf de Gasconha Golfo de Vizcaya GeographyParts of the continental shelf extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the Atlantic Ocean's fiercest weather. Large storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. Up until recent years it was a regular occurrence for merchant vessels to founder in Biscay storms.ExtentThe International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bay of Biscay as "a line joining Cap Ortegal to Penmarch Point".