The waters of the oceans hold many mysteries and tragic stories. Mariners set off in search of new lands, but under the influence of the elements not all ships returned to their native harbor. Many remained at the bottom of the seas and oceans. With the development of shipbuilding and navigation, ships began to be used for military purposes. No one can say for sure how many ships sank in the waters of the oceans, and how many treasures lie at its bottom. However, to this day, many treasure hunters spend colossal amounts of money searching in the hope of finding the treasured treasure in a particular corner of the ocean.
In the Atlantic, there is also such a place - this is the Gulf of Cadiz, and this is what will be discussed in this article. You will find out where it is located, what is its area and much more. We will also introduce you to some secrets of the bay.
Where is the Gulf of Cadiz?
To answer this question., Just look at the map.
The waters of the Gulf of Cadiz are washed by the shores of Portugal and Spain. The coastline is 320 km long. It stretches from the Portuguese city of Forus to the tip of Cape Trafalgar, where the border of the Strait of Gibraltar passes. The area of the Gulf of Cadiz is 7 thousand km 2 . The maximum depth is 100 m. The bay belongs to the Atlantic Ocean. Such large rivers as the Guadalquivir and Guadiana flow into it.
What is a coast?
The coastline of the Gulf of Cadiz runs through the territory of two Spanish provinces (Cadiz, Huelva) and the Portuguese Algavre. Daily tides are observed here, the height of which reaches three meters. The coast of the gulf in Spain is in the lowlands. It is weakly indented and marshy. The coast of the Gulf of Cadiz in Portugal mainly consists of rocks formed by coal shale and sandstones.
Main ports
Cadiz Bay has a convenient location. Numerous rivers flow into it, there is access to the Mediterranean. It also belongs to the open bays of the Atlantic Ocean. All these factors led to the construction of port cities on the coast. Shipping has developed rapidly in this region, especially after Christopher Columbus discovered a new continent.
To date, there are four Portuguese ports in the Gulf of Cadiz:
- Faro
- Tavira
- Vila Real de Santo Antonio;
- Olhão.
On the Spanish territory is Huelva, Cadiz and San Fernando.
Part of the coastline in Spain belongs to the resort of Costa de la Luz. This place is especially popular among windsurfers. Near the mouth of the Guadalquivir River is the Doñana National Park.
Port cities located in this area play an important role in the economies of the two countries. The Gulf of Cadiz is not only a commercial and tourist region. Fisheries are well developed here, and gas deposits have been found in the area of the Guadalquivir Basin.
Seismic activity
In recent years, seismic activity has been observed in this region. Although tremors in the Gulf of Cadiz are rather weak, they have a certain periodicity. So, on March 2, 2016, an earthquake occurred in this region, the strength of which reached 4 points on Richter. The epicenter itself lay at a ten-kilometer depth in the Atlantic. Seismic activity was observed almost along the entire coastline in Andalusia. Especially strong shocks were felt in the south of the region.
Treasures of the Gulf of Cadiz
There were times when the Spanish Empire owned vast territories outside of Europe. After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, shipping developed rapidly. From various colonies, valuable goods, including precious stones and metals, were delivered to Spain using ships. But not everyone reached their destination. Many ships sank in the depths of the sea, and their wealth is now resting at the bottom. According to rough estimates, treasures of 116 billion euros are stored in the Gulf of Cadiz. But this is only data with documentary evidence. In fact, there can be many more treasures, because in those days, in addition to counted gold and silver, ships delivered a lot of smuggling.
Initially, all ships from the New World came to Seville, but after a little time the city of Cadiz took over the function of a trading port. From America, raw materials were brought here for production needs and jewelry to replenish the royal treasury. Wealth flowed "river" to Spain. To assess their scope, it is worth taking a look at the numbers. Only in the period from 1530 to 1560, 560 tons of silver and 101 tons of gold were imported into the country.
Hundreds of ships found their refuge in the Gulf of Cadiz. In just 4 years (from 1816 to 1820) 720 vessels sank in the water, among them the famous galleons that delivered valuable cargo from Latin America. These numbers are impressive. But why did this bay become a black spot for so many ships? The fact is that in this region there are strong Gibraltar currents and hurricanes arise, and this is a serious problem for sailors.
Why are the treasures of Cadiz still not found? The thing is that the waters where the sunken ships are located belong to Spain. However, the state authorities do not finance the conduct of prospecting and do not show particular interest in this matter. The problem is also in Spanish law. For example, in the USA, if a treasure was discovered on a sunken ship in the territorial waters of the country, it is divided into three parts:
- to the American state;
- to the man who found the treasure;
- the country to which the found ship belongs.
Any treasure found in the territorial waters of Spain belongs to the state, therefore there are no people who want to seek treasures in the Gulf of Cadiz.