What are the bays. The largest bays of the earth

gulf A part of a sea or ocean that extends deep into the land. In the bays there is a free exchange of water with the main part of the ocean or sea.

Located in the northeastern part indian ocean, between the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka in the West, the Indochina Peninsula and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the East. The southern boundary of the Bay of Bengal runs along a line through the southern tip of the island of Sri Lanka and the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. The area of ​​the Bay of Bengal is 2191 thousand km 2, the average depth is 2507 m, the greatest is 4490 m. northern part The gulf flows into the large rivers of India, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. average temperature water in the Bay of Bengal on the surface in February 25 - 27 ° C, in August up to 30 ° C, salinity 30 - 34 ° / oo.

The tides are semi-diurnal, up to 10.7 m. Atmospheric circulation is of a monsoon nature, southwest winds prevail in summer, northeast in winter. From April to December, tropical cyclones can arise in the Bay of Bengal, which contribute to the formation of destructive storms, surges on the coast (wave height is 6 - 9 m). Under the influence of monsoon winds, the currents form an anticyclonic circulation in spring and winter, and a cyclonic one in summer and autumn.

(Gulf of Mexico) - is a semi-enclosed sea Atlantic Ocean. The bay washes the southeastern shores of North America. Gulf of Mexico located between the island of Cuba and the peninsulas of Florida and Yucatan.

The Gulf of Mexico has a total area of ​​about 1543 thousand square meters. km, the total volume of water is 2332 thousand km 3. In the east, the Gulf of Mexico has an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Florida, and in the south, the Gulf is connected with by the caribbean through the Yucatan Strait.

The Gulf of Mexico is characterized by a basin with a depth of up to 5203 meters. Hurricanes are not uncommon here in summer and autumn. The average water temperature in the summer months near the surface is about 29°C, and in shallow waters up to 31°C. Surface currents in the bay are directed mainly clockwise.

The central part of the Gulf of Mexico is very poor in plankton, but in shallow waters it is present in in large numbers. In the shallow waters of the bay, herring, oysters, shrimps and turtles are harvested in large numbers. Throughout the Gulf of Mexico, tuna and sharks are harvested.

The Gulf of Mexico has a winding coastline that is constantly changing due to the action of hurricanes. The shores of the bay are mostly low, in some places very swampy. Along the coast you can observe sandy spits, shallows and large islands.

Photo: permanently scatterbrained's photostream

Great Australian Bight. The water area of ​​the bay is large area- 1335 thousand sq. km. Its average depth is more than 400 meters, the maximum is 5670 m (South Australian Basin).
Here the climate is more temperate than in the area of ​​the seas of northern Australia. The water temperature can drop to +17 degrees C in winter and reach 21 degrees C in summer.
Tidal heights are significant - the water at the peak of the tide rises by 3-4 meters, in bays and bays - up to 7 meters.
The waters of the southern part of the bay are under the influence of the cold oceanic current of the West Winds, which runs from west to east. Due to the colder climate, icebergs can sometimes be observed in the Great Australian Bight, which are supplied by Australia's southern neighbor - Antarctica. However, the border of iceberg distribution is located far from the coastline.

The coast of the bay is strongly indented, in many places there are characteristic rocky terraces, coastal cliffs and cliffs. Sandy beaches are common on the low-lying shores. Many small bays (Spencer, St. Vincent), bays, capes and spits. Several small rivers flow into the bay, the largest are the Murray and Danmark rivers, which, having merged, flow into the bay through Wilson's Bay (near the port of Adelaide). There are many small islands along the coastline, among which the largest is Kangaroo Island. Average and southwestern part the coastline is more even, further to the west, rocks and islets reappear.
The relief of the bottom of the bay has a stepped character, the depths increase with the distance from the mainland in several terrace-steps, starting from the shallow coastal area and ending with the deep-water South Australian depression in the south.

Animal world and the fauna of the Great Australian Bight is less represented than the flora and fauna northern seas continent. The proximity of Antarctica and the influence of cold currents affect. Nevertheless, it cannot be called poor - many animals feel comfortable here, from microorganisms to large marine mammals.
The bottom inhabitants of coastal waters are represented by crustaceans (shrimps, crabs, lobsters, spiny lobsters), marine worms, echinoderms ( sea ​​stars, hedgehogs, serpentine). The fish world is very rich. Here are representatives of both warm and temperate, and colder parts of the Indian Ocean. You can meet herring, flounder, gobies, red mullet, mackerel, horse mackerel, some species of sea bass, rays, tuna, salmon, sailboats, marlin, swordfish and many other fish. The red beryx fish (beryx family) is highly valued commercially, the meat of which tastes like the meat of sea bass.

IN southern regions whales occasionally swim in the bay - minke whales (humpback whales, fin whales, narwhals, sei whales, blue), smooth (Greenland), toothed (sperm whale, killer whale). Live in many different kinds dolphins.

Hudson Bay. Like the White Sea, Hudson Bay is inland sea Northern Arctic Ocean. Its water area borders Canada on three sides, more precisely, with the Canadian provinces - Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Nunavut. Only through Fox Bay it is connected by water paths to the Arctic Ocean. The area occupied by the bay-sea is impressive - 819 thousand sq. km. The maximum depth is 301 m, the average is 112 m. Like the White Sea, Hudson Bay is an inland sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean. Its water area borders Canada on three sides, more precisely, with the Canadian provinces - Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Nunavut. Only through Fox Bay it is connected by water paths to the Arctic Ocean. The area occupied by the bay-sea is impressive - 819 thousand sq. km.
The maximum depth is 301 m, the average is 112 m.

gulf of guinea- is part of the Atlantic Ocean, its warm waters wash the shores of Equatorial Africa. It is the Gulf of Guinea that can rightfully be considered the center of the world, because it contains the point of intersection of the equatorial parallel with the prime meridian.

From the west, the Gulf of Guinea enters in a large arc deep into Africa. The bay is located in the quiet part of the Atlantic Ocean, away from major sea routes.

Geographically, the bay is bounded in the north by Cape Palmas, located in Liberia, and by Cape Palmeirinhas, belonging to the territory of Angola in the south. The total area of ​​the Gulf of Guinea is 1533 square kilometers. In its northeastern part, the Gulf of Guinea is divided into two basins, Biafra and Benin.

The Gulf of Guinea contains several paradise islands, the largest of them are the island of Fernando Po, Annobón, Principe and Sao Tome. The maximum depth of the Gulf of Guinea is 6363 meters, forming the Guinea Basin at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Average annual temperature water in the bay is about 26°C. The salinity of the Gulf of Guinea is about 35 percent, however, at the confluence of large rivers, for example, the Niger, Ogowe, Congo and Volta, it drops to 20-30 percent. The nature of the tides in the Gulf of Guinea is semi-diurnal, the water at these moments rises to 2.7 meters. The warm Guinea current crosses the Gulf of Guinea from west to east, and the waters of the Angola current pass from north to south.

The shores are indented by many large and deep lagoons. coastal zone The bay is covered with the miserable remnants of the once luxurious tropical jungle.

In the waters of the Gulf of Guinea live schools of flying fish, squid, sperm whales, sharks, tuna and frigatebirds.

Gulf of Alaska washes the shores of North America, more precisely, one of the states of America - Alaska and east coast Canada. It belongs to the Pacific Ocean. Its area is 1327 thousand km 2 , the width at the entrance exceeds 2200 km. Archipelagos of islands stretch along the coast of the bay. To the east lie the Alexander Islands of the United States and Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands. To the west is quite large island Kodiak, Chirikov Island, the Shumagin Archipelago, the Unalashka, Unimak, Umnak Islands (united into the Lisya Islands) and other smaller ones included in the Aleutian Archipelago (which, however, stretches far beyond the peninsula). The depth of the bay near the coast does not exceed 200 m, and in some areas it is less than 100 m. However, with distance from the coast, the depth increases sharply and reaches 4000 m, and the maximum depth is 5659 m. section of the boundary between large lithospheric plates: Pacific and North American. In this regard, in this area there is a section of seismic activity, called the Pacific Rim: here, more often than in other places, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

The main ports of the Gulf of Alaska are Sard (USA, Alaska) and Prince Rupert (Canada). The bay is also known for its high tides. Their height can reach 12 m (this is much more than in some seas).

Carpentbria bay, in the Arafura Sea, off the northern coast of Australia, between the Cape York and Arnhem Land peninsulas. Reported with coral sea through the Torres Strait. Protrudes into the mainland for 700 km, Sq. 328 thousand km. Length 600 km, lat. shelf more than 900 km. Depth up to 71 m. Islands: Wellesley and Groote Island. Fall rr. Norman, Mitchell, Gilbert. Salinity is high, up to 35.5‰ in the south and 34.6‰ in the north. The water temperature in most of the bay is 23–25 °C in winter and up to 29 °C in summer. The tides are irregular semi-diurnal, up to 3.6 m.
There are strong tidal currents (1–1.5 m/s) off the coast. The mining industry is developed along the coast. Ports: Weipa, Groot Island Mission, Gove, Wanderling.

Gulf of Aden is part of Arabian Sea Indian Ocean, located between the Arabian Peninsula and the Somali Peninsula. The depth of the Gulf of Aden reaches 3680 meters, mixing the waters of the Bab el-Mandeb with the Red Sea. The Gulf of Aden is characterized by a bright glow of water on the surface of the Gulf. The tides in the bay are irregular semi-diurnal, the height of the tides reaches up to 2.9 meters.

The Gulf of Aden is 890 kilometers long. north coast Gulf - the Arabian Peninsula, on which Yemen is located. The southern and western shores of the Gulf of Aden are the African mainland, on which Somalia and Djibouti are located. In the west of the bay, it is customary to distinguish the Gulf of Tadjoura, and in the southeast it is separated by the island of Socotra from the Indian Ocean.

Whale sharks live in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, as the waters are rich in plankton, so necessary for young sharks. The shores of the bay are mostly deserted and harsh; this is one of the hottest places on the planet.

IN warm waters The Gulf of Aden is home to sea anemones, various colorful fish, moray eels, rays, turtles and dolphins. Divers await untouched Coral reefs and their bright inhabitants, seamounts volcanic origin, places with strong currents and quiet lagoons. IN Gulf of Aden you can dive into mysterious grottoes and canyons, see sunken ships of various historical eras.

Gulf of Saint Lawrence semi-enclosed basin of the Atlantic Ocean east coast North America (Canada). The islands of Newfoundland and Cape Breton separate the Gulf of Saint Lawrence from the ocean. The area of ​​the bay is 249 km2, the average depth is 141 m, the maximum is 538. From December to May, the waters of the bay are hidden under a strong ice shell, while in summer icebergs are often observed in the bay. On the coast, tides up to 2 m high are noted.
The waters of the bay are rich in fish and other representatives of the marine fauna, so the inhabitants coastal areas are mainly engaged in fishing. Haddock, sea bass, halibut, flounder and other valuable commercial fish are harvested here. Among the ports of the bay, two main ones should be noted: Sept-Iles and Quebec. Moreover, the latter is located directly at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

Persian Gulf has a connection through the Strait of Hormuz with the Gulf of Oman.

The following countries are located along the shores of the Persian Gulf: Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Iran. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow into the Persian Gulf.

The area of ​​the Persian Gulf is 239 thousand square kilometers. The bay cuts into the land for 926 kilometers, its width varies from 180 to 320 kilometers. Average depth is about 50 meters, and the maximum is 102 meters.

There are many small islands off the coast. In the south of the Persian Gulf, coral reefs are located in large numbers.

The water temperature in the Persian Gulf in the summer months is about + 32 degrees, and in the winter - about + 17 degrees. In the waters of the Persian Gulf, fish and pearls are being mined.

The Gulf is one of the world's largest areas for the development and production of oil and natural gas. There is also the extraction of pearls and mother-of-pearl, the fishing of various fish and shrimps. Main ports: Umm Qasr (Iraq), Abadan (Iran), Al Kuwait (Kuwait), Dammam, Al Jubail (Saudi Arabia), Manama (Bahrain), Umm Said (Qatar), Dubai, Abu Dhabi (UAE ).

The water in the bays is usually calmer than in the open sea, but the bays are often just as deep, so they often build on the shores of these bays major ports with economic and strategic importance. Many big cities of the world are located on the shores of a natural harbor. For your judgment - 10 most beautiful bays in the world.

Bay of Fundy, Canada

The Bay of Fundy, located on the Atlantic coast of Canada, is famous for its high tides. Due to the unique shape of the bay, the difference in water level between high and low tide can reach as much as 16 meters! And it is best to admire these natural processes from Hopewell Rocks, sandstone overgrown with grass and trees.

Paradise Bay, Antarctica

Paradise Bay is one of the two bays where ships arrive to Antarctica (the second bay is Neko Harbor). Consequently, this bay can be called one of the most visited areas of Antarctica. The bay is surrounded by icy mountains and ice cliffs. Naturally, in addition to scientists and others responsible persons, in this bay there are also tourists who are given unusual adventures. Here they are happy to swim between icebergs in special inflatable boats, visit the Chilean research station and take pictures with penguins.

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The Bay of Islands is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand. The scenic area includes 144 islands, quiet coves and long sandy beaches, and whales swim in the waters, dolphins, nimble penguins and large marlins frolic. No wonder the Bay of Islands has become popular place for yachting and international fishing championships. The bay, by the way, is also historically significant, since it was in this part of New Zealand that the first Europeans once settled.

Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

This is the largest bay on the Adriatic Sea, surrounded by the territory of southwestern Montenegro. No one will argue that this is one of the most beautiful bays in Europe, which is often mistaken for a fjord, but in fact it is a flooded river canyon. The idyllic shores of the Bay of Kotor are lined with numerous beaches, several resorts and picturesque cities Risan, Perast and Kotor.

Phangnga Bay, Thailand

Located about 95 km from Phuket Island, Phang Nga Bay is one of the most scenic areas in Thailand. There are beautiful caves, grottoes, and limestone islands, some of which reach a height of 300 meters. Most famous island in the bay is the thin and tall Koh Ping Kan (better known as James Bond Island), which, accordingly, was captured in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. The most popular tour- sea kayak cruise: this is the only way to get inside the grottoes and underwater caves.

Victoria Bay, Hong Kong

Victoria Harbor is a major tourist attraction in Hong Kong and one of the deepest container ports in the world. The bay offers stunning views of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong on one side and the Tsim Sha Tsui coastline on the other. Victoria Harbor is one of the busiest ports in the world with hundreds of ferries, traditional junks and boats. The most enjoyable way to admire the harbor is to take the Star Ferry.

Port Jackson Bay, Australia

Port Jackson is the natural harbor of Sydney, one of the most beautiful cities peace. With hundreds of little bays, beaches and waterways, this port adds a certain charm to Sydney. And on the banks of Port Jackson are two of the most famous sights of the city: Sydney Opera theatre and the Harbor Bridge, the largest in the city.

San Francisco Bay, USA

The area around the bay in California is commonly known as the Bay Area and is the second largest urban area in the western United States with approximately 8 million people. San Francisco is the financial center of the Bay Area, and San Jose is the most densely populated city areas. There are many islands in the bay, including the small island of Alcatraz, which served as a prison until 1963. Well, the bay merges with the Pacific Ocean somewhere under the beautiful hanging 2.7-kilometer Golden Gate Bridge.

Guanabara Bay, Brazil

The beautiful bay is located in southeastern Brazil and is surrounded by tropical forests, beaches, amazing rocks, the high mountains of the Serra do Marl and the surroundings of Rio de Janeiro. On January 1, 1502, the Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos swam into this bay - so he decided to call the bay Rio de Janeiro (that is, in Portuguese, “January River”), mistaking the bay for the bed of a large river. The name Guanabara comes from the language of the Tupi-Guarani, a group of Indian peoples in South America.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay is located in Northern Vietnam and washes 120 kilometers of coastline. The name of the bay literally translates as "bay of descending dragons" - a tribute to local legends. Ha Long has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vietnam and is famous for its thousands of islets crowned with dense jungle that rise out of the water in columns and form an impressive seascape. Several islands have grottoes, other islands have larger lakes, and somewhere between them moor houses of floating Vietnamese villages.

AUSTRALIAN GREAT BAY
AUSTRALIAN GREAT BAY, in the Indian Ocean south coast Australia. Area 1335 thousand km 2. Depth up to 5670 m. Port - Adelaide. .

GULF OF ADEN
Gulf of Aden Arabian m., between the Arabian and Somali peninsulas. Depth up to 4525 m. Reported by Bab-el-Mandeb strait. with red m. main port- Aden. ..

AQABA (bay)
AKABA, Red Sea Bay, between the Arabian and Sinai peninsulas. Length 180 km, width up to 28 km, depth up to 1828 m. Port - Aqaba. ..

BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT
BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT, between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Connects the Red m. with the Arabian. Length 109 km. The smallest width is 26 km, depth is 31 m (on the fairway). ..

BASS STRAIT
Bass Strait (Bass Strait), between Australia and about. Tasmania, connects the Tasmanovo m. with the Indian approx. Length 490 km, minimum width 213 km, depth up to 51 m. Port Melbourne. .

GEOGRAPH'S BAY
GEOGRAPH BAY (Geographe Bay) Indian c. off the southwest coast of Australia. Length 65 km, depth up to 27 m. Ports: Banbury, Busselton. ..

NINTH DEGREE STRAIT
NINTH DEGREE STRAIT, a strait in the Indian Ocean, in the southern part of the Laccadive Islands archipelago, between about. Minicoy and other small islands of the archipelago (at 9 ° north latitude). ..

TENTH DEGREE STRAIT
THE TENTH DEGREE STRAIT, a strait in the Indian Ocean between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands(under 10° north latitude). One of the straits connecting the Bengal...

ZONDA STRAIT
Sunda Strait, a strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. Connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. Length 130 km, minimum width 26 km, minimum...

CAMBAY BAY
CAMBAY GAY, in the northern part of the Arabian Sea, off the western coast of India. Length 250 km. Depth up to 36 m. The Narmada and Tapti rivers flow into the Gulf of Cambay. Ports: Surat and...

KACH (bay)
KACH, Gulf of the Arabian Sea off the northwestern coast of India. It juts out for 165 km between the mainland and the Kathiyawar peninsula. The width at the entrance is about 46 km. Depth up to 38 m. The shores are low. Southern...

COOK STRAIT
COOK STRAIT, between the North and South Islands of New Zealand, connects the Tasmanovo m. with the Pacific approx. Length 107 km, width 22-91 km, minimum depth 97 m. On the coast of the North Island - Mt. ..

MALACCA STRAIT
Strait of Malacca, between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. Connects the Andaman and South China Sea. Length 937 km (one of the longest straits in the world), ..

MANARSKY BAY
MANAR BAY, a bay in the Indian Ocean between the southeastern coast of the Hindustan Peninsula, the island of Sri Lanka and a chain of islands and rocks called Adam's Bridge. At...

MARTABAN
MARTABAN, the former name of the hall. Moutama. .

MOZAMBIQUE STRAIT
MOZAMBIQUE STRAIT, between about. Madagascar and Africa. Length approx. 1760 km (the longest strait in the world), the smallest width is 422 km, the smallest depth in the fairway is 117 m. ..

MOUTAMA
MOUTAMA (Martaban), a bay in the north of the Andaman Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Myanmar. The length is about 150 km, the width is up to 220 km, the depth is up to 20 m. The tides are semi-diurnal, their magnitude ...

GULF OF OMAN
Gulf of Oman, a bay in the northwest of the Arabian Sea. Connected by the Strait of Hormuz to the Persian Gulf. Length about 450 km, width up to 330 km, depth up to 3694 m. Port - Muscat...

Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Hormuz, the strait between Arabian Peninsula And mainland Asia. Connects the Persian and Oman Gulfs. Length 195 km, the smallest ...

Deep lakes that surrounded the earth, dotted with islands or beautiful beaches- all bays have their own charm. We offer our subjective ranking of the most picturesque bays in the world.

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The Bay of Islands is the undoubted pride of New Zealand. From the west, it washes the Pererua Peninsula, while in the east, 10 km deep into the ocean, the Cape Brett Peninsula goes. Here you can admire the bluest sky, which in 2006 took second place in the world ranking.

Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

The landscape of the bay, with the monumental Lovcen in the depths, remains in the memory for a long time. Slopes of mountain peaks descending sharply into turquoise waters Adriatic Sea, create a unique climate reminiscent of norwegian fjords. Bay of Boka Kotor, included in the list world heritage UNESCO, consists of four smaller bays: Herceg Novi, Tivat, Risan and Kotor.

Phangnga, Thailand

The beauty of the Andaman Sea is created by about 40 islands of amazing shape. Some of them reach a height of almost 300 feet! Many of them are made of limestone and have mysterious caves. The most famous of them - Koh Tapu - became the location for the filming of one of the James Bond films - "The Man with the Golden Gun".

San Francisco, USA

A completely different landscape awaits us in San Francisco Bay. Instead of rocks overgrown with greenery, there are skyscrapers of one of largest cities USA. There are 5 bridges across the bay, including the distinctive Golden Gate. This bridge leads to one of the most famous prisons in the world, which is located on the island of Alcatraz.

River Bay, Greece

This bay is located between Greek islands The Ionian archipelago where the blue sea and sky creates the perfect scenery. All tourists are delighted with the breathtaking view of the bay, surrounded high cliffs. Navagio Beach, located in the middle of the bay, can be reached by boat.

Oludeniz, Turkey

The beach at Oludeniz is one of the most photographed in the Mediterranean. gulf mineral waters called: Blue Lagoon. From the side of the Small Bay, the harbor opens beautiful view to Mount Babadag. Every now and then paragliders descend from it, as it is one of the most the best places in the world for paragliding.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

No trip to northern Vietnam is complete without a visit to Vinh Ha Long (Ha Long Bay). This place is one of natural wonders modern world. Perhaps the most impressive landscape in Vietnam. About 1900 rocky islands and islets are scattered in the bay. Most of them look like limestone pillars that rise high above the turquoise surface of the water. The rocks have numerous caves and grottoes. The slopes are overgrown with a dense carpet of green rainforest.

Paradise Bay, Antarctica

Not only sandy beaches with turquoise waters can be beautiful. Don't believe? Paradise Bay is located in Antarctica where most of surface is covered with ice. The bay is one of two ports on the continent. Two scientific bases are located in the waters of the bay: the Argentine Antarctic base Almirante Brown and the Chilean Antarctic base González Videla.

Bay of Fundy, Canada

The Bay of Fundy stretches from New Brunswick to the province Nova Scotia. It is here that you can see the fabulous Hopewell Mountains. They are only visible at low tide. At high tide, the water level rises by several feet, and the water covers the entire area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. The rocks are also called "Flower Pots" because they have very interesting shapes due to erosion.

The best of places where land meets sea...

10. Bay of Islands, New Zealand

One of New Zealand's most popular attractions. This picturesque bay giant mosaic, is composed of 144 islands, many secluded coves and luxurious sandy beaches. The local waters are teeming with marine life: whales, penguins and dolphins. Not surprisingly, the bay is constantly full of yachts and cruise ships. The Bay of Islands also has significant historical significance: it is the first area of ​​New Zealand settled by Europeans.

9. Fundy Bay, Canada


The Bay of Fundy, located on the Atlantic coast of Canada, is famous for its powerful tide. Thanks to the unique shape of the bay, the difference in water levels at high tide and low tide can be as much as 16 meters! One of the best places to watch the waves is the Hopewell Rocks: piles of sandstone overgrown with trees. Water covers the bases of the rocks twice a day.

8. Paradise Bay, Antarctica


This is one of only two places in Antarctica where cruise ships(the second is the port of Neko). Consequently, this is one of the most visited areas of the icy continent. The bay is surrounded by glacier-covered mountains and ice cliffs. Tourists here on boats between icebergs, visit the Chilean research station and take pictures of the penguins.

7. Bay of Kotor, Montenegro


One of the most beautiful bays Europe nestled in the northern part of Montenegro. It is often mistaken for a fjord, although in fact the Bay of Kotor is a sunken river canyon. Along the foot of the powerful cliffs surrounding the canyon, there are picturesquely small old towns - Risan, Perast and Kotor.

6. Port Jackson, Australia


Formed by nature Sydney port. With its coves, beaches and shipping channels, the port brings a significant contribution to the picturesque appearance of Sydney. It is also home to two of the city's most recognizable landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.

5. Phang Nga Bay, Thailand


Phang Nga Bay, 95 kilometers from Phuket, is one of the most picturesque places in all of Thailand. It consists of amazing caves, underwater grottoes and sandstone islands, some of which reach 300 meters in height. Most famous island bays is a high oblong block of Koh Ping Kan, known as James Bond Island (this landscape became a natural scenery in the movie "The Man with the Golden Gun"). The best way to explore the bay is to go swimming in kayaks: this is the only way to get inside the grottoes and caves.

4. Port Victoria, Hong Kong


One of the most famous sights of Hong Kong and one of the deepest ports in the world. The panorama of the bay covers stunning views of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island on one side and Tsim Sha Tsui on the other. It is also one of the world's busiest ports, with hundreds of ferries, fishing boat and boats now and then cross the waters of the bay from one side to the other. One of better ways to enjoy the views of the port is to take a ride on the famous Star Ferry.

3. San Francisco Bay, USA


The area around the bay known as the "Bay area" is the second most populous area of ​​the American West: about eight million people live on this picturesque stretch of the California coast. Nature has scattered many islands across the waters of the bay, the most famous of which is topped by the former Alcatraz prison. And above the Golden Gate section (“Golden Gate”), where the bay passes into Pacific Ocean, one of beautiful bridges World: Golden Gate.

2 Guanabara Bay, Brazil


The most beautiful bay in the southeast of Brazil, in which the city of Rio de Janeiro nestled. It is surrounded by tropical forests white sandy beaches, cliffs of bizarre shapes and high mountains of the Serra to Marl. The bay was discovered on January 1, 1502 by the Portuguese sailor Gaspar de Lemos, who mistook it for a huge river and named the bay "Rio de Janeiro" - "River of January". Well, the name "Guanabara" came from the language of the local Indians.

1. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam


The name of this magnificent bay in the north of Vietnam is poetically translated as "Descending Dragon Bay". According to him azure waters scattered mosaic of thousands of small islands, each of which is crowned with dense vegetation. Some of the islands are hollow inside, and their walls form huge caves. This place is also remarkable for its floating fishing villages.