Black Sea straits. Black Sea

Sometimes you are simply amazed at how nature was able to create on its own, without the help of humans and modern machines, unique natural objects. Some will think that there is nothing supernatural in natural monuments, zones and attractions do not exist; they should be taken for granted. Oceans, seas, bays, mountains, waterfalls, deserts - all this, in their subjective opinion, is ordinary.

However, it is worth noting that for most people on the planet, everything that surrounds us and is created by nature is seen as unique, divine, beautiful and delightful. Today we will talk about the Taman Bay - a place where two seas miraculously united together. Let's reveal the secret concerning water in this unique place, let's talk about the day, which is completely covered with grass, and talk about how tourists and residents of the Taman Peninsula speak about the bay.

A little geographical information

Taman Bay located very close to Krasnodar region on the peninsula of the same name. The Taman Peninsula lies between two seas loved by many Russian tourists and not only the Azov and Black Sea, in the water area. By the way, the Azov Sea has recently turned into a resort area, because many tourists were able to see the salty oasis beautiful place for a summer vacation. The center of the peninsula is considered to be the city of Temryuk, an administrative unit of the Krasnodar Territory. Speaking of main city Taman Peninsula, I would like to note that it is quite ancient. The date of its foundation is 1556, but many cities in Russia begin counting their formation from the 17th, or even from the 18th centuries.

Dimensions

The Taman Bay itself is small: its length is about 16 km, and the entrance point stretches for 8 km. It is worth saying that the depth here reaches 5 meters. The Taman Peninsula is dominated by lowlands. In some places, huge estuaries (natural oases where the soil subsides below sea level) have formed. However, these reservoirs, despite their size (length of 7 km or more), are very shallow.

Settlements scattered around the bay

The Taman Bay accommodates several significant settlements on its shores: Taman itself, the village of Volna Revolyutsii, Sennaya, Yubileiny, Primorsky and Garkusha. This place has never been and is not now a favorite area for tourists. According to some unofficial data, about 50-100 thousand people come to each village of the peninsula during the entire summer period. This figure seems ridiculous along with the number of visits to the Black Sea resorts of our country.

In Soviet times, such an influx of tourists to the Taman Bay deprived many local residents of food, because food was brought to the settlements based on the number of local residents. However, no one suffered from hunger, because each house had subsidiary plots. Now many local residents They will be happy to provide accommodation for visitors for a minimal fee.

Saltwater or freshwater?

Many people are interested in the question of what kind of water is in the Taman Bay. The unequivocal answer is salty, although quite recently one could argue with this, and for this reason. Since two seas meet in the bay: the Azov and the Black, and the bay’s water area is predominantly located in the Azov half, the conclusion suggests itself. The Sea of ​​Azov is considered fresher, although it cannot be called completely devoid of salt, and the Black Sea, as is known, is salty.

The Sea of ​​Azov is home to freshwater fish, and it is rightfully considered one of the richest places in the country for catches. This is due to the fact that the sea has great amount river tributaries. Once upon a time, the Taman Bay, a photo of which can be seen in the article, had fresher water and was famous among fishermen. Over time, water from the Black Sea increasingly entered the bay, mixing there and displacing freshwater fish. Now there is practically no one left there, but there are more tourists. Perhaps they now consider the bay to be entirely Black Sea due to its salinity.

Unique bottom

The bottom of the Taman Bay is completely covered with grass. This may seem surprising, but she has somehow miraculously adapted to the water and feels great there. Many tourists are initially frightened by this tickling feeling that accompanies them when entering the water. The place where there is no grass growing at the bottom is a trampled wide spit. Such smooth bottom surfaces are formed in places where there are large concentrations of swimmers.

Another unique feature of the bottom of the Taman Bay is the presence of fragments of ancient clay jugs and amphorae among the grass, coarse sand and pebbles. For archaeologists, such small pieces of lost relics are of no value. However, the very fact that brown remains of antiquity lie underfoot makes the place truly unique. By the way, many people want to know which sea is Taman Bay. More precisely, can it be considered part of some kind of sea? So, despite the fact that the bay for the most part lies in the Sea of ​​Azov, many consider it the confluence of two seas: the above-mentioned and the Black.

Why do many people now vacation in the waters of the Kerch Strait?

Due to the fact that nowadays many people prefer to take a break from the bustle of cities and major cities It was by the sea, but at the same time spending each vacation in a new place, enjoying unknown experiences, a huge number of tourists discovered the Taman Bay. Reviews found on the Internet are full of positive statements and assurances to go there next year. Tourists are attracted by the sparseness of the bay and the amazing beauty of the steep coastline.

What is the difference Sea of ​​Azov from the Black Sea? The differences between them are cardinal. It’s easier to say what the similarities between these bodies of water are. Perhaps only in one: Azov and Black Sea, connected by the Kerch Strait, form a single Black Sea-Azov basin, which in turn is an internal basin of the Atlantic Ocean.

Geographical position

The Sea of ​​Azov had quite a few names, the most famous are Blue ocean And Russian Sea. The current name - Azovskoe comes from the city of Azov, located on east coast. The reservoir is located in the northeastern part of the Black Sea region.

Due to the fact that only the small Kerch Peninsula separates it from the Black Sea, some scientists are inclined to consider the Sea of ​​Azov as a kind of Black Sea gulf, its area is 37600 km2. Largest sizes the length and width are 343x231 km, respectively.

This sea is the shallowest in the world. On average, the depth fluctuates at the level 5-7 meters, maximum depths do not exceed 15 meters. This is due to the extremely small volume of water - about 256 km3. The sea has 16 bays and estuaries, among them the largest are Taganrog- in the eastern part and Sivash Bay - in the western part. A characteristic feature of the Sea of ​​Azov is a fairly large number of coastal spits. There are no islands, only shallows. Only two countries are washed by the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov - Russia and Ukraine.

The maritime boundaries have not yet been determined. The sea is entirely located in the steppe zone, on flat terrain. Volcanic rocks on the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov do not reach the surface, which is why the coast along almost its entire length is muddy or sandy. There are small outcrops of limestone on the coast of the Taman and Kerch Peninsulas. The river flow is formed by two large rivers - the Don and the Kuban, as well as many small rivers.

The Black Sea is approximately larger than the Sea of ​​Azov 11 times, it is called Black because of the high content of hydrogen sulfide at a depth of more than 120 meters. Metal objects falling to this depth become black. In the northern part of the sea is the Crimean Peninsula, and, being part of the Crimean Peninsula, the Kerch Peninsula. The water surface area is 422000 km2.

Length from west to east – 1130 km, from North to South - 600 km. This body of water is one of the deepest in the world's oceans. Average depth– 1270 m, maximum reaches 2245 m, volume - 547000 km3. There are more than 40 bays in the sea. The largest bays are Tamansky, Sinopsky, Odessky, Karkinitsky and Kalanitsky. There is only one comparatively big Island- Snake. The Black Sea washes the coasts of 6 states.

In the northwestern part - this is mainly the coast of Ukraine and Romania - the sea has gently sloping shores and sandy beaches. The shores are composed of sedimentary rocks. The western coast, which borders Bulgaria, along with gently sloping shores, also has rocky areas, due to the Balkan Mountains. The Turkish coast in the south is almost entirely rocky, as it is backed by the Pontic Mountains. Located on the southeastern and eastern coasts Caucasus ridge, which is why the shores here are also rocky. The river flow is formed by the Danube, Southern Bug and Dnieper. In addition, there are a large number of small rivers.

In the southwestern part, the sea is connected through the Bosphorus Strait to the Sea of ​​Marmara. This strait passes through Turkish territory.

Salinity

Due to the small volume of the Sea of ​​Azov, the composition of its water largely depends on river flow. In essence, the water of the Azov Sea is Black Sea water mixed with the water of the flowing rivers. On average, salinity is low - in the central part it is about 13 ppm. In the Taganrog Bay, the water is absolutely fresh, since it is into this bay that the Don flows, in addition, the Taganrog Bay is located at a considerable distance from the Black Sea. As you approach the Kerch Strait, salinity increases, reaching 17 ppm.

The Black Sea is characterized by more high level salt content is 18 ppm on the surface and 22 ppm at a depth of more than 500 meters, but still, in comparison with other bodies of water in the world's oceans, the level of salt content in the Black Sea is low. The composition of the water is influenced by the Sea of ​​Marmara, but since the salinity of the Sea of ​​Marmara is higher, its waters are heavier and go deeper.

Fish stocks

The fishing value of the Azov Sea is incredibly high. Until the 50s of the 20th century, in terms of fish stocks it was the most productive body of water in the world. Azov sturgeon and sterlet were unique in taste, but the hydraulic construction that began in the 50s on the Don and Kuban had a detrimental effect on the reproduction of fish. The presence of dams has blocked access to spawning grounds, and poaching causes terrible damage to fish stocks.

Nevertheless, water world The Sea of ​​Azov contains about 80 species of fish- These are both marine and freshwater fish. Today, annual production is about 30,000 tons.

The Black Sea is characterized by rather small fish stocks. For freshwater fish salty water unsuitable. As for marine fish, the situation is the opposite - sea ​​fish They do not tolerate the fairly low salt content in Black Sea water. In addition, due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, at a depth of more than 100 meters there is no fauna at all. More than 180 species of fish have been recorded in the Black Sea, but no more than 30 of them are commercially available. Unlike the Azov Sea, mammals live in the Black Sea - 3 species of dolphins. In addition to fish, mussels and algae are also of commercial importance.

Ports and resort areas

The Sea of ​​Azov does not have convenient bays necessary for navigation, but its main disadvantage is shallow water. Azov ports are located in the cities of Berdyansk, Mariupol, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don, Yeysk, Temryuk. For the above reasons, large ocean-going ships cannot enter the ports of the Azov Sea - this determines the small cargo turnover of the ports and their poor development.

The popularity of the Azov Sea resorts is also low. The reasons are the opacity of the water and the monotony of the coastal landscape. Hence the poor development of resort infrastructure.

Due to the deep water, the ports of the Black Sea are characterized by large cargo turnover. The Black Sea coast of all countries has 43 ports. Most major ports– Novorossiysk, Odessa, Constanta, Varna, Trabzon, Batumi.

The mild climate, natural beauty and clear sea water make Black Sea resorts very popular. The infrastructure of the resorts is relatively developed - this attracts a significant number of vacationers.

Length of the Black Sea from west to east - 1167 km, from north to south - 624 km. The greatest depth is 2,212 m, and the average is 1,271 m. The length of the coast along the perimeter is 4,090 km, the length coastline reaches 4,340 km. The area of ​​the Black Sea is 423,000 square meters. km.

Due to the excess inflow of fresh water from the rivers Danube, Dniester, Dnieper, Southern Bug, Mzymta, Bzybi, Kodor, Inguri and others. (more than 300 rivers) above evaporation it has less salinity than the Mediterranean Sea. Rivers contribute 346 cubic meters to the sea. km fresh water and 340 cu. km of salt water flows from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus.

Depth of the Black Sea

Black Sea is one of the deepest sedimentary basins in the world. The thickness of sedimentary deposits on the seabed is 14 km. The bottom relief is a deep basin with steep slopes, its maximum depth is up to 2211 m. The area of ​​the Black Sea is 413,488 square meters. km. The maximum length is 1148 km, the maximum width is 615 km, the length of the Black Sea coastline is 4077 km.

The Black Sea washes the shores of Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.

There are few bays, bays and peninsulas in the Black Sea and almost no islands. This is due to the constant rise in sea level.

Composition of Black Sea water

Salty taste Sodium chloride gives sea water, and magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate give it a bitter taste. Water contains 60 different elements. But it is assumed that it contains all the elements found on Earth. Sea water has a number of healing properties. Water salinity is about 18%.

About 87% of the Black Sea water volume is deprived of oxygen and is contaminated with hydrogen sulfide. At a depth of over 150 m, the water contains hydrogen sulfide, and therefore the sea is devoid of living organisms at great depths. The source of hydrogen sulfide is the decomposition of the remains of aquatic organisms; at a depth of 150-200 m, the hydrogen sulfide content reaches 7.5 cubic meters. cm per liter of water, and its total amount is a billion tons. The uniqueness of the Black Sea is that in the deep layers of its water there are no algae, invertebrate animals and fish, there are no living creatures except sulfur bacteria.

Determined that age of the Black Sea about 8 thousand years.

Kalamitsky Bay is a part of the Black Sea that juts into west bank Crimean peninsula between capes Lucullus and Evpatoriya. This bay is partially washed by the coast of Sevastopol in a small area from Cape Lukull to the administrative border with the Bakhchisarai region (only 1.5 km approximately). The entire area around Cape Lucullus is protected by the state as a nature reserve and is an object of a unique natural fund. The coastal aquatic complex occupies more than 125 hectares and is a hydrological natural monument.

Kalamita Bay. Geography

Kalamitsky Bay is a picturesque place. The width of the bay at the entrance is 41 km, 13 km from the entrance to the coast. The depth reaches 30 meters. The bay in the north ends at the city of Evpatoria. The shores in the south of the bay are clayey and high, while in the north they are low and sandy, with beaches in many places. Not far from the coast, behind sandy embankments there are salt lakes. The largest of them:

• Saki,
• Sasyk,
• Gull,
• as well as the healing lake Kyzyl-Yar.

Several rivers flow into the Kalamitsky Bay (Belbek, Alma, Bulganak and Kacha). Directly on the shore of the bay there are several tourist attractions settlements, including Beregovoe, Uglovoe, Novofedorovka, Andreevka, Nikolaevka, etc.

There are different versions regarding the name of the bay. The most common one associates the name with the city of Calamita, which was built by the Genoese. The city has not survived to this day. In Greek, Kalamita translates as “good cape.”

Sights and recreation areas

Not far from Cape Lucullus is the settlement of Ust-Alminskoye. This is a Scythian settlement that arose at the turn of the 2nd century BC. Its true name is not known. In fact, there were many ancient settlements in this part of Crimea, but not all of them have survived. For example, due to soil collapses into the sea, more than half of the Ust-Alminskoye settlement was irretrievably lost.

There are many private hotels and boarding houses along the bay coast. Tourists who wish to come here will find a place to stop.

Some of them, for example, the Volna recreation center (information at) are located near the sea, but also not far from lakes or estuaries.

The city of Evpatoria is considered a children's health resort precisely because of the favorable climate and shallow water of the Kalamitsky Bay. The beaches are mostly sandy. The Gulf of Kalamita warms up very quickly and often swimming season begins in May and ends in September.

Black Sea coastline

The Black Sea is located in the northern temperate zone of the Earth, stretching from north to south between points with coordinates 46°,32′ and 40°55′ north latitude.

But if we keep in mind climatic features, then the Black Sea coastline belongs to two zones. Northern and west coast correspond to the temperate zone, and the southern coast of Crimea, the coast of the Caucasus and Turkey - to the subtropical zone, and South part The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the Colchis lowland belong to the humid subtropics with an annual precipitation of 1400-2500 millimeters. One of the distinctive features of the subtropics is mild winters, allowing year-round plant growth.

The length of the Black Sea coastline is about 4,790 kilometers. This is not a constant, once forever established value. Not only the length, but also the entire appearance of the banks constantly changes under the influence of both natural forces and the will of man. Among natural factors affecting sea shores, the main role is played by waves and currents. Inaccessible coastal cliffs, picturesque bays, islets, “velvety” smooth beaches, harbors covered with sand and silt, eroded road embankments, villages and resorts destroyed by landslides - all this is the result of the activity of the sea surf and currents.

This is what a prominent specialist in this field of marine science, Professor V.P., writes about the “life” of sea shores in the annotation to his book “The Shores of the Black and Azov Seas”. Zenkovich. Thanks to the works of V.P. Zenkovich, his employees and colleagues, the Black Sea shores are now the most studied. This made it possible to successfully carry out major works to strengthen and improve them in a number of places. Description of the shores of the Black Sea by V.P. Zenkovich is not only a valuable source scientific information first-hand, but also a poetic story about that very specific zone where the sea meets the land.

Thus, the famous “velvet sands”, sandy stripes of sea beaches, as well as numerous estuaries stretch all the way from the Danube to Ochakov. Clay cliffs are also not uncommon here. They are constantly destroyed by the sea surf, and from time to time large-scale landslides occur. Nowadays, thanks to the development of science about sea shores, landslide phenomena have been tamed by a system of powerful shore protection structures.

From Ochakov to Western Crimea the shores are also characterized by their sandy beaches and low cliffs. Between the Dnieper-Bug Estuary and Karkinitsky Bay there are extensive sand spits (Kinburnskaya, Tendrovskaya) and islands (Dolgiy, Krugly, Dzharylgach). These are mostly sparsely populated or completely uninhabited places, a kingdom of birds, all kinds of small animals, deer, and on Tendra - even wild horses. Here is the Black Sea State Reserve of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, where a lot of work is being done to study seagulls and other birds, their role in the life of the sea and land. Nearby are large bays of the Black Sea: Yagorlytsky, Tendrovsky, Dzharylgachsky, Karkinitsky, which in their own way natural features- shallow water, protection from waves, remoteness from populated areas, from powerful sources of pollution, high biological productivity and others - are considered the most promising places for the development of underwater farms in the Black Sea.

The southern coast of Crimea is mountainous. Crimean mountains are not particularly high, but their peak plateaus - yails - lie very close to the sea and fall into sheer cliffs several hundred meters high. Sheltering the coasts from northern winds, they create here climatic conditions subtropics. Beaches South Bank The Crimea is not sandy, but pebbly and much narrower than those on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. The underwater landscape of the southern coast of Crimea is very beautiful: clear water, many rocks (some of them rise above the surface of the sea) and blocks overgrown with algae, mussels and other organisms. The species diversity of fauna and flora makes these places convenient for getting to know the inhabitants of the sea, especially for scuba divers.

The southern coast of the Kerch Peninsula, like the southern coast of Taman, is distinguished by wide sandy beaches and shallow waters of the coastal strip of the sea, somewhat reminiscent of the northwestern coast. Salty seaside reservoirs are found here again. On the Kerch Peninsula there are Uzunlarskoye, Koyashskoye and Tobechikskoye lakes, on the Taman Peninsula there are the Tsokur, Kiziltashsky, Bugazsky and Vityazevsky estuaries. And the water is more turbid than that on the southern coast of Crimea, and desalinated by the runoff of the Azov Sea through Kerch Strait. From Anapa to the southeast to Batumi the Caucasian coast stretches with a predominance of pebble beaches. The coastal mountains are covered with dense forest, there are numerous evergreen trees and shrubs, and citrus fruits. Great depths come close to the shore. Mountain rivers bring little turbidity, and the sea water is clear, like off the southern coast of Crimea.

The Black Sea coast of Turkey is mountainous, with mostly narrow pebble beaches and rapidly increasing depths.

The coasts of Romania and Bulgaria resemble those of the north-west and are also famous for their wide sandy beaches. As in the Odessa region, clay cliffs predominate here, salt lakes and estuaries are found, and the sea is desalinated by the runoff of the Danube.

Getting acquainted with the wildlife of the Black Sea coast is greatly facilitated by visiting local history museums, available in all cities, as well as botanical gardens and marine aquariums.

Among the botanical attractions on the Black Sea coast, mention should be made of the botanical garden of Odessa State University, founded in 1867, the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Crimea, created in 1812, the Arboretum in Sochi, founded at the end of the last century, the yew-boxwood grove located two kilometers from the sea up the along the Khosta River, - the remnant of an ancient relict flora, a subtropical park in Gagra, a reserve of Pitsunda relict long-leaved pine at Cape Pitsunda, the Sukhumi Botanical Garden, and finally the Batumi Botanical Garden, founded in 1912, one of the largest and most famous in our country.

Marine aquariums are less ancient and famous than botanical gardens. They are very helpful in getting to know the inhabitants of the Black Sea, their appearance and habits. In our country, marine aquariums have been created in Sevastopol at the Institute of Biology south seas, in Kerch at the Azov-Black Sea Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography, in Sochi in the Arboretum and in Batumi at the Georgian branch of the All-Union Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography. The Black Sea fauna is most fully represented in the Sevastopol Aquarium, opened back in 1897 at the biological station and subsequently modernized several times. Today it is a very popular institution demonstrating the inhabitants of the Black and other seas. There is a central round pool with a diameter of 9.2 and a depth of 1.5 meters, as well as 12 wall aquariums with a volume of up to 7 cubic meters. At the same time, several dozen species of Black Sea fish, crabs, mollusks and other animals can be observed in the aquarium.

The first scientific demonstration dolphinarium in our country has recently been opened in Batumi, where there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the Black Sea dolphins and the work that scientists and trainers do with them.

There are several nature reserves located on the Black Sea coast. The largest of them is the Black Sea State Reserve of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences, with an area of ​​more than 60 thousand hectares, founded in 1927. It is located between the Dnieper-Bug estuary and the Karkinitsky Bay on the sands of the Kinburn and Tendrovskaya spits, the islands of Krugloy, Dolgoy, Orlov, Babin and others. The area of ​​land occupied by the reserve is 12,606 hectares. The remaining area is shallow sea water.

The biggest attraction of the Black Sea Nature Reserve is a large colony of black-headed or Mediterranean gulls, numbering up to 200,000 pairs. This beautiful white bird with a shiny black head (the so-called “nuptial plumage”; in winter the gull’s head is white), during the nesting period it is found in many places - in Greece, Asia Minor, Romania and even in Mongolia, but its largest colony is located in the Black Sea Nature Reserve. The black-headed gull deserves protection not only as one of the decorations of the sea coast, where there are fewer and fewer deserted places near the sea, but also as a human assistant in the fight against agricultural pests. The fact is that, in addition to small fish and marine invertebrates, this gull feeds on insects, which it hunts in the steppe. Scientists have calculated that over the summer, black-headed gulls from the Black Sea Nature Reserve, along with their chicks, eat over 5 thousand tons of insects, thereby preventing annual loss agriculture in amounts up to 2 million rubles. An excellent example of a combination of nature conservation and a biological method of pest control that is safe for humans!

Another protected area on the Black Sea coast is located around Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria. On the secluded coastal cliffs of this steep cape, the only seal species in the Black Sea breeds - the monk seal. It is listed in the International Red Book of Rare and Endangered Species. According to Bulgarian scientists, only a few pairs of seals remain there today, under strict state protection.

Yes, it is now becoming increasingly difficult for birds and animals to find secluded places on the shores of the Black Sea. People love them so much that sometimes it seems that a little more time will pass and all coastal settlements will merge into a continuous ring of cities and resorts. In any case, there is talk about resort development of the entire coastline as early as this century. Of course, the sea should help people in relaxation and treatment, this is indisputable. But what are the reasonable limits of this “human load” per unit of coastline has not yet been calculated. This is one of the most immediate and important tasks of science. In the meantime, the ranks of all kinds of recreation centers, camps, campsites, medical institutions, sports facilities, beaches, boat moorings and other forms of “sea use”, why not introduce such a term, by analogy with “environmental management”? Our relations with the sea need to be built in such a way as to ensure a gentle regime for it. After all (in addition to these seasonal recreational and medical facilities), around the circumference of the Black Sea there are about forty settlements of the rank of ports with a population of about 4 million people and with a certain negative impact on the marine environment. Thus, per permanent resident Black Sea coast According to statistics, there is about 1 meter of coastline. But in the summer the population at least doubles, and then the share of coastline per person is reduced to half a meter. And if we take into account that “sea use” is not evenly distributed along the coast, then in settlements, resorts and other places the “personal” section of the coast is sometimes reduced to a few centimeters. This is a tense ecological situation that requires a person to be especially thrifty and attentive to the natural environment around him, to meet with which he sometimes travels thousands of kilometers and nurtures so many rosy plans throughout the year. And since the concept of “nature conservation” implies, first of all, the protection of its living inhabitants, let’s move on to getting to know them.

Yu.P. Zaitsev

Photo beautiful places Crimea