The highest tides in the world, which occur in Mont-Saint-Michel bay, are a wonderful spectacle which, it has been decided, will be preserved for future generations, through the great project to reinstate the maritime character of the Mont-Saint-Michel.
The sea
Mont-Saint-Michel is bathed by the English Channel, which laps at its shores. Stretching from Granville, in Normandy, to Cancale, in Brittany, Mont- Saint-Michel Bay is rich in shellfish, fish and crustaceans. On the Norman side, you will find scallops and whelks from the port of Granville, with the Chausey Island lobsters further out to sea, whose exploitation is strictly regulated and reserved for just a few local fishermen. On the other side of the bay, the Breton port of Cancale has specialized in the fanning of oysters whilst a large part of the coast is edged with wooden stakes typical of mussel bed production. The remaining fishermen at the foot of the bay gather cockles and go shrimping, tirelessly pushing their heavy nets ahead of them. Further out, flotillas of small fishing boats catch bass, mackerel, sole, plaice, turbot and haul up their cages groaning with edible and spider crabs from the seabed. Finally, a few, strictly regulated initiates fish the salmon which swim in the rivers Sée and Sélune; a species which was so abundant in the past that workers in the region used to have a stipulation in their contracts that under no circumstances were they to be served salmon more than three times in any one week !
The Salt Marshes
The salt marshes are the characteristic zone of the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, between the land and the sea, where the unique vegetation growing on the banks is regularly covered by the sea. In these open spaces, the farming of salt-meadow sheep has developed over many centuries. The "grévins", the sheep of the bay, spend a large part of their lives browsing the salt marshes, the vegetation giving their meat an unrivalled flavour. When the Easter festivities arrive, the first lamb can be eaten, thus, involuntary, playing its part in the gastronomic fame of Mont-Saint- Michel Bay.
The Polders
The polders make up another characteristic part of the bay's scenery. It was in the 19th century that the polders — these lands recovered from the sea by the construction of protective dykes — developed in Mont- Saint-Michel Bay. These fertile lands are largely given over to vegetable production: sweet- flavoured carrots, small new potatoes, tender and crisp salads, along with pink shallots, all make up the unique range of crops produced in the bay.
The Land Around the Bay
Where the polders end, the typical farm landscapes of Normandy and Brittany reassert their rights : this is the domain of the corn-fed chicken, the duck bred for its foie gras, the domestic pig, the Norman and Breton cattle, eggs, milk, butter, cream... There are also apple and pear orchards, cider- and perry-making, and sometimes calvados, as in the good old days of the travelling still, wheeled from farm to farm to distil a few litres of alcohol to provide a bit of warmth for the long winter evenings.
