Baie de Somme at Low Tide
At low tide, the Baie de Somme reveals an otherworldly landscape of rippled sand, mirror-flat water channels and grazing seals that stretches to the horizon — one of the most quietly spectacular natural spectacles in all of France, and still largely undiscovered by international tourists.
Wildlife That Will Stop You in Your Tracks
A permanent colony of around 200 common and grey seals hauls out on the sandbanks near Le Hourdel, visible by guided walk or from the shore with binoculars. September to November is peak season when pups are born, but the seals are present year-round.
The bay is one of France's most important migratory bird staging posts: oystercatchers, dunlin, avocets and spoonbills feed along the channels in their thousands during spring and autumn migrations. The RSPB equivalent here, the Parc du Marquenterre, has excellent hides.
How to Experience the Bay
The classic experience is a guided walk across the bay floor at low tide, led by licensed guides from Le Crotoy or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme — the two charming towns that bracket the estuary. The walk takes 3–4 hours and crosses channels that are knee-deep in places.
The narrow-gauge steam railway, the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, runs between Cayeux-sur-Mer, Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery — a slow, scenic and utterly charming way to take in the bay's perimeter without a car.
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