Where is the Bay of Biscay? Where Saga cruise ship hit storm that injured 100
About 100 passengers on board a cruise ship bound for the Canary Islands have been injured after it got caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.
The Saga Cruises ship, Spirit of Discovery, was hit by the storm on Sunday. The “vast majority” of injuries suffered were minor, although five people needed more serious attention in the ship’s medical facilities.
The ship’s crew took the decision to return to the UK when its propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather, causing it to veer suddenly to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt. About 1,000 passengers were on board.
Where is the Bay of Biscay?
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the north-east Atlantic Ocean found south of the Celtic Sea.
It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc’h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward to Cape Ortegal.
The southern area of the Bay of Biscay that meets Spain’s northern coast is known locally as the Cantabrian Sea.
The Bay of Biscay gets its name from the northern Spanish province of Biscay. In France it is known as Golfe de Gascogne (the Gulf of Gascony) after a former province in the south-west of the country.
The main cities on the shores of the Bay of Biscay are Bordeaux, Bayonne, Biarritz, Nantes and La Rochelle in France, and Donostia-San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, Gijón and Avilés in Spain.
The bay has fairly shallow waters due to the continental shelf extending into it, which leads to choppy waters. As such, it has become notorious for experiencing strong storms, particularly during the winter.
It has been the site of a number of historical battles, including during the French Revolution, and the Second World War in 1943, when the Battle of the Bay of Biscay was fought between HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise and a group of German destroyers.
What happened on the cruise ship?
The ship was on a 14-night cruise to the Canary Islands when it was hit by the storm.
It is understood the ship had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.
Passenger Jan Bendall, 75, told the BBC that she and her husband were “holding on for dear life” during the storm and added: “It was quite frightening, I’m not somebody who frightens easily, it was quite dramatic.”
She described how the staff were “absolutely fantastic” and set up “a makeshift medical area” in the dining room to treat the injured while passengers were told to stay in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and Sunday.
The Spirit of Discovery arrived back at Portsmouth on Monday evening but Saga Cruises has not confirmed if any of those injured require further treatment ashore.
A spokesperson said: “Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.
“The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries.
“All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.
“While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas.”
