Basque Country: Dangerous sea currents, maximum risk at Baïnes activated on the coast

THE beaches of the Basque coast and New Aquitaine are marked by marine currents (Baïnes) which can be dangerous and particularly this Thursday, June 27, 2024. Indeed, these currents will be particularly strong today and could easily take bathers out to sea.

The danger of the Baïnes

Every year, swimmers are swept away and drown because of the Baïnes. Baïnes are a water formation created by the movement of the tides and are present all along the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast.

They form at low tide and constitute basins where the water is apparently more
calm than elsewhere, the absence of waves attracting the swimmer. But at high tide, when the water level in the bay becomes higher than that of the ocean, it suddenly empties, creating a seaward current known as the “baïne current” Who
draws the swimmer out to sea.

The bigger the waves and the higher the coefficient, the more dangerous the baïnes are.

So he is very difficult to reach the edge and the swimmer risks exhaustion and drowning if he tries to fight against the current. This phenomenon occurs at a precise moment of each tide depending on the swell and the coefficients.

Witness or victim of a problem at sea

If you witness or are the victim of a problem at sea from the coast, call the emergency number 196, free from a landline or mobile phone, and available 7 days a week, 24
hours a day. It allows you to contact the regional operational surveillance and rescue centers (CROSS), to report people in difficulty at sea.

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