Walking the Sea(Bed)

Living near the Gulf Coast, I'm familiar with tides ... tides that change by mere feet per day, sometimes only inches, and just once per day. Watching those little waves lap the shore is simply mesmerizing!

Imagine discovering places like the Bay of Fundy, Canada, or Derby, Australia, with their nearly 12 meter tides -- that's about 40 feet! And experiencing such a tidal change in real life? Dream. Trip.  So imagine my delight when we booked a trip to St. Helier, Jersey, and discovered that their tides are nearly the highest in the world!

Exploring tidal pools at Saint-Malo, France.
Visible only twice per day, this is all completely under water the rest of the day!

St. Helier lies on the southern coast of the island of Jersey, a crown dependency of England located across the English Channel off the coast of France. Just a short ferry ride from St. Helier is the town of Saint-Malo, France. Because of their geography, Jersey and Saint-Malo share similar tidal changes. And I had the great joy to experience them both!

Every morning from our St. Helier hotel window, we could see the sea ... and the tide was in when we woke up, out at lunch, in again in the evening, out again overnight. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

The view from our hotel window.

When the tide was in, the water was at the edge of town. Literally. The Victorian sea pools filled and refilled. The beaches were no longer visible. And patrons at beach-side restaurants dined with the sea waves lapping at their feet.

Dining at the Thai Dicq Shack with the tide coming in.

The picnic tables were dry when the tide was going out.

Picnic tables available for diners at high tide.
Note the water all the way to the retaining wall!

When the tide was fully out, more than a mile of seabed was exposed. And we joyfully joined a small walking tour of that seabed all the way out to Seymour Tower. 

Can you see Seymour Tower in the distance?

Trudie, owner and guide with Jersey Walk Adventures, greeted us at the meeting point with green shrimp boots (she called them Wellingtons, or "Wellies," but Louisiana knows them as shrimp boots!) and securely stored our shoes in her car. And then we were off!

Trudie in her Wellies.

A seabed walk is an absolute delight for those with a sense of adventure: Walking between rising tides, seeing tiny crabs and fish and other sea creatures, discovering hidden corals and sea stars, and so much more! 

During the walk, Trudie told us about the geography of the region, the history, the sea creatures, and even the scandals! We learned that people -- and once even their horses! --  are sometimes stranded at Seymour Tower by the high tide rushing in. The stairs are to Seymour Tower are narrow, steep, and uneven ... so much so that a special ramp had to be built over the course of several days' low tides to rescue the horses and return them to terra firma! 

... just a little farther to Seymour Tower ...

Seymour Tower is 346' tall -- that's over 30 stories!!

Climbing down the steps from Seymour Tower
to begin the walk back to shore.

But finally, after walking nearly 1.5 miles to reach Seymour Tower and climbing to the tower's terrace, the return journey must begin to ensure a safe return to the island before the tide rushes back in.

Because the tides between the island and Seymour Tower are so dangerous, it's definitely recommended that you only venture out with a professional guide, like Trudie, who is intimately familiar with the terrain and the tides. If you venture out on your own, you may find yourself stranded at Seymour Tower, the subject of a news article on an emergency rescue, or perhaps hanging out on this metal emergency tower until the tide changes.

The arrow denotes the recent high tide mark.
For scale, note the adult man walking to the right of the tower.

While the seabed trek to Seymour Tower should be undertaken with a professional guide, exploring the tidal pools and the beach closer to shore during low tide is a daily activity for locals and tourists alike, from both the island of Jersey and the town of Saint-Malo, France.

Exploring the "Victor Hugo" rock off St. Helier.

Victor Hugo once described the Channel Islands as "bits of France fallen into the sea and gathered up by England." Having walked the seabed of both Jersey and Saint-Malo, I must agree. This magical part of the world will live in my dreams until I can return in real life.

More Saint-Malo tidal pools.
I could have spent all day exploring this area!

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