Curonian Bay of the Baltic Sea: description, water temperature and underwater world

The name of the Curonian Lagoon was derived from the ancient Baltic tribe of Curonians. From the sea the bay is separated by the Curonian Spit. Most of it belongs to Russia, and in the north 415 sq. Km. Km of the water surface belongs to Lithuania.

History of occurrence

A few hundred years ago, the Curonian Bay was an open Baltic Sea bay and went into the dry land for a long distance. Its depth was about 20 meters. The spit separating this gigantic lagoon from the Baltic Sea arose due to the gradual application of silt and sand by the sea current.

As a result, the East Bank increased toward the Gulf for tens of kilometers, and on the Curonian Spit formed sand dunes. This barrier gradually grew, more and more dividing the bay and the sea (the Baltic Sea). The Curonian Lagoon was filled with fresh water brought by numerous rivers (the largest of them is the Niemen). Water became less salty, and freshwater fish began to appear in it, while marine species, on the contrary, disappeared. The depth was much smaller because of the large amount of sand.

In the current form of the Gulf there are 4000 years. At that time, the braid had already gained its full length. On the shores and on the scythe were the people of the ancient tribe of Curonians.

general description

The area of the bay, belonging to Russia - 1118 square meters. Km. Its depth is small and on average is 3.7 meters. But there are depressions, where the depth reaches 6 meters.

The length of the Curonian Lagoon is about 100 km. From the sea it is separated by the Curonian Spit. And in the vicinity of Klaipeda there is a small strait that connects the bay with the Baltic Sea. The water level in the bay is about 15 cm above the sea level, which causes the difference in volume to flow into the sea. In the Curonian Lagoon itself, the water is fresh, salinity is no more than 8 ppm.

Undersea world

Curonian Bay is a shallow lagoon of the Baltic Sea with low-salinity, almost fresh water. The bottom has a caudal shape with slight slopes. The richness of aquatic vegetation in the lagoon is represented by numerous thickets of reeds, cattail, reeds.

Not far from the coast, several species of Elodea, water lilies, lilies, water moss, shooter, hornwort grow wildly. By the way, the abundance of aquatic plants is important, because many fish here lay eggs during spawning.

Thanks to underwater thickets, all kinds of fish (both fry and adults) can find food and shelter. Zooplankton is a food for practically all species of fish inhabiting the bay: crustaceans branched, copepods, daphnia, various worms, etc. Plankton and benthic organisms are also a rich fodder base.

A rich fodder base has led to the fact that among the inhabitants of the Curonian Lagoon there are more than 50 species of fish. They are divided into 3 groups:

1. Those species of fish that live in the bay permanently (living fish). The most numerous in their group, having commercial significance: pike, perch, roach, snack.

2. Fish that enter only spawning (pass-through), such as whitefish, smelt.

3. Inhabited in rivers, but sometimes entering the gulf (river fish). They are few and rare. This, for example, catfish, white-eyed and loach.

Also in the waters of the Curonian Lagoon, there is a lamprey (at once 2 species: river and sea), as well as a normal newt.

The Curonian Spit

A narrow, long, saber-shaped sand spit along the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon is called the Curonian Spit. It stretches from Zelenogradsk (Kaliningrad region) to Klaipeda (Lithuania). In 2000, the Curonian Spit was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It is territorially located in Russia and Lithuania. On its Russian part is the national nature park "Curonian Spit", the villages of Rybachy, Lesnoy and Morskoy. And since 1991 on the Lithuanian side of the spit there is also a national park.

The natural diversity of the described area is unique due to the unusual landscape and microclimate. There are pine forests here, the trunks of the trees growing there have intricate forms ("dancing forest"), sand dunes, lichen fields, deciduous forests.

The national park has its very strict rules for visiting, as the nature of the Curonian Spit is easily vulnerable. Any human influence can cause considerable damage. Therefore, the passage and travel here are limited. It is forbidden to burn bonfires, and to put tents and park cars is possible only in special places. It is recommended to take walks on the available in sufficient number of trails-decking.

The Curonian Spit as a tourist destination

For cognitive tourism the Curonian Bay and the sandy spit along it are the most interesting objects. Very interesting are the buildings of all villages on the coast. They are distinguished by the traditional architecture of the Baltics: unique wood carvings, original combinations of colors, roofs from tiles. For example, a settlement called Morskoye perfectly preserved all the features traditionally inherent in the Curonian fishermen's way of life.

To make a fascinating walk along the waters of the bay, it is enough to take a ticket for the boat. You can combine this holiday with fishing. For swimming in the summer, the Curonian Lagoon is quite suitable. The water temperature in July-August (the most suitable months for a beach holiday) is 19-19.5 ° C. For rest the weather conditions are favorable from May to October.

Fishing on the Curonian Lagoon

Described places attract fishermen. Perch, pike, pike-perch here is caught all year round, warming the hunting azar spinning. For lovers of fishing for float fishing tackle, the Kaliningrad Gulf, the Curonian Lagoon - the most visited reservoirs of the Kaliningrad region. The most popular types of fish for them are bream, bream, crucian carp. From the Kaliningrad Gulf, bream is used for fattening in the Baltic Sea, while the Curonian is inhabited for a year.

The perch in the bay is famous for its large size, it can be caught on fishing rods and on spinnings. The best places for fishing are the mouths of the rivers Deima, Matrosovka and sandy braids.

Main types of fish

The fish of the Curonian Lagoon is very diverse, including both constantly inhabiting (bream, roach, pike, perch, perch), and seasonal ones, which come to spawn (smelt, trout, whitefish). The Baltic Seafish has been in the bay since autumn. In winter, he fattened smelt and smelt, gaining mass. The Curonian Bay is the place of its spawning, which occurs during the autumn-winter period. It is at this time that the whitefish is available for catching. In the sea of commercial accumulations, the whitefish do not form.

The main fish species of interest to amateur anglers: perch, roach, pike, eel, along the coast, you can often catch a fairly large carp.

Curonian Lagoon in winter

The arrival of winter significantly reduces the number of tourists. The water in the bay quickly cools (in September its temperature is 16 ° C, it falls to 6-8 ° C by November), cold winds are almost always blowing. But the winter landscapes of the Curonian Spit still remain attractive. Fans of outdoor activities and winter fishing are frequent guests on the bay with the arrival of frost and with the onset of ice formation.

Ice on the Curonian Lagoon is kept from 2 to 5 months in winter. Approximately since February, there is an official ban on people's access to the ice, as the thickness of it becomes dangerous and is only about 5 cm.

Legends and legends

The Curonian Lagoon and the Curonian Spit are mysterious places, surrounded by mysticism in folklore. About them, many legends and legends are composed. The most popular and most important is the saga of the giantess Neringa, created by the goddess Laima. The stories about the "dancing forest", "black sails", the cat from the tavern, etc. are also interesting - all of them are reflected in modern tourist sites.