Sea of Crete: photo, description. Water temperature, salinity
The largest and warmest Greek island of CreteIt is washed by the three seas of the Mediterranean: the northern coast is Cretan, the southern by the Libyan (separates Greece from Africa), the western by Ionian. However, local residents often use their names for these seas, which in total there are more than ten.
In this article I will dwell on one of thethe most remarkable, created by nature, reservoirs. This is the Sea of Crete, often called the Aegean Sea. But first we will present general information about the magnificent and numerous seas of Greece.
Seas of Greece
Tourists, going on a trip or on vacation inGreece, first of all choose not a certain resort, namely the sea. And in this case, tourists have a great opportunity to choose, as Greece is surrounded by many seas.
Most of the maps represent onlythe aforementioned 3 seas. Once on the beach, tourists can find that they are either in the Cretan Sea, or in Balearic or Libyan. The swimming pool of the Mediterranean Sea includes the following seas:
- Aegean (Sea of Crete);
- Ionic;
- Adriatic;
- Ligurian;
- Alboran;
- Libyan;
- Tyrrhenian;
- Balearic.
The northern part of Greece itself is washed by the Thracian Sea, and the south-western zone of the Aegean Sea is the Myrtoy Sea.
Being on vacation right here, you canto learn more about the modern division of the seas washing the outskirts of the cities of one of the oldest and most wonderful countries of the world, attracting travelers from all over the world with its amazing nature.
Sea around the island of Crete
- The Sea of Crete is often called the Aegean Sea. Many ignorantly argue about the names, not suspecting that both are correct. A more detailed description of this amazing natural reservoir will be given below.
- The Libyan Sea separates the island from Libya. The coastline of Greece on this side of the sea is steeper and covered with sheer rocks. Beaches are not very popular here. But in the summer, this sea is calmer than the northern Cretan Sea.
- The Ionian Sea, washing the island from the westside, is famous for its amazingly beautiful, changing shades of the water surface at different times of the day. For example, the lagoon of Balos differs in that here the sea waters shine more than 15 shades. The sea in this place is warm, rather shallow, so it is convenient for families with children to rest.
Sea of Crete
Local aborigines believe that with the easternthe sides of Crete are washed by the waters of the Carpathian Sea, whose name originated from the island of Karpathos, located east of the island. This definition is little used and has no official confirmation.
Thanks to the huge number of sandy beaches on thethe northern coast of the Cretan Sea, the island's territory is fairly well-known and popular among numerous visitors. In connection with this, the "Blue Flag" award was received for the local conditions of rest, meeting the highest modern requirements.
The Cretan Sea is very popular. Reviews of tourists who have ever rested on it are the best and enthusiastic. Unforgettable impressions leave these places in the memory of every traveler. Probably the main reason for this is a large number of beaches covered with sand, smooth approaches to the sea and developed infrastructure.
In general, the sea is between the island of Crete and the beautiful archipelago of the Cyclades (56 islands and islets around the oldest holy island of Delos).
But it is the northern coast of the largest island of the Cretan Sea that boasts a large number of well-equipped beaches.
The sea is unpredictable in nature. Throughout the rest you can find calm and waves that rise in the north winds. During this period, bathing becomes dangerous.
In any case, this sea remains one of the most popular and loved by both Romantics and extreme lovers.
Hydrography
What is the Cretan Sea in terms of hydrography? The water temperature on the surface in the winter period of the year is 11 to 15 degrees Celsius, and in the summer 22-27 ° C. At a depth of more than 350 meters, its temperature remains unchanged throughout the year (about 13 ° C).
In the western part of the sea the current has a direction to the south, and in the east it is directed to the north. Its speed is up to 0.5-1 kilometers per hour.
Due to the global warming of the water temperatureof all the seas (the exception is not the Cretan Sea), the salinity of the waters is gradually increasing. This sea has a considerable concentration of salt, greater than, for example, Black, and it is approximately 40.0%. For this reason, after bathing in such water, a shower with fresh water is needed to avoid negative consequences for the skin and mucous membrane of the eyes.
Features
For the Cretan Sea, semidiurnal tides are characteristic, the magnitude of which can reach up to 60 centimeters.
A wayward and slightly unpredictable characterhas it. Calm water surface sometimes can suddenly become agitated, and then calm down. This is due to the prevailing winds blowing over the coast of the city of Chania (the former capital of Crete and the second largest city in Greece), capable of raising large waves in the summer over the Libyan and Cretan seas.
Conclusion
The Crete (Aegean) Sea is perfectabsolutely for all holidaymakers with completely different tastes. Knowingly on the island of Crete often come in search of inspiration artists, writers, musicians and just romantics.
