Bays and Coves of the Azov Sea

Gulfs of the Azov Sea

Everyone knows the diversity of nature and landscapes of the coast of the Azov Sea. Usually everyone pays attention to the unique feature of this sea - there are about two dozen large and small sandbars on its coast. But speaking of the spits of the Azov Sea, one should not forget that some spits located on the seashore form bays on one of their sides. So, the Berdyansk Spit forms the Berdyansk Bay, the Arabat Spit forms the Sivash, the Fedotova Spit and Biryuchy Island form the Obitochny Bay.

Bays on the Coast of the Azov Sea

But the bays are formed not only at the base of the spits - they are located at the mouths of the rivers flowing into the Azov Sea, along with estuaries, which are also located at the mouths of the rivers. Bays differ from estuaries formed at the mouths of rivers in that the bays are connected to the open sea, and the estuaries are connected to it by narrow straits. A typical example of a bay of the Azov Sea is the Taganrog Bay, formed at the confluence of the Don into the Azov Sea and bounded by two spits - Dolgaya and Belosaraiskaya. Another type of bays of the Azov Sea is formed by the relief of the coast - such bays include Arabat, Temryuk, Kazantip and other bays.

Diversity of the Bays of the Azov Sea

The bays of the Azov Sea are very different from each other. For example, the Taganrog Bay occupies a huge area compared to other bays and is an essential part of the Azov Sea, while the Arabat Bay is a spacious beach on the eastern coast of Crimea, the Berdyansk Bay is a convenient location for a seaport, and Sivash can hardly be called a bay, since this reservoir has all the main features of both a bay and an estuary.