All the small French schoolchildren of my generation, I am 56, when they studied the oceans and the tides in the course of geography, heard about the bay of the Mont Saint Michel and the tide which crosses it "at the speed of a galloping horse "! It was an impressive memory and we all had images of roaring breakers and giant waves in our heads.
Until recently, I had never seen this phenomenon, but chance led me to stay for several months in Normandy, very close to Mont-Saint-Michel.
For those who do not know this monument, it is an abbey built over 1000 years ago on a huge rock in the middle of an Atlantic bay just between Brittany and Normandy. It is an absolutely magnificent place, architecturally superb and without doubt one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, comparable to Venice or the Taj Mahal.
With my wife we ​​therefore absolutely wanted to see this famous high tide and its wave called “Le Mascaret” (the tidal bore). So I did some research and talked with my neighbors about the best places to go and watch it.
This is how we arrived at Pointe du Grouin du Sud, a late afternoon, two hours early to locate the place. The weather was mild - which is rather rare here, Normandy is well known for its abundant rains - and the view unobstructed. The first thing that struck us was the majesty of the site. The point is made up of a small band of rock which starts from the coast, sinking into the sea and which faces the bay. In the distance the horizon is completely empty, only punctuated by the silhouette of the Mount and that of the Tombelaine rock. The landscape is, of course, completely flat, but its left part is covered with water and forms a gigantic mirror, which reflects the sky and the clouds while its right part is sandy and looks like a desert. It’s a beautiful landscape that just makes you want to sit and gaze at the horizon.
The more time passed, the more we saw people arriving, many photographers with their equipment, simple curious people and locals who came as regulars. A group of kayakers also left, paddling quickly towards the high seas.
“The wave is coming!” " A cry rang out behind us and we then saw a very long white line running across the sea across the width of the bay. The wind picked up suddenly and the noise of the water, so far almost inaudible, increased. Quickly the white line came closer to us. In front of him, a dozen kayakers glided hastily. I would never know if his speed was that of a galloping horse, but in any case it was an absolutely incredible sight. The wave is not very high, about fifty centimeters, but it is at least a kilometer wide and above all it is the front of a gigantic body of water which covers everything in its path. Arriving on the coast, it creates movements and eddies, forming spectacular vortices and spurts. It is a unique and majestic spectacle that only nature can produce capable of transforming a whole landscape in a few minutes.