|
Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Port on the Estuary
A unique site, with its yachting marina and
fishing port backed by high white cliffs, with polders protected
by a sea wall.
Mortagne-sur-Gironde, a 30 km
drive south from Royan is an ideal place to visit to get a
wider appreciation and knowledge of
the estuary of the
Gironde.
From Royan to Mortagne
From Royan, take the D25, direction Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, Meschers, Talmont; after
Talmont, go in the direction of Mortagne-sur-Gironde on the D145
which is a continuation of the D25.
After Talmont, the road rises above the Gironde, giving
magnificent views over the estuary, with an exceptional
luminosity.
A few kilometres before Mortagne, you will drive through Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, with
its port practically in the centre of the village and once
famous for the fishing of sturgeon and the production of caviar
from eggs of the female sturgeon.
Eventually, the sturgeon became rare and fishing for it has now
been forbidden since 1982.
It is remarkable that the Gironde is
the only estuary in Europe where the sturgeon comes to reproduce.
When
arriving at Mortagne, you can choose, either to continue
straight ahead into the village, or to turn right towards the
port.
To get a general view of the area, it's better to continue
straight ahead, up to the viewing point on a grassy, circular
space where you will find an orientation table.
On this headland one has a quasi-aerial view of the port and the
channel which connects it to the Gironde, the marshes, the
estuary and on the opposite bank, the Médoc vineyard. The
marshes begin at the foot of the eroded cliffs and extend to the
Gironde.
The yachting
marina and the fishing port
After
absorbing the general layout of the area, you can return towards
the town, this time by taking the small road on the left which
comes down towards the shore, named "La Rive", with the yachting
marina and the fishing port.
This unique site, with its yachting marina and
fishing port backed by high white cliffs, with polders protected
by a sea wall and surrounded by corn fields which have been
cultivated on the dried up parts of the marshes, comes as a
pleasant surprise to visitors.
Mortagne has a long harbour history. It was an embarkation port
for the pilgrims, then for the emigrants due to leave for Canada
and it was a well-known fishing port for sturgeon. Mortagne was
for a long time the third largest port of the Gironde after
Bordeaux and Blaye.
Fishing for pibales or civelles
Fishing for pibales or civelles from the middle of November in
the estuary, close to the banks, is one of the specialities of
the fishermen of Mortagne.
The small trawlers are equipped with frames with nets on all
sides, giving them a very distinctive look that makes them a
typical sight of the estuary.
The civelle, which is a baby-eel, is exported and fetches a very
high price. These are caught by professional fishermen in their
boats and also by amateur fishermen from the banks of the canals
in the marshes.
The eel is a fascinating migratory fish. Alevins are born in the
Sargasso Sea and after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, which can
take several years, they are transformed into civelles which go
back upstream in the estuary in November.
There are regulations to protect this natural wealth of the estuary.
Walk along by the port
and along the canal and you might be lucky enough to find an old
local man there, who still remembers the time when the fishing
of pibales or civelles was abundant and will share his memories
with you of sturgeons caught, two metres long, which hanging
from the branch of a tree, touched the ground!
You'll also enjoy seeing the sight of countless mallard ducks,
particularly noisy and active when trying to catch the fragments
of bread which are thrown to them by people who regularly visit
the port. |
