Atlantic | Aquarium La Rochelle

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Locate the theater Atlantic in the Aquarium

Atlantic Port of Call

The temperate waters of the Atlantic reveal themselves… Cuttlefish, rays, sole and turbot try out their camouflage techniques.
A few steps away, in an unassuming ecosystem, the foreshore hides many a mystery.

From the delicate shrimp to the timid gobies, they all seem so fragile. Each day they battle wind and tide to fight for their survival.
Further on, a shoal of sardines creates a huge gold and silver painting, while Norway lobsters disappear into a landscape of jewel anemones. In this vast ocean, every fish is unique.

Golfe de Gascogne - Aquarium La Rochelle

Surface area : 82,000,000 km²
Maximum depth : 9,219 m
Average depth : 3,330 m

A trip to the Bay of Biscay

Along the coastline of Europe, the North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream, brings in warm water that produces a gentler climate. From the North to the South, there is a degree of uniformity in the flora and fauna. However, two major populations stand out, which mix and mingle around Brittany, providing for the richness of the region's marine life. Because of its currents and the size of the continental plateau (the most productive part of any ocean), the fish-filled waters of the Atlantic make it the most heavily exploited ocean.

« Tousled manes and cavorting,
The twisting waves arrive at a gallop,
And collapse at my feet with drawn-out sobs. »

Jules Laforgue
The continents extend under the sea with the continental plateau, which can reach a depth of up to 200 m, and is the site of nearly 90% of all commercial fishing.
In the past, the tides were attributed to divine or demonic forces. It would take until the late 17th century and Newton's Law to envisage a rational explanation for them.
The Ancient Greeks believed that a fantastic continent called Atlantis extended to the west of Gibraltar. Despite geological knowledge refuting that theory, there are people today who still believe that the sunken continent truly existed at one point.