The coastal landscapes are magnificent, in a monochrome of blue and green, between sky, land and sea. The living world that develops below the surface of the water is abundant and precious at the same time: Posidonia meadows, large mother-of-pearl beds and coralligenous reefs.
Through the crystalline waters, you will see these meadows of underwater greenery which extend from the surface to 40m deep: the Posidonia meadows. This is not an algae, but a flowering plant emblematic of the Mediterranean. It is protected because it is a vital species for the planet: it preserves the coasts from erosion, it is a real nursery where species reproduce, and it is above all the lung of the planet, the champion of all categories which distances the Amazonian forest from it, even if it is less well known.
One can cross marine turtles, such as the loggerhead turtle, during its migration, but also green turtles or lute turtles, more rarely. Water birds are also very present: gulls, black-headed gulls, terns, kingfishers, cormorants, grey herons Thanks to the vertiginous drop-offs off the coast more than m deep , cetaceans reside here all year round or may be passing through: bottlenose dolphins, blue and white dolphins, fin whales, sperm whales and many others. It is not by chance that the Cetacean Research Group has been based in Antibes for nearly 30 years.
It is this organisation that determined that dolphins live permanently on the spot. The most numerous are the blue and white dolphins that live in the area all year round, and are particularly abundant in summer. Scientific studies estimate their population at nearly 40, dolphins living in the Pelagos Sanctuary! The giant of the marine mammals in the area is the fin whale: it is the 2nd largest animal on the planet. This whale can reach 22m and 70 tons. It is estimated that there are around 1, of them in the Sanctuary.
The fascinating landscapes and the fascinating animals that live there, force the admiration of the walkers, but make no mistake: the high human frequentation of the region, as everywhere on the French Riviera, damages the environment and disturbs the natural balances.
