Baie du Mont Saint-Michel. 14/10/94; Basse-Normandie, Bretagne; 62,000 ha; 48°40'N 001°40'W. World Heritage site, Special Protection Area. The site represents large areas of saltmarshes with a very diverse morphology, and comprises sand/gravel beds of bivalves, reefs of Sabellaria alveolata, rocky islets, cliffs and dunes. It is ranked fifth in the world for its exceptional tidal range, and constitutes one of the best examples of Quaternary sedimentation in the world. The area features a great number of habitats with a high biological richness. It is the best French site for Halimione pedunculata, one of the most interesting and rare species of European saline grasslands. Up to 100,000 waders winter at the bay, including over 1% of the populations of Haematopus ostralegus, Calidris canutus, and C. alpina. Marine mammals such as dolphins Tursiops truncatus and seals Phoca vitulina also visit the site. Human activities include recreation, fishing, shellfish farming, waterfowl hunting, and sand extraction. In the terrestrial area there is intensive agriculture and semi-extensive herding of cattle. Ramsar site no. 709.