Supertide turns Ancient Mont Saint-Michel into Island
Thousands of people, on Saturday, went to Mont Saint-Michel in France to see a supertide that has momentarily turned the ancient abbey into an island. The supertide happens once in every 18 years, and this time it was caused by Friday's solar eclipse. According to The Australian, the tide reached to a height of more than 14 meters, or about 46 feet. Last time the supertide was seen on March 10, 1997, and the next will be seen on March 3, 2033, according to scientific estimates.
The exceptionally high tide was seen all over Northern France, but was most dramatic at Mont Saint-Michel, which is connected to the mainland by a small bridge.
The high tide briefly encircled the Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Saturday morning.
According to The Telegraph, over 10,000 tourists from around the world gathered on early Saturday morning to watch the rare, natural phenomena. Some surfers and kayakers even tried to catch the high waves that were created by the tide called "bores".
On Saturday, 30,000 people flocked Mont Saint-Michel to get a glimpse of the "tide of the century". They surrounded the picturesque French landmark as two people were drowned on the country's west coast.
There was a record-breaking crowd that assembled at the rocky island topped with a Gothic Benedictine abbey to view the sea surge up the bay on the Normandy coast, which is exposed to some of Europe's strongest tides.
But soon the festive atmosphere was tempered by the news of the drowning, when the night fell and a wall of water as high as a four-storey building swept up the estuary.
The officials at France's Navy Oceanic and Hydrological Service (SHOM) had given a warning that the high tide on Saturday, which peaked just after 2000 GMT, would pose a danger to the people who are venturing out too far.
