The Etang de Thau is located in the south of France near Sete. It is a lagoon 19 km long and 8 km wide and 5 m deep. It is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by canals, the reason why the water is salty. It is a protected area where several species of birds live, such as flamingos, egrets, seagulls, white stilts and we practice shellfish farming there. Thus, two thousand people make a living from this oyster and mussel farm in the Thau lagoon. Consequently very early in the morning, before sunrise, we witness the coming and going of the shellfish boats between the cleaning workshop on the bank at Bouzigues and the tables in the middle of the pond. shellfish farmers have to go get the oysters hanging on the tables to distribute them in the restaurants early in the morning, after cleaning them.
The pond is also a resort because we practice sailing and fishing there mainly for pleasure and to cultivate an art of living.
At the end of the afternoon, on the banks of Balaruc les Bains and Balaruc le Vieux, seagulls swirl in the sky and skim the surface of the water in search of fish. The wind has died down. The atmosphere is soft and calm. The sun reflects in the water of the pond and gives us extraordinary lights and colors. The landscape changes constantly until nightfall.
Near the town Frontignan, there is another lagoon in the extension of the Thau lagoon: this is the Ingril lagoon. This pond is 7 km long and is much shallower than the pond of Thau. It used to be a salt marsh. You can cross it with water up to your knees. It is a nature reserve for many birds such as flamingos, herons, cranes. At sunset, in calm weather, the reflection of light in the water takes you into a constantly changing dreamlike atmosphere. In Villeneuve-lès-Maguelonne, another pond awaits you, it is the Arnel pond. The sunset in winter is particularly magical there.
