Bay of Biscay at a glance
- 1,919 maverage depth
- 901 mmedian depth
- 4,998 mmaximum depth
- 213,180 km²water area
Bay of Biscay is a bay. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 213,180 km² of water, with an average depth of about 1,919 m (the middle value is 901 m) and a maximum of 4,998 m, found at 45.01° N, 7.34° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Bay of Biscay?
The bar splits the Bay of Biscay's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 44.8%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 6.1%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 19.8%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 29.4%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Biscay Abyssal Plain (61 km), Avilés Canyon (146 km), Le Danois Bank (222 km), Whittard Canyon (411 km).
The Bay of Biscay if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Bay of Biscay's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 3,443 km² | 1.6% |
| 20 m | 6,946 km² | 3.3% |
| 50 m | 20,112 km² | 9.4% |
| 80 m | 32,263 km² | 15.1% |
| 120 m | 59,266 km² | 27.8% |
| 200 m | 95,490 km² | 44.8% |
| 500 m | 100,526 km² | 47.2% |
| 1,000 m | 108,433 km² | 50.9% |
| 2,000 m | 124,341 km² | 58.3% |
| 3,000 m | 136,740 km² | 64.1% |
| 4,000 m | 150,536 km² | 70.6% |
| 6,000 m | 213,180 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Balearic Sea average depth about 899 m
- Irish Sea average depth about 52 m
- Ligurian Sea average depth about 1,194 m
- Alboran Sea average depth about 760 m
- Mediterranean Sea average depth about 1,844 m
- North Sea average depth about 78 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Bay of Biscay?
On average about 1,919 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 901 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 4,998 m, at 45.01° N, 7.34° W.
How big is the Bay of Biscay?
About 213,180 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Bay of Biscay would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 3,443 km² (1.6%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the bay. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.