Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

• Palau

Palau Islands one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

Palau is a cluster of 250 to 300 islets believed to be formed by the uprising of coral from the sea bottom due to geological upheavals. It has a total area of 47 sq km. All these islands are umbrella shaped and connected by beautiful coral bay. These islands are famous for its beautiful beaches where scuba diving and snorkeling facilities are available. Click here to read the full article.

• Belize Barrier Reef

Belize Barrier Reef one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

The coral barrier reef of Belize starts 300 meters off shore of Belize and stretches up to 40 km south like a mountain range; its total length is about 300 km (185 miles). For Belize; this coral formations remain as the hub of its tourism industry in fact it is the revenue from tourism that keeps Belize economy ticking. Click here to read the full article.

• Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

Galapagos Islands are an isolated cluster of 19 volcanic islands of varying sizes in the Pacific Ocean located around the equator. It is a territory of Ecuador and located about 600 miles off from it. Galapagos Archipelago (a scattered group of islands cut off from mainland) is well known for its bio diversity and Charles Darwin; the renowned scientist stayed there to do his researches on biological evolution. Click here to read the full article.

• Northern Red Sea

Northern Red Sea one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

The Northern Red Sea Region has on its Northern shores Egypt, Israel Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Sudan and Eritrea in its western side; it is more famous for some of the most beautiful coral formations in the world and its exclusive fish varieties. Click here to read the full article.

• Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

Lake Baikal is known as the Galapagos of Russia as both share a history of spending many years in isolation from external world for very long period; if it was ocean that isolated Galapagos, it was the hostile permafrost of Siberia that cut Baikal from outside world. The flora and fauna of both lands had to evolve independently being cut off from mainstream animals and plants. Click here to read the full article.

• Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

The Oceania has much geographical exclusivities for its credit; but Great Barrier Reef that spans 2000 kms near Australia is the most prominent among them. It is the largest coral reef in the world. This rare natural wonder comprises of about 900 islands and more than 3000 coral platforms all formed by millions of years of biological activity has been approved as the icon of Queen’s Land. Click here to read the full article.

• Deep Sea Vents

Deep Sea Vents one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World

Deep Sea vents or deep sea hydrothermal vents are geysers that form along with mid ocean ridges. These are just cracks in the ocean bottom in to which ocean water gushes in to be ejected out along with various minerals available with the magma. These vents are places where the magma of the earth’s core gets some exit points. Click here to read the full article.

Deep Sea Vents

Deep Sea Vents or Hydrothermal Vents

Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent image courtesy: treehugger.com

Sea-bottom a mysterious and intriguing

The ocean bottom remained a mystery; from time immemorial generations have dreamt about the fairies and mermaids, dreaded about fierce ghosts and demons and fantasized about the ocean bottom caves filled with gold and diamonds. Here is a poem about those serene gems!

Full many a flower is blown to blush unseen;

And waste its sweetness in the desert air.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear.

It is the fantasy that fills the gap between the real and the virtual, imagination rides with child hood stories; there may be a cave full of gems awaiting a boy who went for fishing but sunk beneath the sea, mermaid who lived in gem-studded palaces on sea bottom welcome him offering him a life to ‘live happily ever after’! Ghosts from beneath the deep see roam on ocean surface in search of sailor’s to suck their blood.

But this is about the ‘deep sea vents and the living things around it’! They are also gems; but of a ‘different ray serene’ in the ‘dark unfathomed caves of ocean’.

Geysers

Deep Sea vents or deep sea hydrothermal vents are geysers that form along with mid ocean ridges. These are just cracks in the ocean bottom in to which ocean water gushes in to be ejected out along with various minerals available with the magma. These vents are places where the magma of the earth’s core gets some exit points.

It was in 1977 some scientists exploring the ocean bottom near Galapagos Island came across with this phenomenon. The innumerable living things, their shapes and the way that lived depending upon these deep sea vents really intrigued them. This discovery was an eye opener to the scientists who so far believed that these deep dark places under severe pressure were devoid of higher forms of living things.

How are they formed?

Deep Sea Vents explained diagram courtesy: wikimedia.org

The earth is made up of a core of molten rock called the magma. Its surface is covered by huge plates of solidified magma that we call rock, they are ‘tectonic plates’ for the scientists. These rock-plates called the tectonic plates on which we live float on the molten magma like gigantic ships on sea. At times they collide causing earth-quakes. From the gaps between these plates magma oozes out lava and form and huge mountain ranges and islands, all begin with the volcanoes! Those volcanoes under the sea when interact with ocean form the deep sea vents.

The Mariana Trench

The floor of the ocean as we know is very deep; some points like the Mariana Trench which is the deepest part on the earth; has a depth of 11 km and a surface pressure 108 million pound / sq inch (any man if exposed to this pressure get squeezed and dies within seconds). It is so deep that it can easily swallow Mount Everest if placed in to it!). Sunlight never penetrates in to these trenches and their temperature is always near freezing point.

An unknown phenomenon!

Deep Sea Vents - Fisher brisingids

But nature never neglects these trenches and those innocent beings who have to live there; it provides them with ‘deep sea vents’ so that they may get some warmth, nutrients and ambient eco system; only for ‘specially adapted beings’ to live in peace and darkness! They don’t have to fear predators of any sorts even if they enter these zones it will be only as decayed dead bodies. The only problem is the lack of light; they don’t realize it as light is an unknown phenomenon to them.

Ocean bottom exploration

Deep Sea Vents image courtesy: rps.psu.edu

Exploration of ocean bottom was not possible beyond a depth of 125 meters as even deepest divers could not go beyond that depth; due to the scarcity of modern equipments. The arrival of Jim Suit extended that depth to 600 meters, yet the deep sea vents that was located around 2100 meters could remain elusive. Bathyscaphe that was designed for deep sea exploration could go up to 1829 meters was a real revolution in deep sea exploration. Alvin an advanced bathyscaph changed the scope and for the first time these deep sea vents, tube worms, eye-less shrimps, vent crab all came before human observation.

Hot smokers!

Deep Sea Vents mussels image courtesy: mbari.org

There are two types of hydrothermal vents some of them are ‘hot smokers’ of the deep sea! among the hot smokers those which go on spitting black smoke are known as ‘black smokers’, they emit sulphides and iron, these two chemicals combine to form iron monosulphate which is black in color. The other type is ‘white smokers’ they emit water comparatively cooler than ‘black smokers’ and contain calcium, barium silicon etc. and hence known as ‘smokers’.

Chimneys

These smokers are provided with ‘chimneys’ which are formed of mineral compounds emitted from the vents. The minerals that come out mixed with the super hot water enters in the cold ocean water and get subjected to sedimentation. These sediments accumulate around the vents in the form of chimneys. The speed in which these formed is astonishing it may grow as fast as half a meter in a month! There height at times make them collapse but fast get rebuilt.

The inmates of the hot waters!

Deep Sea Vents Seaworm image courtsey: cardboardmonocle.com

This super hot water that eject from the vents and the freezing cold water of the deep sea bottom mix up to give a peculiar atmosphere for some of the organisms like the

Tube worms (Riftia pachiptilia) cylindrical animals 8 feet in length, with no mouth, eye, stomach etc!

Vent crab (Brythograea thermydron), an active predator of the deep sea vents, its young ones look bright red while adults are white in color and reach maximum size of 5 inches.

Pompeii worm (Alvinella popejana) a strange creature capable to stand utmost heat (even in boiling water), in this case it breaks the record of the Sahara desert ants.

Bacteria (ancient type) they are believed to be the most primitive type untouched by evolutions or mutation.

What an idea!

Deep Sea Vents image courtesy: bact.wisc.edu

This ecology exists free from sunlight; no plants to make carbohydrate out of sunlight because there is no sunlight! The animals living here produce food by another technology. They harbor millions of bacteria in their body and engage in a symbiotic relationship with them. Bacteria convert the nutrients contained in the hot mineral-rich water that comes out of the deep sea vents in to edible food. The food is consumed by the animals and in exchange the bacteria get free lodging in the animal body. The only thing is; this marriage is made in heaven one cannot survive without the other; united we stand; divided we fall, what an idea for quarrelling couples!

Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal, Siberia Russia - The blue eye of Siberia

Lake Baikal - Olkhon Island

This giant among fresh-water lakes; that contains 20% of the world’s total fresh water stock; remained almost unknown under the iron curtain spread by the erstwhile Communist regime. It was the publicity stunts associated with the construction of the Baikal Amur Railway made the existence of such a magnificent lake –known as the bule eye of Siberia- under the public glare.

Lake Baikal located in the southern region of the Siberian Region (one of the coldest parts of the earth) has the credit of being the deepest lake in the world (depth 1637 meters), it is 636 km long and 80 km wide and occupies a land area of about 23,000 sq. km. The size of this lake is mind boggling; it can be made understandable from the following way, suppose all the rivers of the world flow in to it (Amazon, Zambezi, Nile, Niagara, Ganges included); even then it will take one whole year to fill the lake!

Baikal Amur Railway

Map of Lake Baikal courtsey: baikaler.com

This is one of the biggest projects undertaken by the Soviet Union; connecting the Siberia to the European portion of Soviet Union (Lake Baikal to River Amur). Its work began on 1974 and completed on 2002. This railway passes through world’s most difficult terrain- Siberia which has a climate varying from minus 50 in winter and plus 40 in summer and major part of it is permafrost. This railway is 3150 km long and encircles Baikal Lake; there is one tunnel or a bridge for every km. Cost involved is only guesswork; in the erstwhile Soviet Union there was no such thing called cost accounting!

Not just sediments; it is virtual treasure!

Baikal Lake image courtsey: greenpeace.org.uk

Lake Baikal is believed to be about 20 to 30 million years old and it is crescent shaped and extra deep; a usual phenomenon associated with rift lakes. These rift lakes are that formed when water fill a rift valley - rifts occurs on surface of land due to tectonic forces, Lake Tanganyika is another rift lake.

The bottom of this lake is 1280 meters below sea level one may think it is that deep but not; seven km deep mud (sediments accumulated in its bottom occupy that depth –about 7 km. This ‘mud’ that has been formed for about 25 30 millions of years, which would have many stories to tell; the events occurred on the mother earth for the last 25 million years, animals and plants born evolved during this time all!

In 1990 geologists of Russia and USA conducted a combined study by analyzing the sediments of the lake and detected the climatic variations undergone by the region and the developments undergone by the animals and plants of the area in the millenniums that have passed.

A fresh water monopolist in a communist land!

The word ‘Baikal’ is said to have its origin from the Mongolian word baigal which means nature. It has 330 rivers flowing in to it from various surrounding Baikal Mountains of which River Selenga, Chilkoy and Uda are main ones. There is only one river to drain the water out the Angara River. In short Baikal is a monopolist of fresh water from a Communist haven.

Though the surface area of this lake is not as big as the other great lakes (23600 sq km), its great depth (1.637 km!) compensates more than enough as it holds water far greater than any of the other great lakes in the world, it contains 31494 sq km of fresh water (even the water of the great five lakes of US is put together it would not equal the Baikal water. Lake Baikal is a UNESCO approved World Heritage Site since 1996 mainly for the biodiversity within and it’s surrounding areas.

The Russian Galapagos

Lake Baikal is known as the Galapagos of Russia as both share a history of spending many years in isolation from external world for very long period; if it was ocean that isolated Galapagos, it was the hostile permafrost of Siberia that cut Baikal from outside world. The flora and fauna of both lands had to evolve independently being cut off from mainstream animals and plants.

Lake Baikal and its surroundings play host to more than 1700 (so far identified) species of plants and animals. About two thirds of them are quite exclusive of the region. The extreme climate of Siberia and unimaginable depths of this lake make exploration a tall order. The surrounding areas of this lake is where mammoths (elephant like animals but far bigger in size) roamed all around, fossils of many have been recovered from here and there in Siberia.

Lyuba and her story

Baikal Lake image courtsey: ece.utexas.edu

Lyuba is/was a six month old female baby mammoth; lived in Siberia about 37,000 years back. Her frozen grey and brown dead-body was found intact by one Yuri Khudin a reindeer herder of that area; from the melted permafrost in July 2007. Scientists are after her for more details about mammoths, their way of life and the reason for them becoming extinct. There are some planning to extract DNA from her cells and cloning new baby mammoths!

The story Lyuba has to tell is not only about mammoths but of the man himself; the reason for her body getting exposed was the melting of the permafrost, a warning sign of human being also, either change your lifestyle or be prepared to follow the mammoths.

Lyuba image courtsey: umich.edu

Olkhon Island a ‘bonsai continent’

Olkhon Island is a very interesting one for those who are curious to know about exotic locations on earth. Lake Baikal has 22 islands of which Olkhon is the largest; it has the credit of being the fourth largest lake island in the world (the biggest one is Manitou in Island in Lake Huron USA).

This is a 72 km long mountainous island formed due to the tectonic activities; it has a total area of 730 sq kms and it is located at about 1276 meters above sea level.

Though Okhlon is a lake island; it has all the geographies of a big continent, a small desert, steppes, taiga regions, its own lakes, high mountains and every thing a continent can have but a sea! Mount Zhima is the highest mountain with a height of 818 meters. It has a population of 1500 people; mostly Buryats (a local ethnic group) and five villages.

No. 1 not just in size alone

The scenic beauty of the lake and its surroundings are not properly understood, the Berguzin Mountain; protector of the area is endowed with dense forests; these are home to many types of animals like elks, lynx, bears and many other animals it has ideal trekking places also. The lake that freezes in winter is skiers’ paradise, during summer the shores get covered by herbs in full bloom looking like heaven. Boating facilities are available after the ice melts.

Fish that tastes different!

Omul Fish at the Listvyanka market. Lake Baikal

This lake is not just fun it is a valuable source of fish for the surrounding areas, its nerpas (an endemic variety of fresh water seal), golomyanka (sculpin fish- a rare viviparous fish –that gives birth to children; instead of laying eggs), omul salmon (a celebrity claimed to be the tastiest fish in the world exclusive of his region), episura (a type of cray fish) are just some of them. When the lake yields fish its surroundings yield valuable timber for the nation.

Baikalsk Conference; an issue of lake- inmates

Lake Baikal image courtsey: adventure-travel-tales-and-tips.com

As we know that the Baikal region is rich in forests and man has found it as an important source for raw material for paper mills, this region is rich in mineral resources and mining also is rampant. The crude technology belonging to the erstwhile Soviet Era employed in these mills located in this area is causing tremendous pollution of river and lake. A nation’s responsibility does not end in extracting natural wealth but it has the duty of preserving them to the future generations also. The fat of one nerpa fish when tested contained large quantity of dioxin, this means that the poison is reaching from fish to human beings.

In August 22 to 30 a conference was held in Baikalsk, delegates from Russia, America and other nations took part in it. The meeting was to discuss; pollution of the lake due to dioxin the main effluent from the nearby mills. The meeting failed to reach in a consensus regarding the course of actions. At present Russian government alone can do something to protect the valuable inmates of this lake; after all whose baby is this lake?

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Northern Red Sea

Northern Red Sea

Northern Red Sea Coral Image courtsey: dahab-info.com

Two continents and a sea

Red Sea is a large natural channel with a length of 1900 km, breadth between 100 to 300 km and a depth about 500 meters! Literally speaking when one continent got split in to two a large crater was formed; sea water gushed in to fill it thereby forming a water-body; that we call the Red Sea. It looks red during the blooming of a particular type of organisms known as Cyno-bacteria (Trichodesmium Erythreum) or simply the red algae.

The Northern Red Sea Region has on its Northern shores Egypt, Israel Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Sudan and Eritrea in its western side; it is more famous for some of the most beautiful coral formations in the world and its exclusive fish varieties.

Wait a minute!

Dust storm over the Northern Red Sea

Behind the formation of the sea there are significant geological events initiated in the Eocene Era -in which the continental plate that bears Asia drifting away from that bearing Africa- this process acquired momentum in the Oligocene Era and is continuing. If the geologists are right; this narrow band of sea stretching from Suez to Djibouti may become a full-fledged ocean, but wait a minute; it may take some time; even our grand, grand children may not be fortunate enough to see the Red Sea as big ocean!

The gate of tears!

Northern Red Sea Map courtsey: utexas.edu

As we can see it in a map the Red Sea is a comparatively narrow band of sea stretching from Ban el Mandeb (the narrow strait that separates Yemen of Arabian Peninsula with Djibouti of Africa) in the south to Suez in the north. It is notorious for its unpredictable and sudden desert storms. There are submerged islands and corals to trap a pilot who is either ignorant of the geography or just negligent, its bottom is scattered with many ships that have sunk as a reminder to the dangers that lurk.

Separations are painful this separation between two large continents must by gigantically painful! Hence aptly named Bab el Mandeb meaning gate of tears! As per the Arab legends the separation of the two continents (due to disruptions in the position of tectonic plates beneath) has caused earth-quakes of unheard magnitude and many villages with its total population vanished and thus the name ‘the bridge of tears’.

An exquisite corridor

E M Forster the renowned writer in English and a lover of the Asian culture has described the Red Sea and its surrounding sand banks as “the exquisite corridor of tinted mount and radiant water”.

On thirsty sands

The Red Sea as we know; is lying in the world’s most arid parts of the land; the hot sun heats up the desert sand, air and its waters; the dry desert storms take away most of its water thereby leaving the sea heavily saline.

People living in the arid lands on both sides of it depend upon this water for their day today needs; large desalinating plants located on its banks do the trick. Not only potable water their need for food also is met by the fish caught from Red Sea.

These all do not make the sea poorer in anyway as it is blessed with some of the most wonderful corals and most beautiful fish varieties in the world.

Dahlak Archipelago

The Dahlak Archipelago is a collection of 2 big and more than a hundred small islets, these islands; most of them uninhabited offer good sanctuary for all sorts of birds. Port Kabir is the largest island where pearl harvesting still exists as a trade; this practice was there from the Roman times. There are regular ferry services from Massawa (the capital of Eritrea) to Dahlak.

Wealth of two oceans!

Geological events that have given birth to this sea has at times closed and at times opened it to the Mediterranean Ocean and at times to the Indian Ocean. These ‘vagaries of the geology’ has given marine organisms of both oceans to come and settle in the Red Sea there by adding to the variety of animal world in this sea.

The beauty of the north – an under water Eden

Northern Red Sea image courtsey: mavericksdiving.co.uk

It has been estimated that there are about 1000 types of fish, 200 types of corals (so far recorded) and more than 1000 species of invertebrates found in this region. It has been rightly called as an Underwater Eden due to the beautiful corals that appears in different colors depending upon the intensity and angle of the sunlight that falls on it may look red, yellow or orange. The water here is crystal clear offering good visibility, it is tranquil and seldom cause any turbulence to spoil your photo graph, the water is warm that can keep your heart also warm, hence beware; keep an eye on watch.

Come with some food!

Red Sea coral and marine fish - Anthia goldfish

There are multicolored schools of tiny fish, sharks, rays and eels etc all to delight scuba divers, those with inadequate swimming talent can try snorkeling. The fish here are not afraid of man and can be fed with tit bits like bread-crumbs etc they come so close to peck food from human hands. In fact the tourists have spoiled them by feeding and they seek easy food from visitors!

Beware of the ‘Lions’,

The Lion Fish that lurks at the crevices close to the bottom of this region is bright red in color has poisonous dorsal fins. The Red Sea attracts divers, pleasure hunters and marine scientists all over the world. All of them get the visual feast of beautiful corals and diverse types of fish. In some places these coral forms reefs deep in to the sea to form exotic structures like caves, plateaus, lagoons and all sorts of strange structures that can intrigue the visitors.

Other trouble makers

The Lion Fish is not the only villain that are abound here there are some other animals which have to be cared the ‘Fire Corals’ Stinging Hydoids are dangerous as the touch is enough to cause extreme pain, There are certain fish that can be troublesome if eaten and there are some creatures to which confrontation is better avoided.

Tourism

There are many sites here for the entertainment of the visiting tourists ‘dive sites’ are prominent among them, Ras Mohammed (famous for its exclusive varieties of fish and corals, S S Thistlegorm (a ship wreck site), Elphinstone, Brothers and Rocky Island in Egypt, Dolphin Reef of Eilat and Israel etc. Hans Hass and later Jacques Yves Costeau have made these locations famous by their exploratory works. Sham El Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Dahab of Egypt and Eilat of Israel are popular tourist resorts for stay and tour.

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Mount Saint Michel

Mount Saint Michel, France

Mount Saint Michel

Big Abbey; Small Island

A grand Romanesque Abbey built on the top of a rocky tidal island; that is Mount Saint Michel a widely acclaimed structure that has been featured in many movies and the theme in ‘Disney Land’ theme; ‘Time Keeper’. This cone-shaped island carries on its top the majestic structures including abbey, castle fortress etc built in gothic style; at about 73 meters (240 feet) above sea level. It is at the north western part of France (Normandy) jutting in to the English Channel. The English and France fought many wars for its custody and this tiny islet has been stage to many important historical events.

A mystical place

The Mont at low tide surrounded by mud flats - seen from the air

There are many rocky islets in the sea lying un-noticed by history but that is not the case with this particular islet ‘Le Mont Saint Michel’ (as the complex is known in French), it is just one km from the mainland; once a part of it; as time passed, the connecting land link yielded to the insistent sea-waves and finally narrowed to a strip that vanishes during high tide and reappears during low tides, thus giving this part of the land a mystical status –at times an island and at times not!. This distance between Normandy to this isle is just one km at the mouth of Couesnon River near Avranches. The surrounding sea is also known for the extreme tides that invades the coast.

Its long history

This island -formerly known as ‘Mont Tombe’- was a stronghold of the Romano-Briton culture, with construction of the monastery in 8^th century it came to be known in the present name - Mount Saint Michel. The Franks (an ethnic stock of West Germanic origin) captured it; thus ending a legacy that lasted even after the exit of the Romans in AD 460. In the early 10^th century Duke of Normandy annexed the whole area and the island became a part of his strategic locations. Later this islet came in to the hands of the French. During the ‘Hundred years of war’ between Britain and France; Britain made several futile attempts to capture this island, some of the equipments they left in the attempts are still kept in the premises as show pieces.

The Saint who drilled a hole!

Why such a majestic structure was built in an islet only partly accessible is a natural question, there is only one legend to answer it. Long ago in the early 8^th century (AD 708) Arch Angel Michael appeared in the dreams of Mr. Aubert (later he was declared a Saint) the bishop of Avranches and asked him to build a church on the island of Mont Tombe (the present Mont Saint Michel). Bishop Aubert ignored it as just a dream even the dream was repeated twice. On the third time to make the Bishop remember the request for ever, St. Michael touched bishop’s head with his fore-finger, like poking with a red hot iron rod bishop’s head got pierced leaving a hole! Aubert never forgot about the dream and immediately started with the execution of the church’s work!

A daring design

Mont Saint Michel

King Richard II of Normandy entrusted the job of building such an abbey on the top of the island hill to William de Volpiano an Italian contractor. Mr. Volpiano had the credit of constructing the Abbey of Fecamp. Volpiano’s design was a bit daring one as its transept (the center point between two sections cross) crossing was proposed on the summit of the hill, for support of weights the gaps of the surrounding parts of the summit was to be filled by constructing several crypts and chapels! In 12^th century Robert de Thorigny rebuilt the structure and added the facade to it.

A pilgrimage center

Saint Michel image courtsey: cersanmystical.org

Like Rome and St. Jacques de Compstelle; this island rose as one of the most important places of pilgrimage especially for the Medieval Europeans, thousands of pilgrims walked through the land bridge to the church (a journey called ‘path to paradise’ seeking blessings from St Michael -the archangel of judgement (Pesiur des Ames). Friars and sisters from Les Fraternites Monastiques de Jerusalem stay here for ensuring physical presence; this practice is in vogue since 2001 (with the celebration of the Monastery’s 1000^th anniversary that passed in 1966; which for them is the abbatial dwelling (staying in abbey worshipping god) .

Witness to mutiny and arson

Mount Saint Michel though built as an abbey is also a medieval castle with prominent fortification with two towers to defend any possible forced entrance in to it. As a castle it has experienced many horrific scenes.

Thorigny the terrible!

One Mr. Robert de Thorigny a Briton allied to the French King who rose to the chair; attacked the island massacred its population and set fire to the crypts. The fire spread to the main building and the entire roof collapsed. Still the Mr. Thorigny could not get entrance in to the structure due to strong fortification and had to retreat.

Real revolution!

The French Revolution also had its impact on this island structure. The ‘revolutionaries’ who came to power did not find it as a bad idea to use this historical structure as a prison, -prisons and labor-camps being parts and parcel of real revolution- as the revolution progressed a rare historical monument had to be subjected to alternations to make it fit for a torture camp! A massive reconstruction was needed to repair the damages made by the revolutionary jailors. As in the case of most of the historical structures this abbey had also undergone many destructions and reconstructions.

Then a fire

Mount Saint Michel was mainly built of granite at places limestone and cloister also has been used. In 1856 a fire that broke out and wreaked much destruction to the structure, it remained un-repaired for about 18 years until 1874.

Reconstruction

Philip Augustus; the king of France was shocked by the actions of his ally; he allowed a liberal grant to the authorities for the reconstruction of the abbey. The work was done by Hilderbert in 1023 in a gothic style. That was the times of monastic reforms engineered by King Richard II and Volpiano. In addition to the original structures a refectory and cloister were added. King Charles VI further fortified the structure by adding courtyards and ramparts.

The present state

Mount Saint Michel is a UNESCO approved World Heritage Site since 1979 and a tourist hot spot that attracts not less than tourists from world over. There is a village that is on the south east side of the rock between walls, the main vocation of the villagers is rendering services to the booming tourism industry.

Modern facilitations with an eye on monetary concepts have done much to the damage of the entire island. The Couesnon River was canalized to save space thereby reducing the natural flow of water, the old land bridge –which was partly submergible- that connected this island with mainland was converted in to a permanent causeway; all these stopped the free flow of water and silt which scurried the mud away. The resultant mud-banks got transformed in to pasture lands. The net result is the damage of the entire ecosystem.

At present a 150 million Euro plan has been proposed (Project Mont Saint-Michel) to build a hydraulic dam that could solve the problem of silt accumulation. But this will only be completed in 2012 if all goes as planned.