Departing from the harbour of Bouzigues, a picturesque little village in the Bassin de Thau, embark on an unforgettable experience aboard the Bleu Marin, our 65-seat passenger boat.
The crew welcomes you and sets sail to explain the characteristics of the lagoon and its neighbouring municipalities: Bouzigues, Balaruc le Vieux, Balaruc les Bains, famous for its thermal baths, Sète, the little Venice of Languedoc, Marseillan, Mèze and Loupian.
The cruise begins in the direction of Balaruc-les-Bains, towards the Gouffre de la Vice. It is a natural freshwater upwelling located 30 metres below the surface that emerges on the surface of the lagoon.
The course is then set towards Sète, a town dear to the singer and poet Georges Brassens, and the Roquerols Lighthouse. The crew has plenty of anecdotes and other quips – the charm of the local area!
On the horizon, the expanse of oyster beds finally appears, a line of metal and wooden structures from which ropes of oysters and mussels hang.
The Bleu Marin docks at an educational table specially dedicated to the tour. Using a motorised system, the ropes come out of the water and are displayed for all to see. For nearly 30 minutes, the crew explains the various stages of farming: collection, pre-growth, attachment, harvesting, removal from the ropes, grading, sale, and finally consumption.
The tour ends by passing along the area of the “mas”, establishments where all the stages of processing the precious seafood take place.
Le Bleu Marin slowly returns to the harbour, revealing a postcard view. Bouzigues, the capital of oysters, our home harbour.