Dingle Bay
Encyclopedia
Dingle Bay is a bay
located in County Kerry
, western Ireland
. The bay runs approximately 40 km (24.9 mi) from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean
and is approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide at the head, and 20 km (12.4 mi) wide at the entrance. It is flanked on the north by the Dingle Peninsula
, and on the south by the Iveragh Peninsula
. The River Maine enters the bay at its head.
It is home to Fungi the Dingle Dolphin.
There are no notable islands within the bay, but towards the head, several peninsula
s, in particular Inch Strand, extend a significant distance across its width.
The harbour town of Dingle
lies on the north side of the bay.
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
located in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, western Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The bay runs approximately 40 km (24.9 mi) from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and is approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide at the head, and 20 km (12.4 mi) wide at the entrance. It is flanked on the north by the Dingle Peninsula
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...
, and on the south by the Iveragh Peninsula
Iveragh Peninsula
The Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...
. The River Maine enters the bay at its head.
It is home to Fungi the Dingle Dolphin.
There are no notable islands within the bay, but towards the head, several peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
s, in particular Inch Strand, extend a significant distance across its width.
The harbour town of Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
lies on the north side of the bay.