Algerian Mediterranean Coast

Algeria's 1,200km Mediterranean coastline is the longest in North Africa. The Mediterranean tidal regime is microtidal — the Strait of Gibraltar severely attenuates the Atlantic tidal wave entering the Mediterranean; mean spring range at Algiers is approximately 0.15-0.30m. Water level variation is driven primarily by atmospheric pressure and wind (the Tramontane and Sirocco wind systems), not by the astronomical tide. The Sirocco (locally called Chehili) blows from the Sahara across the sea in spring and autumn — hot, dusty, and occasionally capable of raising sea temperatures by 5-8°C in a few hours. The Algerian coastline alternates between rocky limestone and sandstone headlands, sandy beaches in bay bottoms, and a few river deltas. The Roman ruins at Tipaza and Djemila (inland) and the Casbah of Algiers (UNESCO) represent 2,000 years of coastal settlement history. The Algerian National Institute of Meteorology (ONM) and the Algerian General Maritime Directorate are the national authorities. Open-Meteo Marine provides gridded predictions for TideTurtle pages.