Conwy Bay
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox body of water
Conwy Bay (Template:Langx, also spelled as Conway Bay) is an inlet of the Irish Sea. It is situated at the southeastern point of the coast of Anglesey at Bangor on the northern central coast of Wales, stretching from Puffin Island to Great Orme in the northeast. Bangor, Penmaenmawr, Beaumaris and Llandudno are notable towns on the bay. With its onshore winds and ebbing tide, the bay is popular with yachtsmen; Conwy Yacht Club hosts an annual regatta in June.
Description
Conwy Bay lies at the southeastern point of the coast of Anglesey at Bangor on the northern central coast of Wales.<ref name="GM">Template:Google maps</ref> Puffin Island and the Great Orme mark the limits of the bay.<ref name="VMH">Template:Cite web</ref> The bay is entered between Trwyn-du and Great Ormes Head in the northeast and extends for approximately Template:Convert to the southwest at Bangor, marking the northeast entrance to the Menai Strait.<ref name="NIMA2004">Template:Cite book</ref>
Bangor, Penmaenmawr and Beaumaris lie on the bay, with Llandudno<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to the eastern extreme. The River Conwy flows into Conwy Bay in the southeast, while the Menai Strait in the west connects it to Caernarfon Bay.<ref name="GM"/>
The coastline at both sides of the bay is low. A considerable area of the bay is characterised by drying sands, Lavan Sands and the Dutchman Bank (Template:Langx)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> being the most prominents banks.<ref name="NIMA2004"/> To the west of the entrance at Great Ormes Head is the Four Fathom Bank, a shallow area with depths of under Template:Convert, though the dry Conwy Sands dominate much of the estuary area in the eastern part of the bay between Great Ormes Head and Penmaen-bach Point, Template:Convert to the south. Template:Convert to the east of Penmaen-bach Point is the entrance to the Conwy River.<ref name="NIMA2004"/> The outer estuary of the Conwy in the southeastern corner of Conwy Bay is marked by "extensive sandbanks, mudflats and mussel beds", and is an important habitat for birds such as dunlin, oystercatcher, curlew and redshank.<ref name="Prater2010">Template:Cite book</ref>
Water sports
With its strong onshore winds and ebbing tide, the bay is popular with yachtsmen.<ref name="VMH"/> The bay is home to several yacht and boating clubs. Conwy Yacht Club hosts an annual regatta in June, in preparation for the Conwy River Festival in July.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>