One could qualify Erwan Simon as a “wave hunter”. As a surfer, he traveled the world in search of the most beautiful spots, from the Philippines to Egypt via Madagascar.
He was thus able to realize the evolution of this very special heritage: “I realized that some waves were threatened by human constructions. Some that I have surfed have disappeared forever following riprap, the construction of ports, dykes or even if there was sand that was pumped in places…“, he describes.
The idea was then born to defend hydrodiversity, in the same way as we protect biodiversity thanks to nature reserves. To protect these waves, Erwan was therefore inspired by what exists abroad, in the United States, Australia or Portugal, with “world surfing reserves”. Le Breton therefore chose the Quiberon peninsula to create the first French reserve. “It’s a fabulous place where the waves can be really remarkable and it’s a very good starting point. Knowing that in France, we have the second largest maritime area in the world, I found it abnormal that there was no reserve of waves to promote and enhance hydrodiversity. Because I think that France is the world champion of hydrodiversity!“
The municipal council of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon followed it and voted last February to create the first “wave reserve” in France in order to preserve this heritage from any human intervention. This area of approximately 30 hectares must “preserve and promote their richness and the quality of these exceptional waves“which constitute a”heritage and a natural, sporting, socio-economic and cultural resource“, can we read in the declaration of public utility of the town hall.
And he assures us, this project does not only concern sliding enthusiasts. “It’s not just a story of surfers protecting their spots. These waves have a much broader role“, he defends.
This is confirmed by Grégoire Touron-Gardic, a scientist specializing in marine protected areas. He is also involved in the France Hydrodiversité association: “The waves are precious, they have a great value. And what is interesting is that by protecting the waves, we can also protect the adjacent environment, cascading. What we can say is that they participate in water-atmosphere gas exchange, sedimentary dynamics, sediment transport… It is also a privileged place of life for certain marine species that seek an area -refuge. The waves also contribute to the oxygenation of the water.“
After Quiberon, the association France Hydrodiversity intends to promote other wave reserves, in the Basque Country, Martinique or Polynesia.