Bay of Vlorë

The Bay of Vlorë (Albanian: Gjiri i Vlorës — Albanian pronunciation: [ˈɟiːɾi i ˈvlɔːɾəs]) is a large bay of the Adriatic Sea situated along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast on the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe. It opens to the sea in the northwest and is largely surrounded by the lagoon of Narta in the north, the city of Vlorë in the northeast, the mountains of the Ceraunians in the east and southeast, and the peninsula of Karaburun in the southwest and west.

Bay of Vlorë
Map of the Bay of Vlorë
Location	Southern Europe
Coordinates	40°27′0″N 19°24′0″E
Ocean/sea sources	Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea
Basin countries	Albania
Max. length	10 km (6.2 mi)
Surface area	250 km2 (97 sq mi)
Average depth	25 m (82 ft)
Settlements	Vlorë

The bay is categorized as an Important Bird and Plant Area by virtue of it provides excellent habitats for a vast array of bird and plant species.[1][2] The Karaburun Peninsula, which stretches at the meetingpoint of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, encompasses the western shoreline of the bay that is highly hilly and irregular in structure and is home to the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park.[3]

During classical antiquity, the region was a significant place nd was the scene, for example, of some of Caesar's battles. In one account, 18 ships full of merchandise have sunk in the Bay. Studying the Bay of Vlorë, it has been one of the main projects of the navigation department of the University of Vlora in the last few years.[4] The southwestern end of the Bay, at the naval base of Pashaliman, has been used as a harbor since antiquity. The city was called Oricum. During the Cold War, it was temporarily a Soviet naval base, the only one in the Mediterranean sea.