Great Bitter Lake - Definition and Overview

The Great Bitter Lake is a salt water lake between the north and south part of the Suez Canal. It is adjoined by the Small Bitter Lake, separated by a contraction. Together, the Bitter Lakes has a surface area of about 250 km². To the north, the canal also runs trough Lake Manzala and Lake Timsah.

As the canal has no locks, sea water flows freely into the lake from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, replacing water lost to evaporation. The lake acts as a buffer for the canal, reducing the effect of tidal currents.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, the canal was closed, leaving 14 ships trapped in the lake until 1975. These ships become known as the "Yellow Fleet", because of the desert sands which soon covered their decks. A number of local postage stamps (or rather, decorative labels, since they had no postal validity) were created by the crews, which are sought after by collectors.

External Links

• Melampus in Suez (http://www.lairig.freeserve.co.uk/bluefunnel/melampus/melampus.htm)- the tale of a sailor of the MS Melampus, one of the ships trapped in the lake in 1967.