The quicksand of Morecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is the United Kingdom’s largest expanse of intertidal sandflats and mudflats, located in northwest England, and home to some treacherous quicksand.

Furthermore, Morecambe Bay accommodates the estuaries of the rivers Leven, Kent, Keer, Lune and Wyre, which form peninsulas across it.

Its extensive sandflats are remnants of glaciofluvial deposits that formed an outwash plain during the end of the last ice age, while the surrounding area is in a great part composed of limestone.

However, the Bay is also home to quicksand and fast violent tides, which have often in the past proved to be a deadly combination.

More specifically, a royal guide to the Morecambe sand, the King's/ Queen’s (depending on the reign) Guide to the Sands, was first appointed by the Duchy of Lancaster as early as 1548 and is still in place today, as the area was a major transport route until the completion of the Furness railway in 1857.

Several incidents have taken place since then, with the most notable one occurring in 2004 when as many as 23 Chinese immigrant cockle pickers lost their lives in the quicksand.

The Morecambe sands today are surrounded by warning signs, but people still venture into them.

It is also worth mentioning that annual guided charity walks take place in the area.

The following videos demonstrate how one can walk on the quicksand, as well as a rescue technique that consists of pumping water into the sand.