Grand Erg Occidental Grand Erg Occidental The Grand Erg Occidental (, al-ʿIrq al-Gharbī al-Kabīr), (also known as the Western Sand Sea) is the second largest erg in northern Algeria after the Grand Erg Oriental. It covers an area of approximately . The sand dunes in the erg are formed by the wind, and can be up to high. Certain crescent-shaped dunes, known as barchans, are actually mobile; the wind can push these dunes as much as 20 to 30 m (65-100 ft) in one year. It is a desert natural region that receives less than 50 mm (1,96 in) of rainfall per year.
Erg (tug) Halifax Harbour and is the greatest loss of life in regards to a shipwreck within these waters. Upon inspection, it was decided that "Erg" was beyond repair and on August 24, 1943, she was taken to her final resting place and sunk for the third and final time. The "Erg" shipwreck site was rediscovered in 2001 in the northern part of the Bedford Basin (near Roach Cove) by the Nova Scotia Exploration Society. The site is a protected heritage site and is visited by many divers. Objects which were recovered from "Erg", such as the ships' whistle and portholes are