Somewhat surprising was the abundance of wildlife during my September barge cruise from Sete to Arles. As we barged along the canal, we saw flamingos, egrets, herons along with wild horses and cattle. They all live in the Camargue, a natural region south of Arles that spans more than 360 square miles. That expanse makes the Camargue the largest river delta in western Europe.

The Camargue is home to wild horses, cattle and more than 400 species of birds, and a number of pests. The marshes in the Camargue, in fact, breed the most ferocious mosquitoes in all of France. The photos that follow depict some of the wildlife that we saw during our voyage in the Camargue.

Flamingos. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Heron on the railing. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Wild white horses. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Horses grazing in the Camargue. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Egrets in flight. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Egrets nesting in a tree. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Grasslands in the Camargue. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Emaciated wild horse along the banks of the canal. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Sunset in the Camargue part 1. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Sunset in the Camargue part 2. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle

Frogs on light poles to better zap mosquitoes. © 2018 Ralph Grizzle