Gulf of California

E40951

The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, is a narrow body of water between Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula and mainland that is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and unique ecosystems.


Statements (135)
Predicate Object
instanceOf body of water
gulf
marginal sea
alsoKnownAs Gulf of Cortez
Mar de Cortés
Sea of Cortez
basinCountry Mexico
borderedBy Baja California
Baja California Sur
Nayarit
Sinaloa
Sonora
connectedBy mouth near Cabo San Lucas
connectsTo Pacific Ocean
continent North America
country Mexico
governedBy Mexican federal environmental laws
Mexican fisheries regulations
hasCityOnCoast Bahía de los Ángeles
Cabo San Lucas
Ciudad Obregón
Guaymas
Hermosillo
La Paz
Loreto
Mazatlán
Puerto Peñasco
San Felipe
Santa Rosalía
Topolobampo
hasClimate arid
subtropical
hasEconomicActivity aquaculture
fishing
recreational boating
sport fishing
tourism
whale watching
hasEcosystem coral reefs
island ecosystems
mangroves
rocky reefs
seagrass beds
upwelling zones
hasGeologicalFeature Gulf of California Rift Zone
spreading centers
transform faults
hasGeologicalOrigin rifting between Pacific Plate and North American Plate
hasInflow Colorado River
Río Acaponeta
Río Baluarte
Río Culiacán
Río Fuerte
Río Fuerte–Mayo–Yaqui system
Río Mayo
Río Piaxtla
Río Presidio
Río San Lorenzo
Río Sinaloa
Río Sonora
Río Yaqui
hasIsland Isla Carmen
Isla Cerralvo
Isla Coronados
Isla Danzante
Isla Espíritu Santo
Isla Monserrat
Isla Partida
Isla Rasa
Isla San Esteban
Isla San Ildefonso
Isla San José
Isla San Lorenzo
Isla San Marcos
Isla San Pedro Mártir
Isla Santa Catalina
Isla Tiburón
Isla Ángel de la Guarda
hasMarineBiodiversity very high
hasOceanographicFeature high productivity
seasonal upwelling
strong tidal ranges in northern gulf
hasPort Port of Guaymas
Port of La Paz
Port of Mazatlán
Port of Puerto Peñasco
Port of Topolobampo
hasProtectedArea Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado Biosphere Reserve
Bahía de Loreto National Park
Cabo Pulmo National Park
Isla Espíritu Santo Protected Area
Isla Rasa Reserve
Isla San Pedro Mártir Reserve
Isla Tiburón Protected Area
Isla Ángel de la Guarda Protected Area
Islas del Golfo de California Biosphere Reserve
hasRecreation diving
kayaking
sailing
snorkeling
sport fishing
hasSpecies California sea lion
blue whale
dolphins
humpback whale
mobula rays
numerous endemic fish species
sea turtles
sperm whale
vaquita
whale shark
hasThreat bycatch of vaquita
climate change
habitat degradation
overfishing
pollution
reduced Colorado River flow
unsustainable tourism
hasUNESCOSite Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
knownFor high endemism of marine species
rich marine biodiversity
unique marine ecosystems
length about 1126 kilometers
about 700 miles
locatedBetween Baja California Peninsula
Mexican mainland
locatedIn eastern Pacific Ocean
maximumDepth about 3000 meters
about 9800 feet
namedAfter Hernán Cortés
partOf Pacific Ocean
UNESCOSiteDesignation World Heritage Site
UNESCOSiteInscriptionYear 2005
width up to about 150 miles
up to about 241 kilometers


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