Gulf of california

The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez or Red Sea, is an extension of the Pacific Ocean and is located between the Baja California peninsula and the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico. It is 1,126 km in length and varies between 48 and 241 kilometers in width. At its northern end is the mouth of the Colorado River. The International Hydrographic Organization defines its southern limit as the line that joins the northern tip of the Piaxtla bar (23°38'N), in Sinaloa, with the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.^{[citation required]}

In its waters are the following islands belonging to the state of Baja California and administered by the municipality of Mexicali: Ángel de la Guarda, Montague, Gore, Consag, El Huerfanito, Miramar, Coloradito, Encantada, Pómez, San Luis, Mejía, Granitos, Navío, Pelícano, Alcatraz, Coronadito, Smith, Pond and the group of islands and islets that are located within the Bay of Los Angeles. To the state of Baja California Sur belong the islands of: Carmen, Cerralvo, Coronados, Espiritu Santo, Monserrat, Partida, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, San Marcos, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, and to the state of Sonora, the islands Huivulai, San Esteban, San Jorge, San Pedro Mártir, San Pedro Nolasco and Tiburón Island, which is the largest in Mexico, with an area of 1208 km², among others of smaller size.^{[citation required]}

On its coasts, the most important ports are: Puerto Peñasco, Guaymas, San Felipe, La Paz, San José del Cabo, Punta Las Miredes, Santa Rosalía, Topolobampo, Golfo de Santa Clara, Puerto Libertad, Puerto Lobos and Yavaros, among others.^{[citation required]}

The tides in this gulf are among the largest on the planet, as fluctuations of up to nine meters have been measured at its northern end. It enjoys an immense concentration of microscopic organisms and extraordinary biological diversity, thanks to abundant sunlight and nutrient-rich waters. These factors, as well as the crystal clear waters, prompted the oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau to call this place "the aquarium of the world".

Toponymy

Its name comes from California, the name given by Hernán Cortés to the peninsula, which was originally mistakenly thought to be an island, and from this the Sea of Cortés. Its name in Kiliwa is Ja' Tay Eñoom (Eastern Sea), and Xepe (sea), in seri.^{[citation required]}

History

The formation of the Gulf of California began about 130 million years ago, in the middle of the Mesozoic era, due to the fact that a land mass, which would later become the Baja California peninsula, began to separate from the continent due to a series of tectonic movements originated by what is now known as the San Andreas fault. The Gulf of California acquired its present characteristics approximately 4.5 million years ago. From then until now, the peninsula has moved 650 kilometers and the movement is still continuing, and it is estimated that within a few million years it will completely separate from the mainland and become an island, thus making the myth of the navigators come true. from the 17th century, which they mistakenly thought was an island.^{[citation needed]}

Francisco de Ulloa named the Sea of Cortés (present-day Gulf of California) in honor of Hernán Cortés in 1539. Originally, Ulloa believed that the gulf led to the mythical Strait of Anián, which was thought to connect to the ocean Pacific with the Atlantic Ocean. Melchor Díaz made extensive explorations of the area in 1540, including forays into the Colorado River.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Geographically, the Gulf of California is located in a region with a subtropical climate, which causes large annual, even daily, climatic variations. During the winter, the temperature drops considerably in the northern part, producing frosts. In the summer, and already in the southern part, there are tropical storms. The average temperature of the gulf is 24 °C. In the northern part, the rains are very scarce and usually occur between October and May.^{[citation required]}

The gulf contains 37 main islands. The two largest are Isla Ángel de la Guarda and Isla Tiburón. Most of the islands are located on the west side of the gulf. In fact, many of the islands in the gulf are the result of volcanic eruptions that occurred during Baja California's early history. It is believed that the islands of Islas Marías, the San Francisco Islands and Isla Partida are the result of these eruptions. However, the island formations do not depend on each other. Each of them formed as a result of an individual structural event. Several islands, including Isla Coronados, are home to volcanoes.

The gulf has more than 900 islets and islands that together add up to 420 hectares. All of them as a whole were promulgated as "Reserve Area and Refuge for Migratory Birds and Wildlife" on August 2, 1978. In June 2000, the islands were designated as a flora and fauna protection area. In addition to this effort by the Mexican government, due to its importance and recognition worldwide, all the islands of the Gulf are also part of the international program "Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) and are part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves as a Special Biosphere Reserve. Due to the large area covered by this federal protected area, conservation and management is carried out through a system of four regional directorates (one for each state bordering the Gulf of California). The direct and indirect conservation work carried out on the islands is governed by a single management program, published in the year 2000, which is complemented by local and specific management programs. The Directorate of the Area for the Protection of Wildlife of the Islands of the Gulf of California in Baja California is responsible for 56 islands located off the coast of the state. These are grouped into four archipelagos: San Luis Gonzaga or Encantado, Ángel Guardian, Bahía de los Ángeles and San Lorenzo.

The seabed of the Gulf is one of the most rugged in the world. Valleys and submarine canyons run along both banks, and form chasms that can exceed three kilometers in depth. On average, the sea is more than a kilometer deep, and its deepest parts are up to 3,400 meters. This abrupt relief, among other consequences, has caused some of the most important tides in the world to take place in the northern part of the sea, especially in the area near the mouth of the Colorado River, with fluctuations that exceed 9 meters.^{[citation required]}

Currently, the most important tourist cities in the region are located in the peninsular of the Gulf, especially for its beaches, many of them with the attraction of natural and virgin sites.^{[citation required ]}

200 kilometers south of the city of Mexicali, capital of the state of Baja California, is the small port of San Felipe, in the northern region of the gulf. This site, founded by Francisco de Ulloa in 1539, began to be populated in the forties of the XX century as a fishing community, and today it is an important tourist spot. Here, its beaches stand out especially, where some of the highest tides in the world occur.^{[citation required]}

World Heritage Site

On July 15, 2005, the islands of the Gulf of California were declared a World Heritage Site in its category of natural assets, under the name Islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California. The area has become one of the favorite destinations for regional and international tourists, since it integrates unique rock formations. In addition, due to the presence of different types of whales that can be found, such as the humpback whale, the gray whale and the blue whale. The pearl banks discovered near the port of Santa Cruz, today La Paz, in Baja California Sur, and perhaps the exaggeration, common denominator of many of the chronicles written during the conquest, were the reason for tourists to be even more interested in traveling to the area. On these Californian islands, specialists in endemic plants and animals can recognize cacti, reptiles, mammals, black hares, barrel-eyes, swallows, iguanas, lizards, snakes, rattlesnakes, mice, herons, hawks, pelicans, among other species. The area is home to about 40% of the marine mammal species that exist in the world, and a third of all cetacean species, in addition to being the only place in the world where there are underwater sand waterfalls. It includes 244 islands and islets and coastal areas of the states of Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit. It contains 4,500 known species of marine invertebrates, 181 species of birds, and 695 species of plants, of which 28 are only found in this region.

The Convention on World Heritage Sites was adopted in 1972 to identify natural and cultural heritage of universal value and guarantee its protection through international cooperation mechanisms, while respecting the sovereignty of countries. Mexico has 31 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, of which 22 are cultural and three are natural. Now the islands and areas of the Gulf of California are at the level of reserves such as the Galapagos Islands and the Australian Great Barrier Reef.

The Gulf of California and its islands have been considered a natural laboratory for species research. In addition, almost most of the oceanographic processes that occur in the oceans of this planet are present in this property, giving it extraordinary importance for the study of marine and coastal processes.

The site is one of awe-inspiring natural beauty set in a dramatic setting made up of rugged islands with high cliffs and sandy beaches, which contrast with the brilliant reflection of the desert and surrounding turquoise waters. The diversity of shapes and colors complement the richness of marine and bird life. The abundance of marine life associated with the spectacular underwater shapes and transparency of the waters make this site a paradise for divers.

All of the component sites included in this property are located within nine protected areas of which 25% are terrestrial and 75% are marine, representing 5% of the total area of the Gulf of California. The site includes temperate swamps in the north to tropical environments in the south, 181 bird species have been recorded, 695 vascular plant species with 28 subspecies endemic to the islands of that region, more than any other listed marine or island property. of the World Heritage.

Since it contains more than 890 species of fish—some 90 are exclusive to the region—the gulf is a natural laboratory for the study of marine life. Due to the lack of care for the fauna, the numbers of many species are declining, including a hard-to-find porpoise: the vaquita porpoise. The vaquita is the smallest member of the porpoise family, measuring one and a half meters long (almost five feet). Their skin color ranges from light gray to reddish brown, and they have black spots around their eyes. This "shy" It is rarely seen and not much is known about it, as it only inhabits the shallow, murky waters of the gulf, near the Colorado River delta. It was discovered in 1958, when the skulls of three specimens were found on a beach in Baja California.

Apart from its great natural value, this area contains cave paintings of those who inhabited it 7,500 years ago and most of these paintings are large murals, although the sizes vary. The works are found in the San Borja mountains, San Juan, San Francisco and Guadalupe. Also noteworthy are the vestiges of the communities that inhabited this area, hunter-gatherer communities belonging to different indigenous groups: Pericúes, Guaycuras, Cochimíes and Cucapás; These communities settled in this area thanks to its marine resources that are still important today.