Gulf of California

California is full of many wonders. It is the home of Hollywood, the center of movies and television. It has amazing beaches, it is the home of famous YouTube stars Rhett and Link, and the shopping is amazing. There is something for everyone in California.One of the most amazing places in the state is the Gulf of California. If you are looking for fun and interesting facts about the Gulf of California, keep reading!

Gulf of California Facts for Kids

• The Gulf of California is the breeding ground for one of the worlds largest animals, the Blue Whale.
• The Gulf of California in known for its fishing. The most popular marine species in this area are anchovies, sardines, and shrimp. The species that are mostly hunted in this area include swordfish, grouper, marlin, bonito, and giant sea bass. Other popular species are tuna, yellowtail, scallops, halibut, snapper, and sharks.
• The Gulf of California contains 37 islands. It is believed that many of these islands were formed by volcanic activity. The two largest islands are Isla Angel de la Guarda and Tiburon.
• The vaquita, the smallest and most endangered species of porpoise is located exclusively in the Gulf of California.
• The Baja California Peninsula protects the Gulf of California from waves and storms. When bad storms hit, the shoreline is often damaged.
• In the winter, the temperature of the Gulf of California drops to 16 degrees celsius which is equal to 60.8 degrees fahrenheit. In the summer the temperature reaches 24 degrees celsius or 75.2 degrees fahrenheit.
• The Gulf of California is approximately 700 miles wide. This area stretches between Baja and the Mexico mainland.
• This area of the sea is home to around 2000 invertebrates and 800 different species of fish. Not to mention all of the sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and sea lions.
• The Colorado River empties into the Gulf of California at its northern end. At the eastern end, the Sinaloa river, Mayo river, Sonora river, Fuerte river, and the Yaqui river flow into the Gulf.
• The construction of the Hoover Dam made some major changes to the flow of water from the Colorado River. Before the dam was put in place, the Colorado emptied around 18 billion square meters of water per year. It also brought approximately 160 billion square meters of sediment every year. Now, those number have been reduced to 8 billion square meters and 12 billion kilograms respectively.
• The Gulf of California has been protected by Mexico since 1964 ever since they declared one of the islands, Isla Rada a protected area. The reason for this protection status is because this area is the breeding ground for around 90% of the worlds population of elegant terns and Heermann’s gulls.
• Isla Rada is not the only protected area in the Gulf of California. There are 27 protected areas within the Gulf of California encompassing several different areas and species.
• The Gulf of California is the 9th largest body of water in the entire world.

Question: In what year did Nunez de Guzman reach the Gulf of California?

Answer: 1532

Question: In what year did the Spanish explorer Francisco de Ulloa prove that Baja California was a peninsula and not an island?

Answer: 1539

Question: What is another name for the Gulf of California?

Answer: The Sea of Cortez or Vermilion Sea

Question: How long is the coastline of the Gulf of California?

Answer: 2,500 miles

There are a lot of fun and interesting facts about the Gulf of California, the information here is only a small sampling. Hopefully, you have learned something new!