Gulf of Batabanó
Encyclopedia
The Gulf of Batabanó also called the Batabanó Gulf, is an inlet
or strait
off southwestern Cuba
in the Caribbean Sea
, separating mainland Cuba from the Isle of Youth
. It is located at 22.25°N 82.5°W.
The gulf's northern border begins at the southern coast of Cuba in Pinar del Río Province
, Havana Province, and Matanzas Province
, ending at the Zapata Peninsula
(Península de Zapata), a length of about 80 miles (130 km). The northeastern section of the gulf is also called Ensenada de la Broa
. The gulf stretches south about 50 miles (80 km) to the Isle of Youth. The gulf is shallow–less than 200 feet (61 m) deep–and contains about 350 smaller islands of the Canarreos Archipelago
(los Archipiélago de los Canarreos) besides the Isle of Youth
. The gulf is a center of sponge
fishing.
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
or strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
off southwestern Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, separating mainland Cuba from the Isle of Youth
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud is the second-largest Cuban island and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies . The island has an area and is 100 km south of the island of Cuba, across the Gulf of Batabanó...
. It is located at 22.25°N 82.5°W.
The gulf's northern border begins at the southern coast of Cuba in Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
, Havana Province, and Matanzas Province
Matanzas Province
Matanzas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas...
, ending at the Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula
Zapata Peninsula is a large peninsula in Matanzas Province, southern Cuba, at . Ciénaga de Zapata National Park is located on the peninsula....
(Península de Zapata), a length of about 80 miles (130 km). The northeastern section of the gulf is also called Ensenada de la Broa
Ensenada de la Broa
Ensenada de la Broa is a bay in southern Cuba. It is located at , in the provinces of Matanzas and Havana. Bay is a part of the Gulf of Batabano....
. The gulf stretches south about 50 miles (80 km) to the Isle of Youth. The gulf is shallow–less than 200 feet (61 m) deep–and contains about 350 smaller islands of the Canarreos Archipelago
Canarreos Archipelago
Canarreos Archipelago is an archipelago of Cuba.It is located south of the main island of Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea, at . It is bordered to the east by the Gulf of Cazones, to the north by the Gulf of Batabano and to the west by the Los Indios Channel....
(los Archipiélago de los Canarreos) besides the Isle of Youth
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud is the second-largest Cuban island and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies . The island has an area and is 100 km south of the island of Cuba, across the Gulf of Batabanó...
. The gulf is a center of sponge
Sea sponge
Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera . Their bodies consist of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. While all animals have unspecialized cells that can transform into specialized cells, sponges are unique in having some specialized cells, but can also have...
fishing.