Gulf of California

The Gulf of California, also know as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortés or Vermilion Sea, is a 500-mile long stretch of water that separates Baja California from mainland Mexico. The gulf was created when tectonic plates segregated the land over five million years ago. The Colorado River prevents the gulf from stretching further.

Though over 922 islands populate the Gulf of California, the two largest are Isla Angel de la Guarda and Tiburon Island. Isla Angel de la Guarda, also known as Archangel Island, is in the northwest region of the Gulf of California and acts as a biological reserve for the multitude of lizards that inhabit it. Tiburon Island (literally "Shark Island" in Spanish) is considered part of the state of Sonora in Mexico and is closer to mainland Mexico, east of Archangel Island. This island was formerly inhabited by Seri natives but is currently an ecological preserve.

There is a great abundance of marine animals in the gulf, and many cities on the water rely on fishing for their industry. They have one of the world's largest tuna populations, with schools stretching dozens of miles long. Most of Mexico's sardines and anchovies also come from the gulf.

The Gulf of California is bordered by the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa with approximately 2500 miles of coastline. Rivers which flow into the Gulf of California are the Colorado, Fuerte, Mayo, Sinaloa, Sonora, and the Yaqui. The Gulf is one of the most diverse seas with more than 5,000 species of macroinvertebrates.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_California

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