Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Getting Familiar with the Gulf of Mexico


The Gulf of Mexico is the 9th largest body of water in the world.  The Gulf is a partially landlocked basin.  There is only a narrow connection to the Atlantic as the Gulf is surrounded by North America and Cuba.
The coast line of the Gulf measures approximately 3500 miles starting from the tip of Florida, to the Yucatan, and about 230 miles along Cuba. 
Although much of the Gulf basin is shallow water over Continental shelves, it does have a trough that measures about 14,000 feet!
The population of people who live along the Gulf is projected to reach 61.4 million by 2025!
The Gulf is home to many species including 5 types of endangered sea turtles.  49 different types of sharks are known to inhabit these waters as well.  Also calling the Gulf their home is the bottlenose Dolphin, the West Indian manatee and humpback,, minke, and sperm whales.  
60% of brown pelicans breed along the Gulf coast.  Fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico include red snapper, shrimp, grouper, amberjack and oyster.  The Gulf also can also boast about having 8 of the top 20 fishing ports in the nation, by dollar value.

Exploring the the water ways leading up to the Gulf by Jet ski, Hurricane Deck Boat, or Pontoon is always fun!   Port of Naples Marina has great summer rates!  (239) 774-0479.

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