In the waters of the Yucatan Strait, near the Mexican coast, at Cape Katoche, you can see countless flocks of frolic slopes. These are East American bull-wings, which seem to soar on huge wings in ocean silence. Where is the Yucatan Strait? What are its features, and what are some interesting facts related to it? About this in detail in the proposed review.
Geography
The Yucatan Strait is a place where a huge amount of water moves and currents form that determine the climatic conditions of entire continents. It is located between Cuba and the peninsula of the same name, with which its name is associated. The strait is a junction of the Gulf of Mexico in its southern part and the western Caribbean.
Its extreme points are Cape San Antonio (the westernmost part of the island of Cuba) and Cape Katoche (the westernmost point of Yucatan). The distance between them is 217 km. The strait is characterized by great depths. The deepest place - near Cuba reaches 3 km. The waters here are very salty, more than more than 36%, and the temperature is high. In summer, it reaches 29 ° C, and in winter - 25 ° C.
Several currents
Through the Yucatan Strait, the current of the same name passes. It is directed from east to west. Then it gradually deviates to the north and goes in a large arc from the Caribbean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico. Gradually, it passes into Florida.
This current is relatively fast, throughout the year it drives away large masses of water. This contributes to the fact that the level of the Gulf of Mexico rises, thereby causing the flow from it through the Strait of Florida. And this, in turn, determines the formation of the Gulf Stream.
There are two more currents in the strait, their scale and strength are somewhat less. One of them is the Cuban counterflow. It moves eastward. The second is the Yucatan countercurrent, which moves south under the Yucatan and pumps a relatively small amount of water into the Caribbean from the Gulf of Mexico.
Ichthyofauna
Lagoon Yalahau and Holbox Island are located west of Cape Katoche. Around this area, the waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico are connected. A diverse ichthyofauna lives here. So, in this place is the largest cluster of whale sharks in the oceans.
They come here from all parts of the Atlantic and stay together for six months. On the island of Cuba, on the opposite side of the Yucatan Strait in North America, there are coastal lands that are part of the Guanacabibi National Park. It is one of the largest in the country. And in its coastal waters there is a bottlenose dolphin.
Caribbean gate
This strait is relatively short. Its length and width are related as one to four. In ancient times, the island of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula were connected to each other. This is indicated by the underwater ridge. It stretched across the Yucatan Strait.
The latter is also called the Caribbean Gate. Indeed, a huge number of ships pass through it, one of the most vibrant movements in the world here. The strait is considered practically safe. The smallest depth of the shipping part is below one kilometer. Moreover, it is wide enough so that the flow of ships is intense. In order to avoid accidents, international maritime agreements have significantly limited fishing and the installation of nets.
Mexican Cancun is the largest port in the strait. It is located in the state of Quintana Roo and is one of the world's leading resorts. One third of all tourists visiting Mexico come here. In the strait there is a zone of passage of hurricanes.
Natural attractions
There are a number of attractions in the Yucatan Strait. This is about:
- Cape Katoche.
- Mujeros Islands, Cozumel Holbox.
- The reserve "Yum Balam".
- National Park and Ornithological Reserve "Contoy Island".
- Lagoon Yalahau in Mexico.
- Cape San Antonio and the Guanacabibe National Park in Cuba.
Below are some interesting facts about the strait.
Curious facts
You can name the following:
- On the coast of Cuba, in the eastern part of the strait, during the exploration of the oil shelf in 2001, underwater structures were discovered whose origin has not yet been reliably explained. They are called the Cuban underwater city. They have the appearance of regular geometric formations. These are pyramids of stone and ring formations of massive blocks. The total area is two square meters. km Depth of location - 600-750 meters. Some scientists believe that this is a city built by the Mayans or the Aztecs, while others think that this is a natural creation.
- The Cuban Peninsula of Guanacabibe, which overlooks the strait, was one of the last refugees for the Indians. They fled the island from the Spanish conquistadors. Back then, dense forests in the tropics were a reliable shelter for them.
- Stingray East American was a very peculiar inhabitant of the local waters. It is called that because of its appearance. It has a flattened snout on which there are two small cones. The length of his carcass is approaching two meters. This ramp stray into flocks of up to several tens of thousands of individuals. To see him, divers come here from all over the world.
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