Science

Difference between Gulf and Bay

Both define the land that internal or surrounds a part of the sea, but they have different characteristics. A gulf is a large expanse of sea enclosed by capes or points of land. A bay occurs when the sea enters the land in such a way that when the space with water is measured, it is wider than long.

These two terms are generated by erosion, the gulfs are said to be very large, but the Bay of Bengal (the largest in the world) is larger than the largest gulf in the world: Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf

It is a body of water that is enclosed by land and has a narrow opening to the sea. They are generated by the movement of the earth’s crust or continental drift, the tectonic plates break and form a gulf.

A gulf can be divided into small geographical extensions with similar characteristics, generally depending on a larger gulf and known as golfetes, cove, cove, calera or roadstead.

Bay

It is a body of water that is partially enclosed by land and that is directly attached to a large body of water, be it sea, river, ocean, or lake. They are generated in many ways, some by the tectonic plate process, that is, by the movement of the continents or by the erosion of the coast due to water.

They are usually created when the oceans overflow the coast. Bays open to the oceans are marine habitats. Those that open into rivers and lakes usually house reptiles. You should not confuse a bay with a fjord, since the two have very different origins.