Bay: What is and examples

According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), a bay is a Natural sea entrance to the coastconsiderable extension, but generally less than that of a gulf. In other words, a bay is an entrance to a sea, ocean or lake, which is surrounded by land except for an opening and whose coasts tend to be more protected from winds and waves. The bays are the result of different geological processes, including coastal erosion by rivers and glaciers, volcanic activity and movement of tectonic plates, and can vary significantly in form and size, from small ensenas to large basins.

• Concave form: Most bays have a concave or semicircular form, although this aspect may vary considerably depending on the geological processes that contributed to their formation.
• Its waters are calmer than other coastal reliefs: The waters in the bays are calmer, since they are usually sheltered in front of winds and waves through the surrounding terrain.
• Biodiversity: The protected waters of a bay are usually rich in biodiversity, providing an important habitat for several marine species, including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants.
• Economic importance: Due to their calm and protected waters, bays frequently serve as natural ports, facilitating economic activities such as trade, fishing and tourism.
• Tourist attraction: The natural beauty and the calm waters of the bays attract a large number of tourists and fans of recreational activities such as navigation, diving, sport fishing and swimming.
• Conservation: Many bays are recognized for their importance and ecological value and are protected locally or internationally with the aim of conserving their biological and cultural diversity and ecosystem services in the long term.

Located in the Northern Vietnamnear the border with China and in the Gulf of Tonkín, Ha-Long’s bay is famous for its thousands of islands and islets of limestone covered by tropical jungles that emerge from its waters, forming a spectacular marine landscape. In 1994, she was designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO due to its impressive natural beauty and its geological and geomorphological importance. Did you know that on November 11, 2011 it was designated as one of the seven wonders of the world?

Located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay is one of the most important in the country, since it houses The port and the city of Rio de Janeiro. This bay is also known for having one of the most beautiful entries in the worldflanked by the iconic bread of sugar and the nose of Corcovado, where the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer is located.

Inside it presents a large number of islands and islets being the island of the governor the largest of them. Unfortunately, due to the great urban and industrial advance is one of the bays that It has greater pollutionmainly due to the lack of public policies in environmental management.

Located in the state of California, on the west coast of the United States, San Francisco’s bay and estuary is notable for its historical importance, its ecological diversity and as a technological innovation center. The bay area includes important cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and San José. The Golden Gate bridge is one of the many iconic symbols associated with bay. Despite its urban and industrial development, the Bay and the Delta del Sacramento-San Joaquín They constitute some of California’s most critical habitatsoffering a variety of ecosystems that are vital for migratory, marine and endangered species.

Hudson Bay is located in the Northeast of Canada and opens towards the Arctic Ocean. To the east connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Homonymous Strait, and in the north with the rest of the Arctic through the Foxe basin (which is not part of the bay). Due to its size it constitutes an inner sea of ​​the Canadian country; Also, forms one of the greater bays in the world and play a crucial role in the climate of the region Due to its interaction with oceanic currents and sea ice. It constitutes an important area for wildlife, including populations of polar bears, seals and numerous migratory birds.

Samborombón Bay forms a geographical accident in the estuary section of the Río de la Plata located in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and represents one of the most important coastal ecosystems in southern South America. It extends from Cabo San Antonio to the South to the mouth of the Salado River, covering an area that includes both slope beaches and floods.

This bay is characterized by its rich biodiversity and is an area of ​​vital importance for numerous species of migratory birds, some of which travel from the Arctic and northern America to feed and reproduce in their wetlands. In fact, it has been recognized as a Ramsar site, which underlines its international importance for the conservation of water birds.

Now that you know what a bay is and you know some examples, do not miss this article about a corporal: what it is and how it is formed.

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