The Sea of Cortez is surrounded on three sides by five of Mexico's western regions: Baja California (the second largest peninsula on Earth); Baja California Sur; Sonora; Nayarit; and Sinoloa.
Much of the land around the Sea of Cortez--particularly to the north--is dry and desert-like enough to have discouraged large-scale development, lending much of the area a remote, back-to-nature atmosphere.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the surface of the Sea of Cortez covers 62,000 square miles, and includes more than 900 islands.
The Gulf's clear waters and abundant marine life draw all sorts of aquatic recreation enthusiasts, from anglers to scuba divers and kayak paddlers.
This same abundance of aquatic life attracts scores of marine biologists, who estimate the Gulf to be home to the greatest assortment of whales on the planet. The location of the Sea of Cortez atop the San Andreas fault makes it an interesting study for geologists and scientists specializing in tectonics as well.
While the Sea of Cortez is named for the Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernan Cortes, it was not Cortes' doing; Francisco De Ulloa gave the gulf that title in Cortes' honor in 1539.
