Magdalena Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magdalena Bay |
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 Magdalena Bay
Location in Baja California Sur
Magdalena Bay
Location in Mexico
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| Coordinates | 24°35′N 112°00′W / 24.583°N 112.000°W |
| Native name | Bahía Magdalena (Spanish) |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Max. length | 50 km (31 mi) |
Magdalena Bay (which is Bahía Magdalena in Spanish) is a large bay about 50 kilometers (31 miles) long. It is located on the western coast of Baja California Sur, a state in Mexico. This bay is special because it is protected from the big Pacific Ocean by two sandy islands. These islands are called Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita. They are mostly empty, without many people living on them.
Contents
Amazing Wildlife
Magdalena Bay is famous for its incredible wildlife, especially the gray whales.
Gray Whale Migration
Every winter, many California gray whales travel a long way to come to Magdalena Bay. They come here to have their babies, called calves. It's a safe and warm place for the baby whales to grow strong.
Fishing and Bird Sanctuaries
The bay is also a popular spot for fishing, both for fun and for businesses. You can find many different kinds of fish here. Close by, there are mangrove swamps. These are like special forests that grow in salty water. They are perfect homes and safe places for many kinds of sea birds.
Whale Watching Spots
There are a couple of small towns near the bay that are great for seeing the whales.
- San Carlos is a small fishing port.
- Puerto López Mateos is another good place to watch the whales.
The Islands of Magdalena Bay
The bay is separated from the Pacific Ocean by two important sandy islands. These are called barrier islands because they act like a natural wall.
Isla Magdalena
Isla Magdalena is the northern island. It is long and thin, running parallel to the coast. The island covers about 231 square kilometers (89 square miles). There is a small village on the island called Puerto Magdalena. This village is mostly busy during the whale watching season when many visitors come.
Isla Santa Margarita
Isla Santa Margarita is the southern island. It is larger than Isla Magdalena, with an area of 314 square kilometers (121 square miles). The only place where people live on this island is Puerto Cortés. This is a naval base, which means it's a place for the navy (the country's military ships). It has an airstrip just for military use and no official population.
History of Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay has an interesting history, especially related to ships and whales.
Whaling in the Bay
Long ago, starting around 1837, American whaleships visited the bay. They came to prepare their whale oil and hunt sperm whales outside the bay. Later, between 1845 and 1866, whaleships from America, France, the Netherlands, and Russia hunted gray whales inside the bay. They hunted during the winter when the whales came to have their babies.
At first, they mostly caught mother whales and their calves. But as these became harder to find, they started catching male whales too. During the busiest years, from 1855 to 1865, about 1,250 gray whales were caught in the bay. In one winter (1856-1857), seventeen ships caught around 250 whales! The whalers also used the bay to get wood, catch fish and turtles, and collect oysters.
In 1908, a large American fleet of sixteen battleships, known as the Great White Fleet, stopped in Magdalena Bay. They were on a trip around the world and used the bay for gunnery practice.
In 1912, there were rumors that Japan wanted to buy the harbor from Mexico. A book called The Zimmerman Telegram also mentions that both the German Kaiser (leader) and the Japanese Emperor might have wanted to use this bay for military naval purposes.
Images for kids
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"Man of War Cove", Magdalena Bay, March 1908
See also
In Spanish: Bahía de Magdalena para niños
