Gulf of Pariah
As an inland sea, the Gulf of Paria is part of the Caribbean Sea .
geography
The Gulf of Paria is a 7800 km² section of the Caribbean Sea with a maximum depth of 30 meters, which runs between the southernmost Caribbean state of Trinidad and Tobago and the Venezuelan east coast. The water is bounded in the north by the Strait of Bocas del Dragón to the Caribbean Sea and in the southeast by the Strait of Boca del Serpiente to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the inflow of fresh water through the Orinoco Delta and the narrow outflows through two straits, the Gulf of Paria has a low salinity - with a salinity of 0.23%, one has to speak of brackish water . For comparison: open oceans have approx. 3.5% salinity. In contrast to the rest of the Caribbean, the water of the Gulf is not clear, but rather brownish in color due to the sediments of the Orinoco that have been washed in.
history
The region was first visited from a European perspective by Christopher Columbus during his third voyage of discovery. He named it Golfe de la Ballena , whale golf , because there were still numerous whales there at that time.
use
At the beginning of the 19th century, a flourishing whaling industry developed around the Gulf. By the end of the century, the stocks were completely wiped out. In the north of Trinidad, e.g. B. on Chacachacare , the infrastructure of that time has been preserved in the form of ruins. The Gulf is still fished intensively today; important fishing ports are Port of Spain and Point Lisas in Trinidad and Pedernales in Venezuela. Since the discovery of the Soldado oil field off Point Fortin in 1954, extensive drilling for oil and natural gas has been carried out in the Gulf of Paria. Oil processing centers are Point Lisas and Point Fortin. The Gulf of Paria lies south of the hurricane belt and is also almost completely shielded from the Atlantic and the Caribbean by the island of Trinidad and the Paria peninsula . As a result, the gulf makes a good anchorage, so that during the hurricane season, especially off Trinidad, countless yachts are anchored.
Flora and fauna
Numerous mangrove forests grow on the coastlines , which represent an important habitat for numerous animals, especially young fish. Numerous dolphins live in the north of the Gulf.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Report on Commercial Fisheries, December 2008, available online .
- ^ Newsday, April 24, 2005
- ↑ GSTT.org: Geophysical Exploration in Trinidad and Tobago, 1900-1990 ( Memento of November 28, 2001 in the Internet Archive )
Coordinates: 10 ° 21 ′ N , 62 ° 6 ′ W