Gulf of Mexico

The southern Gulf of Mexico opens north of the Bay of Campeche, where the Mexican coast curves around a broad indentation between Veracruz and Yucatán. Rivers and wetlands reach the sea along the southern shore, while the shallow shelf extends outward from the Yucatán Peninsula. Farther north the waters deepen into the central Gulf. These seas link the coastal ports of the bay with routes toward Cuba and the Atlantic.