The picturesque Sea of Cortez (officially Gulf of California) is the body of water that separates the Mexican mainland from the 1000 mile long Baja California Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mexican states of Baja California Sur, Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora with a coastline of approximately 2,500 mi (4,000 km). The gulf's surface area is about 62,000 sq mi (160,000 km2) and a depth of up to 12,000 ft (3,600 m). The Gulf is thought to be one of the most diverse seas on the planet, and is home to more than 5,000 species of macro invertebrates. Baja California itself is actually one of the longest, most isolated peninsulas in the world, second only to the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The Gulf of California is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Sea of Cortez has seen many famous people in history from English and Spanish pirates, Hernan Cortes, John Steinbeck (author of Log From the Sea of Cortez) and the legendary Jacques Cousteau, who quoted it "the world's aquarium" and the "Galapagos of North America". Most recently The History Channel shot two episodes of Monster Quest; one searching for Giant Squid and the other for monster believed to be a Megalodon Shark.
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