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Heat on the Sea of Cortez


Heat on the Sea of Cortez
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1993-03
Categories: Desert, Seascape
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-10-08 3:23
Viewed: 1380
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello everybody. This will be my last posting for a couple of weeks - tonight we fly out to Namibia.

This is a scanned slide and shows the Sea of Cortez under more typical conditions than my last posting from here.

This is a scanned slide, taken with a Pentax SFX.

The Sea of Cortez(also known as the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortés; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or Mar Bermejo or Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. It is bordered by the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa. The name "Gulf of California" predominates on most maps in English today. The name "Sea of Cortés" is the one preferred by most local residents. The Gulf opened up 5.3 million years ago, redirecting the flow of the Colorado River. Other rivers which also flow into the Gulf of California include the Fuerte, Mayo, Sinaloa, Sonora, and the Yaqui. Its surface area is about 160,000 km² (62,000 square miles).

The Gulf of California came into being as tectonic forces rifted the Baja California Peninsula off of the North American Plate about 12 million years ago. As part of this process, the East Pacific Rise propagated up the middle of the Gulf along the seabottom. The Gulf would extend as far as Indio, California except for the tremendous delta created by the Colorado River. This delta blocks the sea from flooding the Mexicali and Imperial Valleys. Volcanism dominates the East Pacific Rise. The island of Isla Tortuga is one example of this ongoing volcanic activity.

The narrow sea is home to a unique and rich ecosystem. In addition to a wide range of endemic creatures, it hosts many migratory species, such as the humpback whale, California Gray Whale, manta ray and Leatherback Sea Turtle, and the world's largest animal, the Blue Whale. This region has historically been a magnet for world class sport fishing activities, with a rich history of sporting world records.

The Gulf of California sustains a large number of marine mammals, many of which are rare, endangered, and pretty. Its more than 900 islands are important nesting sites for thousands of seabirds and its waters are a primary breeding, feeding, and nursing grounds for a myriad of migratory and resident fish species. For decades, the gulf has been a primary source of two of Mexico's leading marine resources, sardines and anchovies. Water pollution is a problem in the Gulf of California, but the more immediate concerns are overfishing and bottom trawling, which destroys eelgrass beds and shellfish.

Efforts by the Mexican government to create conservation zones have been hampered by lack of enforcement resources as well as a lack of a political consensus on this issue of conservation of the Gulf. The thousands of kilometers of coastline are remote and difficult to police, and the politically powerful commercial fishing industry has been slow to embrace even economically viable conservation measures, much less stricter measures of conservation. Conservation of the Gulf's fisheries and coastlines is also complicated by a long history of over-capitalization in the sector, and the direct, often negative impacts that conservation measures have on the livelihoods of Mexico's coastal inhabitants. At present, the Mexican government and business interests have promoted a macro-level, tourist development vision for the Gulf, whose impacts on ecology and society there are uncertain.
maurydv, cataclysta, Evelynn, Heaven, ramthakur, SelenE, boreocypriensis, jaycee, oanaotilia, NinaM has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi James!


... and don't forget to bring some nice pictures from there! Grrr, I have to sit in my office and you fly to Namibia!

:-)

Thanks for this fine picture! The effect is trrific: blue sky, a nacked mountain, blue sea. It's harsh and beautiful at the same time. From the technical side, I notice a perfect scan.

Kind regards

Markus

This Sea is as placid as a pond in your picture, James.
The reflection of the dry and grey mountain onto the water changes its blue tone and thus creates a very nice effect.
A wonderful image, indeed.
Have a great trip to Namibia, my globe-trotter friend!
Regards and all the best.
Ram

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2008-10-08 5:16]

Hi James,
Great colors! The tones of the blue all over the photo look so beautiful... It is very well exposed and composed. TFS
Have a nice trip
Best wishes,
Selen

Hello James,
Thumbnail-wise I thought it was a huge whale. But it is neither the Humpback whale nor the California Gray whale.
Good symmetry through the reflection and the colors.
TFS
Annick

Bi My Big Brother James,
What a splendid shot from the Sea of Cortez with great reflections and shapes on the water surface. The gradiental blue in the sea water is amazing. TFS this fine image my brother.
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-10-08 14:18]

Hi James,

You have left us a beauty to remember you by until you return. Absolutely beautiful shot of the sky, sea and mountain. The blues are magnificent. Amazing reflections and ripples in the water. Have a wonderful and safe trip. I'm sure you'll come home with lots to share with us.

Jane

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2008-10-09 2:21]

Hello James, Excellent landscape and an fantastic shot. Superb clarity and composition Ganesh

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-10-09 13:20]

Woah that is one exquisite reflection! The ripples are perfect.
The colours here are brilliant.
Very sharp and crisp.
Excellent composition.

Well done, James!

Joe

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 801 W: 3 N: 2100] (6596)
  • [2008-10-09 17:18]

When the sea looks like oil, it is supposed to be very hot! I have never seen the ocean like this and your picture is pure simplicity and beauty. The colours are fantastic, that blue sky and the water down below are amazing. C'est beau. Great notes too, thank you James,

Francine

What an amazing abstract landscape/seascape. It is stunning in its simplicity and bold color. I have a friend who lived on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez for EIGHT years!. I hope it had more variety than this. I would have gone nuts in short order!

TFS
Evelynn ; )

Hi James,
Even your old scanned film shots are amazing like this. Excellent composition and colours. I can imagine the heath of these mountains. Very good work. Bring lots of new pictures from Namibia!
TFS
Pekka

Hi James
Simple and beautiful. Great mirror effect. I like simple scenery, good composition, perfect exposure and texture on water surface
TFS
Krzysztof

Ciao James,
splendido paesaggio, meravigliosa composizione con la perfetta simmetria della linea dell'orizzonte che sembra fermare il tempo in questo spettacolare e arido habitat, bellissimo il movimento del riflesso creato dall'acqua, ottima nitidezza, magnifici e saturi i colori.
TFS.
Maurizio

Hello James

What a wonderful low POV,the ripple effect is superb.
Excellent rich colour saturation.
The detail is sharp.
Excellent work.
TFS

Wolf

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