10 Interesting Shipping Facts About The Yucatan Channel

The Yucatan Channel, also referred to as the Straits of Yucatan lies between Mexico and Cuba. It is a vital shipping route since it links the Caribbean Sea’s Yucatan basin with the Gulf of Mexico. The channel is more than 200 km broad and around 2800 m deep at the deepest point which is close to the Cuban coast. It spans 217 km between Mexico’s Cape Catoche and Cuba’s Cape San Antonio.

Read this article to know 10 interesting facts about the Yucatan Channel.

1. A Strategic Shipping Channel in the Western Caribbean

The Yucatan Channel is important for global and regional shipping, especially for ships sailing between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Ships navigate the waterway to reach ports in Central America, South America, the U.S and beyond.

The Progreso Shipyard, close to the Yucatan channel is a relatively new facility which rests on the tip of the longest pier in the world that runs for 6.5 km and handles cruise ships and cargo vessels.

The shipyard has transformed shipping in the region. Before it opened, there were only two deepwater Mexican shipyards in the Gulf of Mexico; the Tampico, Tamaulipas and the Pot of Veracruz.

This shipyard is quite advanced and provides valve, pipeline repair and replacement services, engine repair works and other machine-related work.

2. Port of Progreso is a major port along the Yucatan Channel

Port of Progreso is located on the northern shores of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. The terminal Remota has a 3.5 nm causeway which has berths to handle oil, containers, general cargo and dry bulk cargo. It also has a cruise terminal.

The major exports from the port are fish, honey, sisal, and chewing gum. Around 2,840,000 tonnes of cargo and 655 ships are handled at this port annually.

Another famous port is Havana, on Cuba’s northern coast which is a primary entry and exit facility for ships sailing through the Yucatan Channel.

Campeche Port lies on the Gulf coast of Mexico in the Campeche Bay. It has berths that handle small cargo volumes, usually general cargo.

3. Skilled Piloting needed in some parts of the Yucatan Channel

Ship captains and crew sometimes face difficulties in transiting the channel as it narrows down near Cuba so skilled piloting is needed for safely crossing the dangerous areas of the channel.

The weather is relatively predictable most times of the year, though there might be hurricane threats in monsoon season. Tropical storms can also disrupt shipping schedules.

Navigation is affected by changing sea conditions during the Atlantic hurricane season which is from June to November. Shipping companies must keep themselves informed of the weather and adjust their routes if necessary.

4. Several Lighthouses Guide Ships in the Yucatan Channel

There are many lighthouses along the Yucatan Channel to help in the safe passage of ships. One such is the Cabo San Antonio Lighthouse which is located in Cape San Antonio, western Cuba. The white masonry tower is an 1850 construction. It is 23 m high and features a balcony and a grey metallic lantern, powered by electricity with a range of 22 nm.

Another prominent navigational aid is the Puerto Morelos Lighthouse which is situated on the Riviera Maya, Mexico. The lighthouse is the third which has remained active on the seafront near the main pier, the second one tilted in 1967 while little is known about the first one, built when the station began operating in 1905.

The third one was constructed in the 1980s a little away from the beach. It suffered damage in 2005 by hurricane Wilma and the top of its 14 m high tower needed repairs. It has a range of 15 nm and flashes white light every 6 seconds.

5. Known for strong currents coming from all directions

The Yucatan Channel distinguishes Cuba from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and connects the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. The Channel is known for currents coming in from all directions, hence it is not for the inexperienced.

The Yucatan current is the strongest in summer and flows from the Caribbean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico. It is quite powerful and divers in Cozumel literally drift with it.

The Gulf Stream flows from the south into the Gulf of Mexico and easterlies and tides come in from Cuba.

There is also an undercurrent which flows southward beneath the Yucatan current and takes water away from the Gulf of Mexico.

6. One of the biggest shrimp-producing regions in Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula has many shrimp farms and is known for mainly white and brown shrimp species that are exported mainly to the U.S. Around 50,000 to 60,000 metric tonnes of shrimp are caught from the Yucatan Peninsula and the Yucatan Channel waters.

Fish including snapper, grouper, yellowfin tuna, mackerel and barracudas are also caught using trawling, gillnetting and longlining methods.

Spiny lobster is caught and farmed and the region is also known for harvesting conch, particularly queen conch, a famous species of shellfish.

Fishing supports the livelihood of thousands of people along the Yucatan Channel coast. Fishing tourism or sport fishing is another activity which attracts fishing enthusiasts to the regional waters.

7. Used for transportation of crude oil, agricultural items, electronics

The Yucatan Channel is a major route for the transportation of oil from the oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico region. Oil tankers carrying crude oil, petroleum products and LNG are a common sight in the channel. Most of them are headed to ports in the U.S and beyond.

Agricultural goods are another major item of export as Mexico and Central America are known for the production of bananas, sugarcane and coffee, most of which are shipped via the Yucatan channel to nearby ports in Cuba from where they are loaded onto ships heading to Europe.

Jewellery, textiles and electronic products are also shipped from Mexico via the channel to the U.S and markets in the Caribbean.

Bulk carriers, container ships and oil tankers are frequent visitors, with the former transporting raw materials and industrial goods to Latin and North America, Europe and other parts of the globe.

8. Known for coral reefs and rich marine biodiversity

The Yucatan Channel is home to many coral reef formations and other marine mammals. The Campeche Bank is a shallow area in the sea where reefs lie on the Yucatan shelf’s outer fringes, populated by species like the staghorn corals, Elkhorn corals which are important reef-building species in the Caribbean and the Boulder star coral, which is the most studied and researched species in the region.

The Alacranes Reef is the biggest in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico and harbours many endangered species of turtles including the leatherback, loggerhead, hawksbill and green sea turtles.

The Mesoamerican reef spans around 700 miles from the Yucatan Peninsula’s northern end and houses many species of reef fish, sharks and turtles.

Several parts of the channel are heavily exploited by artisan fishermen, leading to threats including overfishing, contamination by agriculture run-offs which impact coral reefs, coastal development due to increasing demands from the tourism sector and climate change which has killed many reef-forming corals since the 1990s.

9. Yucatan Channel experiences a tropical climate

The temperature of the Yucatan Channel waters ranges between 26 to 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year, which is generally warm.

There might be slight fluctuations in different seasons. For instance, in summer, which stretches from May to mid-October, temperatures can be from 28 to 30 degrees Celsius due to ample sunlight throughout the day and warm currents coming from the Caribbean Sea.

November to April is the winter season when water is a little cool, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 28 degrees, especially in deeper layers, however, it is still quite warm for most marine species.

10. Site of a sunken lighthouse and an 18th-century Dutch Warship Wreck

Given the unpredictable currents, storms or hurricanes and shifting sandbars, the Yucatan Channel is deemed a risky place for navigation, which is also why it has several shipwrecks dating from the 16th century when the Spanish and Portuguese explorers began reaching many of these areas.

The waters around the Yucatan Peninsula have a sunken lighthouse and wrecks of a Dutch warship and a British steamer from the 18th and 19th centuries, per Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.

The wrecks lie around the small town of Sisal which was once a flourishing port in the 19th century. The ships are laden with artefacts including cannons, porcelain and cutlery which throws light on the culture of the time.

The lighthouse is around 3.7 km from the coastal town. Built in the 19th century, the 8 m tall tower was used as a lookout point but it fell into the waters after battling a strong tropical storm, per archaeologists.

Conclusion

Yucatan Channel is a vital maritime gateway connecting the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It has witnessed increased shipping traffic in recent years, given the modernisation and expansion of ports which lie along the channel.

These port projects have also enabled the channel to handle massive ships, such as Panamax vessels. Container Ships, Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers can be frequently seen traversing the channel, loaded with electronics, manufactured goods, seafood, coffee, bananas, sugar, textiles, jewellery etc from the Mexican and Caribbean markets to the U.S and beyond.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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