| Bahía de los Ángeles | |
|---|---|
| Looking east | |
| Nickname(s): Bay of L.A., L.A. Bay | |
|
Bahía de los Ángeles
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Baja California |
| Municipality | Ensenada |
| Established (Spain) | 1746 |
| Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 590 |
| • Urban | 0 |
| Time zone | Northwest (US PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Northwest (UTC-7) |
| Website | http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info/ |
Bahía de los Ángeles ("Bay of Angels") is a coastal bay on the Sea of Cortez, located along the eastern shore of the Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The town of the same name is located at the east end of Federal Highway 12 about 42 miles (68 km) from the Parador Punta Prieta junction on Federal Highway 1.
In 1539 Francisco de Ulloa was the first European to discover the Bahía de los Angeles in what was the last expedition financed by Hernán Cortés. In 1752 a loading dock was built to explore Mission San Borja, and the entire Baja California Peninsula. In 1900 it became an important loading dock to export gold and silver obtained from the mines of Sierra San Borja, San Juan, and Santa Martha. The value of the gold produced by the mine of San Juan is estimated to be about 2 million U.S. dollars.
Bahia is famous for its fabulous fishing. The most common game fish being Yellowtail (Jurel), a type of sport fish that lives off the shore of California and Mexico. Yellowtail from this region can grow up to 5 feet long and can weigh up to 100 pounds. Other sport fish from this region include Seabass (Cabrilla), Snapper (Pargo), Grouper, Sierra, Bonito and the occasional Dorado. Non sport fish like Trigger, Barracuda and various others exist in abundance. The bay is also famous for its Whale Sharks. There are colonies of sea lions near Isla Coronado known locally as "Smith Island", and another South of Punta Animas. [1]
The area has a desert climate. At the north end of the bay lies Punta la Gringa and to the south is Playa Rincon. There are 16 islands off the coast.[1] Bay of LA is popular for activities such as kayaking, wind surfing, and tourism in addition to being a sports fisherman's paradise. In 2007, power lines from Guerrero Negro were finished, ending reliance on diesel generators.[2] There is internet access via satellite. Every other year the Baja 1000 passes through town.[3]