The
Sea of Cortez (also known as the
Gulf of California) is a body of water which separates the
Baja California Peninsula from the
Mexican mainland, it is borded by the states of
Baja California,
Baja California Sur,
Sonora,
Sinaloa, and
Nayarit.
The sea was named del Mar de Cortez in honor of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes by Francisco de Ulloa[?] in 1540.