Bays and Coves

Group Details

A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, lake, or another bay. A large bay may be called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a type of smaller bay with a circular inlet and narrow entrance

A cape is a body of land extending into a body of water, typically the sea.

A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves.

An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments.

A fjord is a bay where the sides are relatively steep, created in a valley by glacial activity.  In contrast, bays are typically created via differential erosion.

A gulf is a large bay that is an arm of an ocean or sea

A harbor is any place, natural or artificial, where ships can seek shelter from stormy weather.  A harbor is differentiated from gulfs, bays, and coves in that the three describe geographical features, while a harbor is defined by its function (or its ability to support that function).  A harbor may therefore be located in one of those areas; it may also be artificially constructed.

An inlet is an indentation of a shoreline, usually long and narrow, such as a small bay or arm, that often leads to an enclosed body of salt water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon, or marsh.

A lagoon is a shallow body of water protected from a larger body of water (usually the ocean) by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs. Lagoons are often called estuaries, sounds, bays, or even lakes. Lagoons  sheltered by sandbars or barrier islands are called coastal lagoons.

A port is specifically a shore facility where ships have loading and unloading procedures carried out.  Ports may be located in harbors, but are not always (they can be located on the bank of a river or sea, for instance - i.e. without necessarily providing shelter against stormy weather).

In geography, a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord; or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land (see also strait).