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Gulf of Carpentaria Facts

Gulf of Carpentaria Facts
The Gulf of Carpentaria is located in the north of Australia, enclosed on three sides by the continent. It is a shallow sea that is bordered on its north by Arafura Sea. The Gulf of Carpentaria covers approximately 300,000 square kilometers. The average depth of the Gulf of Carpentaria is between 55 and 66 meters with a maximum of 82 meters.
Interesting Gulf of Carpentaria Facts:
18,000 years ago, during the peak of the last ice age, the Gulf of Carpentaria was dry land. The sea level was 120 meters lower than it is today. There was only a shallow lake in the center of the gulf.
There is a submerged coral reef in the Gulf of Carpentaria that was only noted in 2004.
The first European known to have visited the region was an explorer named Willem Janszoon between 1605 and1606.
In 1623 Jan Cartensz visited the area and named the body of water the Gulf of Carpentaria, after Pieter de Carpentier.
The climate of the Gulf of Carpentaria is humid and hot. There are two seasons per year.
Major rivers flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria include the Roper River, Walker River, and Wilson River.
Commercial shrimp operations are possible because of extensive seagrass areas.
The McArthur River Zinc Mine provides zinc, lead, and silver, which is then exported from the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Fish that can be found in the gulf include mackerel, trevally, permit, tarpon, salmon, Queen fish, Barramundi. In total there have been more than 50 species recorded in the gulf.


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