English: The skies were strikingly clear on December 21, 2015, when NASA�s Aqua satellite flew over the Gulf of California and Mexico, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard that satellite to capture this true-color image of the scene.

The rugged terrain of western Mexico fills the right side of the image, while the long peninsula of Baja California, also part of Mexico, runs from the northwest to the southeast near the left side of the image. The blue waters of the Pacific Ocean can be seen west of Baja California and the Gulf of California separates the peninsula from the mainland.

The Gulf of California, which has also been called the Sea of Cortes and the Vermillion Sea, is a long and narrow extension of the Pacific Ocean. Averaging only about 175 km (109 feet) wide overall, it contains about 900 islands and islets, 244 of which are contained in the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California. The Gulf is rich is biodiversity and contains many ecosystems, both shallow-water and benthic (deep water).

The Colorado River flows into the northern head of the Gulf of California, carrying both fresh water and sediment into the saline waters of the Gulf. In this image, shallow sediment appears tan while sediment that is sinking appears greenish in color.