A warm gulf between Arabia and the Horn of Africa that funnels the world’s shipping between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Area
410,000 km²
Ocean basin
Indian
Location
The gateway between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean
Average depth
about 500 m
Maximum depth
about 5,360 m
Salinity
~36 ppt
Temperature
Warm, 25–30°C
Region
Between Yemen & Somalia
About the Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden stretches between Yemen on the Arabian side and Somalia and Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, linking the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait to the Arabian Sea. A spreading rift tears open its deep floor, and its nutrient-rich upwelling draws whale sharks, turtles and huge fish shoals — while its surface carries a great share of global trade.
Did you know?
Almost all shipping between Europe and Asia passes through it, squeezing through the narrow Bab-el-Mandeb strait into the Red Sea.
Highlights
- Gateway between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean
- A deep, actively spreading rift sea
- Rich upwelling draws whale sharks
Photo gallery
Life in the Gulf of Aden
Creatures, seabirds and marine plants — including some of the rarest and strangest — that live in these waters.
Creatures of the deep
Whale shark
The largest fish alive — a spotted, harmless giant that strains plankton from the sea.
Manta ray
A gentle giant that “flies” through the water on wings up to seven metres across.
Green sea turtle
The only sea turtle that grazes seagrass as an adult, which tints its fat green.
Hammerhead shark
Its wing-shaped head is packed with sensors that detect prey buried in the sand.
Moray eel
A reef ambush predator with a hidden second set of jaws in its throat to drag prey down.
Seabirds
Frigatebird
A pirate of tropical skies; the male balloons a scarlet throat pouch to court mates.
Marine plants & algae
Coralline algae
Stony pink algae that cement coral reefs together and help them grow.
Mangrove
Salt-tolerant coastal trees whose tangled roots shelter young fish and buffer storms.
Surface & deep in the Gulf of Aden
The sea is warm where the Sun reaches it and cold far below. Flip between the sunlit surface and the deep water to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a gulf & bay.
Sunlit surface
26°C
typical surface temperature
Shallow and sheltered, gulfs and bays warm up quickly from top to bottom, staying far milder than the deep open ocean nearby.
Recorded range for the Gulf of Aden: Warm, 25–30°C