How is the Caribbean Sea connected to the Gulf of Mexico?

The Caribbean Sea is connected to the Gulf of Mexico by the Yucatán Channel, a 135-mile (217-km) wide strait located between the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and the island of Cuba.12

This channel serves as a critical passage for water movement between the two basins. Driven by trade winds, surface waters from the Caribbean are forced through the channel into the Gulf of Mexico. This accumulation of water creates a hydrostatic head—resulting in a higher average sea level in the Gulf compared to the Atlantic—which is considered the primary driving force behind the Gulf Stream. The channel also features a sill depth of approximately 5,250 feet (1,600 meters), which separates the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean from the Gulf of Mexico.32