Native name: Isla Altamura (or Isla de Altamura) | |
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Geography | |
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 24°53′00″N 108°08′00″W / 24.883333°N 108.133333°W |
Adjacent to | Ocean |
Area | 101.17 km2 (39.06 sq mi) |
Administration | |
Sinaloa |
Altamura Island (Spanish: Isla Altamura or de Altamura) is an island of México, in the Gulf of California. It is located in the bahía de Santa María, on the west coast of the state of Sinaloa, southwest of Saliaca Island, separated by an area of shallow water. It is located 70 kilometers (43 mi) west of Culiacán. Its area is 101.17 square kilometers (39.06 sq mi), and it is approximately 40 kilometers (25 mi) long, while its width ranges from 900 meters (3,000 ft) to 3.7 kilometers (2.3 mi). It is one of the largest private islands in the world.[1][2]
It is a barrier island with open beaches and large sand dunes. In the southern part there are intertidal zones made of silt, clay, sand and gravel; in the remaining part of the island there is coastline, as well as large dunes of sand in the northwestern part.
It is part of the bahía de Santa María complex, and there is a great variety of marine life, migratory birds and even whales.[3]