CORPUS CHRISTI BAY

inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, forming a deepwater harbour for the city of Corpus Christi, in southern Texas, U.S. The bay is 25 mi (40 km) long and 310 mi wide and is sheltered on the east from the Gulf by Mustang Island. It is linked to Aransas Bay (north) and Laguna Madre (south) by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The entrance to the Gulf is through Aransas Pass, north of Mustang Island. A western extension, Nueces Bay, receives the Nueces River. The bay supplies oyster shells for use in chemical plants, and its shipping serves the petroleum, chemical, and agricultural industries. The area is popular for sport fishing, waterfowl hunting, and boating. The bay was entered on the feast day of Corpus Christi in 1519 by Alonso de Pineda, who claimed the region for Spain.