Strait of Gibraltar at a glance
- 115 maverage depth
- 44 mmedian depth
- 485 mmaximum depth
- 8 km²water area
Strait of Gibraltar is a strait. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 8 km² of water, with an average depth of about 115 m (the middle value is 44 m) and a maximum of 485 m, found at 35.93° N, 5.40° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Strait of Gibraltar?
The bar splits the Strait of Gibraltar's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 66.7%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 33.3%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 0%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Spartel (51 km), Francesc Pagès Seamount (149 km), Chella bank (238 km), Ormonde (519 km).
The Strait of Gibraltar if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Strait of Gibraltar's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 50 m | 6 km² | 67.5% |
| 80 m | 6 km² | 67.5% |
| 120 m | 6 km² | 67.5% |
| 200 m | 6 km² | 67.5% |
| 500 m | 8 km² | 100% |
| 1,000 m | 8 km² | 100% |
| 2,000 m | 8 km² | 100% |
| 3,000 m | 8 km² | 100% |
| 4,000 m | 8 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 8 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Alboran Sea average depth about 760 m
- Balearic Sea average depth about 899 m
- Mediterranean Sea average depth about 1,844 m
- Bay of Biscay average depth about 1,919 m
- Ligurian Sea average depth about 1,194 m
- Tyrrhenian Sea average depth about 1,596 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Strait of Gibraltar?
On average about 115 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 44 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 485 m, at 35.93° N, 5.40° W.
How big is the Strait of Gibraltar?
About 8 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Strait of Gibraltar would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 50 m lower, about 6 km² (67.5%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the strait. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.