The Ghoubbet al-Kharab or Lake Ghoubbet ( ar, قبة الخراب, "the Gulf of the Demons") is a Djiboutian cove separated from the

Gulf of Tadjoura The Gulf of Tadjoura (; ) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa. It lies south of the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or the entrance to the Red Sea, at . The gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pe ...

by a narrow channel historically known to have violent currents. Ghoubbet al-Kharab is surrounded by

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

s and

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s 600 meters high, as well as by the Ardoukôba volcano which separates it from Lake Assal. It is very deep (200 meters) and hosts many

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

and

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

s that grow in the strong gulf currents, and is part of the junction between the African and Arabian continental plates. The cove is visited by divers - "The Crack" (or "La Faille") and reefs like Ras Eiro are popular locations, and scientists like Captain Cousteau visited the region in the 1980s. Ghoubbet-el-Kharab

The level of Ghoubbet al-Kharab can rise and fall, varying up to one meter from the sea level because of the tides and winds and the narrowness of the outlet to the Gulf of Tadjoura. At the far western shores of the Ghoubbet al-Kharab are two volcanic islands: the Devil's Islands.

External links

Ghoubet

Goubet al Kharab
Bodies of water of Djibouti Gulfs of Africa {{Djibouti-geo-stub