Gulf of Guinea at a glance
- 2,882 maverage depth
- 3,240 mmedian depth
- 5,174 mmaximum depth
- 639,198 km²water area
Gulf of Guinea is a gulf. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 639,198 km² of water, with an average depth of about 2,882 m (the middle value is 3,240 m) and a maximum of 5,174 m, found at 3.51° N, 2.06° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Gulf of Guinea?
The bar splits the Gulf of Guinea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 10.6%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 5.5%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 55.4%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 28.5%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Le Trou sans Fond (284 km), Guinea Basin (345 km), Romanche Trench (1,814 km), Congo Canyon (1,860 km).
The Gulf of Guinea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Gulf of Guinea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 4,112 km² | 0.6% |
| 20 m | 10,685 km² | 1.7% |
| 50 m | 36,800 km² | 5.8% |
| 80 m | 52,602 km² | 8.2% |
| 120 m | 61,695 km² | 9.7% |
| 200 m | 67,746 km² | 10.6% |
| 500 m | 80,537 km² | 12.6% |
| 1,000 m | 102,844 km² | 16.1% |
| 2,000 m | 173,465 km² | 27.1% |
| 3,000 m | 292,519 km² | 45.8% |
| 4,000 m | 457,200 km² | 71.5% |
| 6,000 m | 639,198 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
- Mediterranean Sea average depth about 1,844 m
- Balearic Sea average depth about 899 m
- Red Sea average depth about 504 m
- Ionian Sea average depth about 2,122 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 Gulf of Guinea?
On average about 2,882 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 3,240 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 5,174 m, at 3.51° N, 2.06° W.
How big is the Gulf of Guinea?
About 639,198 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Gulf of Guinea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 20 m lower, about 10,685 km² (1.7%) 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 gulf. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.