Yucatan Current 
The Yucatan Current is that part of the circulation in the 
Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea which passes through Yucatan 
Strait between 18° and 26°N and has a predominant north-northwesterly 
set. It extends from the Caribbean north of Honduras to the north 
edge of Campeche Bank and toward the Mississippi Delta. 
The outstanding feature of this current is its westward 
intensification, which occurs most noticeably in the region of 
maximum current strength, about 40 to 60 miles wide between about 
21° and 22°N. 
Seasonal changes occur as shown in Table 15. West of 86°W the 
current is strongest and most constant in April, May, and June. The 
current weakens in August and September and is weakest during October, 
November, and December. It again becomes stronger in January, February, 
and March. East of 86°W the current is considerably weaker, as indicated 
by the lower mean speeds and smaller percent frequency of observations 
in the prevailing direction. 
The strong current in the strait appears to depend little upon 
the constriction of the strait, and although a definite seasonal change 
is indicated, variations in speed may occur at any time of the year. 
For example, a number of observations made in October 1961 did not 
exceed 2 knots, and the core, much less clearly defined, was 10 to 20 
miles farther east in about 300 fathoms (549 meters); in October 1959, 
speeds up to 4 knots were recorded, with the core clearly marked at 
100 fathoms (183 meters). In May, drogue measurements 30 miles north 
of the strait showed surface current speeds of about 3.5 knots, 
