1. Bays and gulfs are parts of the sea enclosed by land on three sides.
2. In a bay, the land curves inwards and the mouth of the bay is usually wide as in the Bay of Bengal.
3. A gulf is a narrow inlet of the sea and has a narrow mouth.
4. Since the bays and gulfs are protected from the storms of the high seas they are very useful for building harbors where ships can be safely anchored and cargo loaded or unloaded.
5. Deep gulfs or bays are preferred for building harbors as Large ships can be anchored in them.
6. Ships need deep waters so that their bottoms do not touch the seafloor.