Mar Menor is a coastal saltwater lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula located south-east of the Autonomous Community of Murcia, Spain, near Cartagena.
Its name is the opposite of the Mediterranean, which is the Mar Mayor of the region.
Mar Menor as seen from space
El Barón Island [es]
Panoramic view of Mar Menor and the 22-kilometre La Manga on its eastern horizon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. They have also been identified as occurring on mixed-sand and gravel coastlines. There is an overlap between bodies of water classified as coastal lagoons and bodies of water classified as estuaries. Lagoons are common coastal features around many parts of the world.
Balos coastal lagoon of northwestern Crete. The shallow lagoon is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by narrow shoals connecting to a small, rocky mountain.
Garabogazköl lagoon in Turkmenistan
Venetian Lagoon
Satellite picture of the Atafu atoll in Tokelau in the Pacific Ocean