Mobile Bay is an inlet of the
Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of
Alabama in the
United States. Its mouth is formed by the
Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and
Dauphin Island, a
barrier island on the western side. The
Mobile River and
Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the bay, making it an
estuary. Several smaller rivers also empty into the bay:
Dog River, Deer River, and
Fowl River on the western side of the bay, and
Fish River on the eastern side. Mobile Bay is the fourth largest estuary in the United States with a discharge of of water per second. Annually, and often several times during the summer months, the fish and crustaceans will swarm the shallow coastline and shore of the bay. This event, appropriately named a
jubilee, draws a large crowd because of the abundance of fresh, easily caught seafood it yields. Mobile Bay is the only place on earth where jubilees are a common occurrence.