coral island isla coralina: The prize in this great contest is a luxury holiday for two on a paradise coral island in the tropical Maldives.

desert island isla desierta: Robinson Crusoe was cast away on a desert island.

islet /ˈaɪlət, -lɪt/ islote: The islet became the subject of a tense dispute between the two countries.

coral reef /ˌkɒrəl ˈriːf/ arrecife de coral: How is climate change affecting coral reefs? ^ organisms living in coral reefs.

barrier reef /ˌbæriə ˈriːf/ arrecife de coral [near the coast and parallel to it]: Australia's Great Barrier Reef consists of thousands of coral islands.

atoll /ˈætɒl/ atolón: The testing of the first hydrogen bomb took place at Bikini Atoll in 1954.

bay bahía: the Bay of Biscay

bight ensenada, bahía [bigger than bay]: the Great Australian Bight

gulf golfo: She's been covering the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana.

cove /kəʊv/ cala: a sandy cove

creek (British English) cala, caleta: Days later, his car was fished out of the creek.

inlet /ˈɪnlet, -lət/ ensenada: The girl headed for a sheltered inlet that she knew.

rias /ˈriːəz/ (plural) rías: Fine examples of rias are to be found in some of the peninsulas of western Europe, notably south-west Ireland, Cornwall, Brittany, and north-west Spain.

firth /fɜːθ/ ría, estuario [especially in Scotland]: the Moray Firth

estuary /ˈesʧuəri/ estuario: an estuary bustling with activity ^ the Severn estuary

delta /ˈdeltə/ delta: the Nile Delta

headland - cape - promontory - mull

headland cabo: A headland is surrounded by water on three sides.

cape cabo [bigger than headland]: Cape of Good Hope

promontory /ˈprɒməntəri/ promontorio: They married on a promontory overlooking the Pacific Ocean. ^ a rocky promontory

mull /mʌl/ promontorio [used in some place names in Scotland]: Years later, he revisited the Mull of Galloway. ^ the Mull of Kintyre

sound 1. estrecho [joining two larger areas of water]: the sound separating Ireland and Great Britain 2. brazo de mar

strait (also straits plural) estrecho: illegal immigrants trying to cross the Straits of Gibraltar

IDIOMS

be in dire straits estar en una situación desesperada, estar en un terrible aprieto: The country was politically isolated and in dire straits financially.

be up the creek (without a paddle) (informal) estar en un aprieto: We're up the creek because we don't know where to go from here.