Gulf Currents

 The gulf stream
The Gulf Stream was first discovered in 1513 by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and was then used extensively by Spanish ships as they travelled from the Caribbean to Spain. In 1786, Benjamin Franklin mapped the current, further increasing its usage
Path of the gulf stream
Today, it is understood that the waters feeding into the Gulf Stream begin flowing off the west coast of Northern Africa.There, the Atlantic North Equatorial Current flows from that continent across the Atlantic Ocean. Once the current reaches eastern South America, it splits into two currents, one of which is the Antilles Current. These currents are then funneled through the islands of the Caribbean and through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba