ESA ENVISAT Image: Qeshm Island, Jewel of the Persian Gulf

This Envisat image features the largest island in the Persian Gulf: Iran’s Qeshm Island.

This long thin island lies just a few kilometres off the Iranian coast near the narrow Strait of Hormuz.

The Straits of Hormuz separate the Persian Gulf to the west and the Gulf of Oman to the southeast.

Qeshm Island harbours the Hara Biosphere Reserve, the largest stretch of mangrove forest along the Persian Gulf shoreline.

This network of shallow waterways and forest can be seen clearly in the image, between Qeshm Island and the mainland.

The image was created by combining three Envisat radar images from 2009 (7 May, 29 October and 3 December) over the same area. The colours result from changes in the surface between acquisitions.

Credits: ESA