La Bufadora, Marine geyser in Punta Banda Peninsula, Mexico

La Bufadora is a natural water fountain on Punta Banda Peninsula, where ocean waves push into underground caves and force water up through narrow rock crevices. The power of the water is amplified by air compression in tunnels that run beneath the rocky coastline.

La Bufadora is a sea cave blowhole on the Punta Banda Peninsula, about 27 km south of Ensenada. Air forced into the cave by wave action is released when the water recedes, ejecting seawater up to 30 m above sea level with a thunderous noise. Between 2005 and 2011 the interval between eruptions measured 13 to 17 seconds, matching the dominant swell.

The name comes from the Spanish verb bufar, "to snort", for the sound the spray makes as it bursts from the rock. Vendors along the cliff sell churros with sugar, seafood dishes and fruit desserts dusted with chile powder and chamoy, foods that draw Mexican and foreign visitors alike.

An observation point with sturdy railings provides safe views of the water fountain erupting every 13 to 17 seconds. The best viewing happens at high tide, when waves are stronger and push water more forcefully upward.

The spout is not a geyser: air trapped in a sea cave is forced in by waves and released as the water recedes, ejecting seawater up to 30 m with a thunderous noise. Between 2005 and 2011 the gap between eruptions held at 13 to 17 seconds, matching the dominant swell.