Final answer:
The Golden Gate is the natural water passage between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Step-by-step explanation:
The water passage between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean is called the Golden Gate. This passage is a critical geographic feature and serves as a vital transportation route for ships entering and leaving San Francisco Bay, an estuary that is one of the largest and biologically productive on Earth.
Unlike the Panama Canal, which is a man-made canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Golden Gate is a natural strait.