Dear Dr. Naranjo and co-authors,

Thank you for the revised submission of you manuscript. I am mostly satisfied with your corrections and modifications, but still have some few comments myself, which are listed below. Please prepare the final version of your manuscript providing for these comments and then the manuscript can be published in Ocean Science.

The comment by referee #2 starting with “However I have some doubts on the efficacy of the proxy (the altimetry height) used …”. I appreciate your response to that, but am surprised not to find anything from that in the revised manuscript. Please correct this.

There are so many water masses and other features with abbreviations in the text that it becomes quite confusing. I suggest to add a table with all abbreviations for clarity. You might also use the full names scattered in some parts of the manuscript for enhancing the readability.

P3, L6 upward looking (instead of: uplooking), also at other places in the manuscript.
P7, L8 T-S diagram (also at P8, L2)

Paragr 2.2.3. Is there any reference to the method of determining the strength of the WAG, i.e. as an example in another gyre where similar things have been done? This would enhance the support for the method considerably.

Figure 1 Please add all geographic names mentioned in the paper.
I think Fig. 1 is not quite sufficient as what it is showing. Important regions are not included: It would also be useful to see the location of the WAG, and possibly the other gyre of the double gyre system. Please modify accordingly.

References
Kinder, T.H. and Bryden, 1990: add publisher
Naranjo et al 2014: add pages and 63(0) is wrong.

Thank you and best wishes
Mario Hoppema