Vahsel Bay, Coats Land

Vahsel Bay is a bay of variable extent within the British Antarctic Territory, between the Filchner Ice Front and the south-west end of the Luitpold Coast of Coats Land.

The Lerchenfeld Glacier and Schweitzer Glacier flow into the bay.

This bay was roughly charted by German Antarctic Expedition of 1911-12, in January-February 1912, when the name Vahsel-Bucht was applied to the feature as now defined, after Captain Richard Vahsel (1868-1912), Master of the expedition ship Deutschland (who died aboard the ship on 8 August 1912). Following calving along Filchner Ice Front to the south-west, a much larger bay was formed, which was named 'Herzog Ernst-Bucht' ('Duke Ernst Bay') after Duke Ernst-Ludwig von Hessen-Darmstadt (1868-1937). Since then both names have appeared on various maps for the ever-changing bay in the ice.

The bay was surveyed by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition in October 1956 under Sir Vivian Fuchs.

Cape Vahsel, South Georgia is also named after Captain Vahsel.

Location

• Location map: 77°48’58"S, 35°9’58"W

References

• Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Vahsel Bay, Coats Land