Lemaire Channel
Lemaire Channel is a strait within the British Antarctic Territory, lying between Booth Island (in the Wilhelm Archipelago) and the Kiev Peninsula of the mainland of Graham Land.
The channel is nicknamed "Kodak Gap" by some, and it is one of the top tourist destinations in Antarctica; steep cliffs hem in the iceberg-filled passage, which is seven miles long and just 1,750 yards wide at its narrowest point. The Una Peaks stand on the mainland at the north end of the channel.
The passage was first seen by the German expedition of 1873-74, but not traversed until December 1898, when the RV Belgica of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition passed through. Expedition leader Adrien de Gerlache named it for Charles Lemaire (1863-1925), a Belgian explorer of the Congo.
Tourism
The channel has since become a standard part of the itinerary for cruising in Antarctica; not only is it scenic, but the protected waters are usually as still as a lake, a rare occurrence in the storm-wracked southern seas, and the north-south traverse delivers vessels close to Petermann Island for landings. The principal difficulty is that icebergs may fill the channel, especially in early season, obliging a ship to backtrack and go around the outside of Booth Island to reach Petermann.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Lemaire Channel) |
- Location map: 65°7’59"N, 64°0’0"W
References
- Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Lemaire Channel
