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 and Vahsel Bay on the coast of South Georgia are also named after Captain Vahsel, the latter bay being later named from the headland.

Location

• Location map: 77°48’58"S, 35°9’58"W

References

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