Bay of Whales

From Openwaterpedia
Lewis Pugh swimming in the Bay of Whales
Swim dates, location and latitude of The Five Swims in Antarctica for 1 Reason by Lewis Pugh
The Five Swims in Antarctica for 1 Reason by Lewis Pugh in Campbell Island at 52º South, Cape Adare at 71º South, Cape Evans at 77.6º South, Bay of Whales at 78.5º South, and Peter 1 Island at 69º South

The Bay of Whales is a natural ice harbor, or iceport, indenting the front of Ross Ice Shelf just north of Roosevelt Island, Antarctica. It is the southernmost point of open ocean not only of the Ross Sea, but worldwide. The Ross Sea extends much further south—as far as the Gould Coast, some 200 miles (320 km) from the South Pole—but most of that area is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf rather than open sea.

Ernest Shackleton named the feature on 24 January 1908, during the Nimrod Expedition, because of the large number of whales seen near this location. During his quest for the South Pole, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen established a temporary base, which he named Framheim, at the Bay of Whales. The base was used between January 1911 – February 1912. The Bay of Whales has also served as a logistical support base for several important Antarctic expeditions.

Open Water Swimming

Bay of Whales is site of one of the swims of The Five Swims in Antarctica for 1 Reason, a series of five 1 km open water swims by Lewis Pugh - one of the primary reasons he was nominated for the 2015 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year. The purpose of The Five Swims in Antarctica for 1 Reason is to have Antarctica's Ross Sea declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The Ross Sea is referred to as a Polar Garden of Eden.

Five Swims in Antarctica for 1 Reason

External links

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