Cape Fanning is a cape which forms the north side of the entrance to Violante Inlet

Violante Inlet

Violante Inlet is an ice-filled inlet 16 nautical miles long, in an east-west direction, and 12 to 15 nautical miles wide, lying between Cape Fanning and Cape Herdman along the east coast of Palmer Land. Discovered and photographed from the air in December 1940 by members of the United States...

, on the east coast of Palmer Land

Palmer Land

Palmer Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies south of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This application of Palmer Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between US-ACAN and UK-APC, in which the name Antarctic Peninsula was approved for the major peninsula of...

. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) in a flight from East Base on December 30, 1940. Named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending names for features in Antarctica...

 (US-ACAN) for Edmund Fanning

Edmund Fanning

Edmund Fanning was an American explorer and sea captain, known as the "Pathfinder of the Pacific."-Life:...

, of Stonington, CT, and New York City, who in addition to actual Antarctic exploration in connection with his sealing and whaling business also vigorously promoted exploration by others under both private and public auspices. His book, Voyages Round the World, published in 1833, is an authoritative work on early American Antarctic exploration.