Maxwell Bay (Antarctica)
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Bay is a bay
10 miles (16.1 km) long, lying between King George Island and Nelson Island
, in the South Shetland Islands
. The main entrance to the bay is at the south-east side and is wide open; Fildes Strait
on the north-west side is encumbered by rocks and is only navigable by boats. The name Maxwells Straits was given to this bay and to Fildes Strait by British sealing captain James Weddell
in 1822–24, for Lieutenant Francis Maxwell who had served with Weddell in 1813–14. The name was altered and limited to the feature here described by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee
in 1960.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
10 miles (16.1 km) long, lying between King George Island and Nelson Island
Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands)
Nelson Island is an island long and wide, lying southwest of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Nelson Island is located at...
, in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
. The main entrance to the bay is at the south-east side and is wide open; Fildes Strait
Fildes Strait
Fildes Strait is a strait which extends in a general east-west direction between King George Island and Nelson Island, in the South Shetland Islands. This strait has been known to sealers in the area since about 1822, but at that time it appeared on the charts as Field's Strait. Probably named for...
on the north-west side is encumbered by rocks and is only navigable by boats. The name Maxwells Straits was given to this bay and to Fildes Strait by British sealing captain James Weddell
James Weddell
James Weddell was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in the early Spring of 1823 sailed to latitude of 74°15' S and into a region of the Southern Ocean that later became known as the Weddell Sea.-Early life:He entered the merchant service very...
in 1822–24, for Lieutenant Francis Maxwell who had served with Weddell in 1813–14. The name was altered and limited to the feature here described by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee
UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee
The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1960.