Porpoise Bay is an ice-filled embayment about 90 miles (144.8 km) wide indenting the coast of Antarctica between Cape Goodenough

Cape Goodenough

Cape Goodenough is an ice-covered cape marking the west side of the entrance to Porpoise Bay and forming the northernmost projection of Norths Highland in Antarctica...

 and Cape Morse

Cape Morse

Cape Morse is a low, ice-covered cape which marks the east side of the entrance to Porpoise Bay and forms the division between Banzare Coast and Clarie Coast, Wilkes Land. It was delineated from air photos taken by USN Operation Highjump , and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names ...

. The United States Exploring Expedition

United States Exploring Expedition

The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...

 (1838–42) under Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...

 applied the name "Porpoise Bay", after the USEE brig "Porpoise", to a large bay at about 66°S, 130°E. US-ACAN's identification of Porpoise Bay is based on the correlation of Wilkes' chart (1840) with G.D. Blodgett's reconnaissance map (1955) compiled from air photos taken by USN Operation Highjump

Operation Highjump

Operation Highjump , officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947, was a United States Navy operation organized by RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, , Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68....

 (1946–47). The name has been applied to the large embayment lying close southwest in keeping with Wilkes' original naming.

Porpoise Basin (66°10′S 128°30′E) is an undersea basin, located close to Porpoise Bay. Porpoise Canyon (64°20′S 131°0′E) is an undersea canyon located about 300 miles (482.8 km) from Porpoise Bay; it is one of the largest canyons in the Wilkes Land

Wilkes Land

Wilkes Land is a large district of land in eastern Antarctica, formally claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, though the validity of this claim has been placed for the period of the operation of the Antarctic Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory...

 continental margin

Continental margin

The continental margin is the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust. Continental margins constitute about 28% of the oceanic area....

.