Smyth Channel () is a principal

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and ...

channel. Its south arm is the southward continuation of the Sarmiento Channel and is located in Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region. The Kawésqar people lived along its coast for thousands of years. Its north entrance is in the Nelson Strait at , between Charlton Cape and the western extreme of the Lobos Islands; and its southern terminus is at , between Phillip Cape at the southern extreme of Manuel Rodriguez Island and Merino Peninsula on the mainland, where it opens into the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pas ...

. The channel has a length of approximately 96 nmi and is divided into two arms: the northwest arm, which is scarcely used as navigation route and is 50 nmi long, and the south arm (46 nmi long), which is a major waterway for commercial sailing and that stretches from its connection with the Sarmiento Channel at southern tip of the Victoria Pass until the point already named, where it joins to the Strait of Magellan. The channel is flanked by

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s of exposed

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies underg ...

that at their foothills have limited vegetation cover, because the continuous winds that blow against it. In the northwest arm the hills are high, including the Monte Nuestra Señora de la Victoria (890 m) and the Lecky Look Out (890 m) on the

Contreras Island Contreras Island (Spanish: ''Isla Contreras'') is an island in the Queen Adelaide Archipelago in Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. ...

, and the Monte Lucía of 510 m on the

Diego de Almagro Island Diego de Almagro Island (Spanish: ''Isla Diego de Almagro''), formerly known as ''Cambridge Island'', is an island in the Magallanes Region, Chile. It is located South-West of Hanover Island. It is named after Diego de Almagro. See also * List ...

. In the vicinity of its south arm is

Monte Burney Monte Burney is a volcano in southern Chile, part of its Austral Volcanic Zone which consists of six volcanoes with activity during the Quaternary. This volcanism is linked to the subduction of the Antarctic Plate beneath the South America Pl ...

, which lie on

Muñoz Gamero Peninsula Muñoz Gamero Peninsula () is a peninsula in Chile. It is bordered on the west by the Smyth Channel and is connected to the Patagonia mainland by a narrow isthmus, between Skyring Sound to the south and the Obstrucción estuary to the north. The ...

in mainland. This imposing volcanic peak stands out from the mountains that surround it. Other mountains in the area include Monte Joy (443 m) and the peaks Sainte Agnes and Sainte Anne with elevations of 323 and 513 m high respectively, which stand on the Manuel Rodríguez Island. The tidal currents are stable and weak, but influenced by the wind. On the south branch, there are a number of

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark ...

buoy A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...

s and

beacons A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

as a pilotage aid, which are located specialty at the passes Summer and Shoal, and at the channels Gray and Mayne, all of which lie along its course. There exist special instructions for the navigation in the places mentioned. In the Shoal Pass lies the hull of the wrecked ship SS ''Santa Leonor'' and at its southern end lie the wrecked steamships ''Moraleda'', ''Magada'', ''Ponte Verde'' and ''Recreo''

Name

The channel was named in 1829 by the British sailors Skyring and Graves, members of Captain

Phillip Parker King Rear Admiral Phillip Parker King, FRS, RN (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts. Early life and education King was born on Norfolk Island, to Philip Gidley King and Anna J ...

's survey, in honour of the naval officer W.H. Smyth under whom they had served in the Mediterranean.

References

*This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, accessed October 13, 2007. * * {{Attached KML, display=title,inline Fjords of Chile Bodies of water of Magallanes Region Channels of Chile