South West Bay () is an open
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
indenting the west side of
Heard Island immediately north of
Cape Gazert Cape Gazert () is a cape at the western end of the rocky promontory which forms the south side of South West Bay, on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. This feature was known to American sealers as "Green Point", as shown by ...
in the southern
Indian Ocean. The bay was roughly charted on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain
H.C. Chester, an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
sealer. The name "S.W. Bay" appears on an 1882 chart compiled by Ens.
Washington Irving Chambers aboard the
USS ''Marion'' at Heard Island in January 1882. The bay name appears to have developed from an American sealer name, "Southwest Beach," in use about 1860 for the pebble beach at the north end of this bay.
External links
map of South West Bay and the northwestern coast of Heard Islandmap of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, including all major topographical features
Bays of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
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