In the north entry of Lemaire Channel looking south, from the deck of the Hanseatic.
Lemaire Channel is a strait off Antarctica, located between the mainland's Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island. Nicknamed "Kodak Gap" by some, it is one of the top tourist destinations in Antarctica; steep cliffs hem in the iceberg-filled passage, which is 11 km long and just 1,600 meters wide at its narrowest point.
It was first seen by the German expedition of 1873-74, but not traversed until December 1898, when the Belgica of the de Gerlache expedition passed through. De Gerlache named it for Charles Lemaire, a Belgian explorer of the Congo.
Glaciers and cliffs reflected in still waters at the south end of the channel.
The channel has since become a standard part of the itinerary for cruising in Antarctica; not only is it scenic, but the protected waters are usually as still as a lake, a rare occurrence in the storm-wracked southern seas, and the north-south traverse delivers vessels close to Petermann Island for landings. The principal difficulty is that icebergs may fill the channel, especially in early season, obliging a ship to backtrack and go around the outside of Booth Island in order to reach Petermann.
LemaireChannel is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) in length and, at its narrowest point, roughly 500 meters (1600 feet) wide.
Whereas the LemaireChannel abuts the Antarctica continent, the Neumayer Channel does not touch the mainland.
Curiously, LemaireChannel was named for the 19th century Congo official and explorer Charles Lemaire, a gentleman who never set foot on the Antarctic continent.
In the north entry of LemaireChannel looking south, from the deck of the Hanseatic.
LemaireChannel is a strait off Antarctica, located between the mainland's Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island.
The principal difficulty is that icebergs may fill the channel, especially in early season, obliging a ship to backtrack and go around the outside of Booth Island in order to reach Petermann.
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