Douglas Strait facts for kids
Douglas Strait is a narrow stretch of water, like a sea passage, located in the South Sandwich Islands. It's about 4 kilometers (2 nautical miles) wide. This strait separates two islands: Thule Island and Cook Island.
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Discovering Douglas Strait
The existence of Douglas Strait was first noticed a long time ago, in 1820. This discovery was made by a Russian expedition led by a famous explorer named Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. He was exploring the southern oceans.
Later, in 1930, the strait was properly mapped and charted. This work was done by people from the Discovery Investigations project. They were on a research ship called the Discovery II.
How Douglas Strait Got Its Name
After being charted, the strait was named after Vice-Admiral Sir Percy Douglas. He was an important member of the Discovery Committee, which oversaw the research expeditions.
Where is Douglas Strait?
Douglas Strait has two main entrances.
The North Entrance
The northern entrance of the strait is quite wide. It lies between Beach Point, which is the northeast tip of Morrell Island, and Tilbrook Point, the northwest tip of Cook Island. The distance between these two points is about 5,400 meters (or 5.4 kilometers).
The South Entrance
The southern entrance is narrower than the north one. It is located between Hewison Point and Reef Point. These two points are about 3,000 meters (or 3 kilometers) apart. When ships navigate through the south entrance, they need to stay to the east of a rock called Twitcher Rock.
