Ocean Currents and Tides: The Icy Benguela

 

The icy Benguela current moves north from the Southern Ocean (around Antartica) and flows northwards along the West Coast of Africa. Along with the accompanying winds the Benguela current reaches as far as southern Angola, making it extremely difficult to travel southward along the Atlantic Coast. Where the icy Benguela meets the warm, south- and west-flowing Agulhas, there is a rich sea life beneath the surface, but tremendous turbulence above. South African folklore considers the meeting of the two currents--the cold Benguela and the warm Agulhas--(roughly off the Cape of Good Hope) as the place where the two oceans meet.
 

Bathymetry and relief map of Atlantic and
Western Indian Ocean adapted from NOAA

Elsewhere on the Net

A Primer on Ocean Currents | Classic Pictures of the Benguela Current