English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel separates England and France and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea. Its maximum depth is about 600 feet. The Isle of Wight sits on its north end, off the coast of England at Portsmouth.

Fast Facts

350 miles long, and from 21 miles to 150 miles wide
Covers about 29,000 square miles
A natural key defense for England
Has a rail tunnel called The Channel Tunnel
Average temperature: Under 45 degrees Fahrenheit
Final resting place for numerous ships

Swimming the English Channel

The Strait of Dover is the Channel's narrowest point, with a distance from England to France of about 20 miles. The first person to successfully swim the Channel was Matthew Webb on August 25, 1875. The journey took him twenty-one hours and forty-five minutes. He aborted his first swimming attempt due to strong winds, but succeeded the second time, after covering himself in porpoise oil and being stung by numerous jellyfish.

Petar Stoychev set the record for fastest swim of the channel in August 2007. He completed the swim in six hours and fifty-seven minutes.

Busy Seaway

Over 400 ships pass through the Channel every day. The method by which ships navigate the passage is strictly regulated by the Dover Traffic Separation System, based on a number of accidents in 1971. At present day, the Channel averages one or two crashes every year.

Categories

Geography | Travel | Outdoor Travel | European Destinations

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: English Channel
Joint Nature Conservation Committee: English Channel
Discovery Channel: The Channel Tunnel
Dover Museum: Online Exhibition: Swimming the Channel
FoxNews.com: "Rocket Man" Soars Across English Channel (September 26, 2008)
World War II Pt Boats Museum and Archive: Into Action, The English Channel
Video: Edward Williams SOLO Channel Swim (Time:5:48)

English Channel News

Times Online: Fog Forces Yves Rossy To Delay Human Jet... (September 25, 2008)
Google News: English Channel
Yahoo! News Search: English Channel
FOXNews.com: Stone Age Settlement Found Under English Channel (2007)
Science Daily: Rare Sighting Of Threatened Bottlenose Dolphins In English Channel (2007)

English Channel History and Background

Bournemouth University: Early History of the English Channel Project
Guardian Unlimited: English Channel Carved by Huge Ancient Flood (2007)
David Rumsey Map Collection: Historic Maps of English Channel
LoveToKnow 1911: English Channel

Early History

BBC News: Channel's Key Role in Pre-History (2006)
History.com: This Day in History 1785: Across the English Channel in a Balloon
BritishBattles.com: The Spanish Armada : Sir Francis Drake

Modern History

EyeWitness to History.com: First Woman to Fly the English Channel, 1912
Wikipedia: Gertrude Ederle
Uboat.net: The U-boat War in Maps - The English Channel
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission: Louis Bleriot's Record-setting Flight Across the English Channel
Shipwreck Central: Interactive Map - Shipwrecks
History.com: The Sinking of the Leopoldville

English Channel Educational Resources

Divernet: The Night Before Christmas
Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group: How Britain Became An Island
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: Western English Channel Review (1.52MB)

English Channel Travel

Wikipedia: Channel Islands
Dover Kent England: White Cliffs Country
Isleofwight.comIsle of Wight Accommodation and Holiday Guide

English Channel Transportation

English Channel Activities

Ybw.com: Yacht Charter Companies & Boat Hire in English Channel
Beyond the Blue: Wreck Diving - Liners Sunk 1900-2000
Beaufort Charters: English Channel Fishing

English Channel Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: English Channel
Yahoo! Image Search: English Channel
Picsearch: English Channel
YouTube & Google Video Search: English Channel

English Channel Blogs and Forums

Google Blog Search: English Channel
Swimming the Channel in 2008: This is the Year
History.com: What Stopped Hitler Invading England Forum Posts
SkyscraperCity: Channel Islands Forum
BootsnAll: English Channel Forum Posts
Or Something..: Formation of the English Channel

English Channel Organizations and Societies

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

English Channel Fun Stuff

English Channel Books and Merchandise

Google Product Search: English Channel Merchandise
Amazon.com: Books | DVD
eBay: English Channel Merchandise

Related Pages on Mahalo

Atlantic Ocean | North Sea | England | France | Scuba Diving | Fishing | Sailing | White Cliffs of Dover | Isle of Wight | Swimming

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