Ha'ava
| Ha'ava | ||
|---|---|---|
| Connects waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| with water | Pacific Ocean | |
| Separates land mass | Tahuata | |
| of land mass | Hiva Oa | |
| Data | ||
| Geographical location | 9 ° 52 '26 " S , 139 ° 4' 23" W | |
|
||
| Smallest width | 4 km | |
Ha'ava ( Marquesan , also: French Canal du Bordelais ) is the name of the canal between the Marquesas islands of Tahuata and Hiva Oa .
geography
The canal is only 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. It separates Tahuata in the south from the larger island of Hiva Oa in the north. Hiva Oa forms a headland that opens to the southeast and encloses the Bay of Ta'aoa with the port of Atuona . Normally the sea water flows through the channel at a speed of two knots (3.7 km / h) and the adjacent mountains with a height of almost 100 m create an acceleration effect, so that the wind speeds in the channel are generally 10% -30% higher than in the east of the canal. The relatively shallow sea floor, which rises from the surrounding sea floor at this point, also contributes to the fact that the swell is often very strong. Accordingly, the passage through the canal is only recommended for strong ships.