• 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

  1. Length: 350 miles
  2. Width: 21 miles (min) to 150 miles (max)
  3. Area covered: 29,000 square miles
  4. A natural key defense for England
  5. Has a rail tunnel called [http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel The Channel Tunnel]
  6. Average temperature: Under 45 degrees Fahrenheit
  7. Final resting place for numerous ships
  8. A key area in the WWII-era Battle of Britain Royal Air Force: Battle of Britain
  9. A part of the Atlantic Ocean WorldAtlas.com: English Channel Map
  10. Average depth: 148-394 feet JNCC: English Channel
  11. Fishing ground for scallops, dogfish, and whiting JNCC.gov: English Channel

• 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.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Atlantic Ocean | North Sea | England | France | Scuba Diving | Fishing | Sailing | Swimming

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