The north side of the strait rises steeply to approximately 450 metres (1,480ft), and the south shore to approximately 750 metres (2,460ft). The current in the strait can run at up to 8 knots (15km/h; 9.2mph) and often changes its direction. It is also often filled with small icebergs which pose a danger to ships in the strait.
History
One of the earliest depictions of the strait, showing one attempt by the McClintock expedition to pass through
The first Europeans to see the strait were the Canadian explorer William Kennedy and the French naval officer Joseph René Bellot, who reached it by dogsled from Batty Bay in 1852. This proved that Somerset was an island and that Prince Regent Inlet had a difficult westward exit.
The Fort Ross trading post on the northern shore was established in 1937, and lasted for 11years. However, the building has been refurbished and strengthened, and acts as a refuge for researchers and crews of small boats passing through.
