Atlantic South Current

The South Atlantic links the coasts of South America and Africa with the waters around the Cape of Good Hope. Its broad circulation turns anticlockwise, while winds and currents vary across the open basin.

Portuguese navigators bound for the Indian Ocean developed a route that swung far west into the South Atlantic before turning towards southern Africa. This use of prevailing winds, known as the volta do mar, made the open ocean part of the long connection between Europe and Asia. Crews faced long passages away from land and had to carry sufficient provisions for the journey.