Eastern Atlantic High Sea

Beyond the coast of Gabon the tropical Atlantic opens westward from Cape Lopez and the Gulf of Guinea. The gulf's islands lie to the north, while the waters off the equatorial shore are crossed by currents that link the Gulf to the wider ocean. Among these is the westward-flowing South Equatorial Current. Ships approaching the coast from the open sea encountered a low shoreline broken by river mouths, lagoons and the projecting cape.