Esquiman Channel

The Esquiman Channel is a deep branch of the Laurentian Channel, extending northeast through the Gulf of St. Lawrence towards the Strait of Belle Isle. Beyond it, cold water enters from the Labrador Shelf through the narrower strait. Sea ice and fog make the passage between Labrador and Newfoundland difficult, but its waters drew Basque whalers in the sixteenth century. Their ships arrived after the ice cleared and sailed away before winter closed the coast again.