Indian South Current

This patch of the southern Indian Ocean lies between the Mascarene islands and the Kerguelen group, in some of the stormiest water on the globe. Yves de Kerguelen sighted the bleak Kerguelen Islands in 1772, and Cook visited them in 1776 on his third voyage. Sailing ships crossing this sector relied on the westerly winds, and their crews faced cold weather and few landmarks.