North Eastern Atlantic

Off the Saharan coast, the northeastern Atlantic stretches between Cape Bojador and the Canary Islands. The southward Canary Current and the northeasterly trade winds govern much of the surface circulation. Portuguese navigators seeking a route down the African coast found the shallows around Bojador difficult to pass; in 1434 Gil Eanes sailed offshore to round the cape. The open sea thus offered a way around the dangers close to land.