Pacific North Current

The North Pacific Current flows broadly eastward across the ocean between Asia and North America. Near the eastern side of the basin it divides into the northward Alaska Current and the southward California Current. The named current spans a much larger area than any one game sea zone.

For Spanish shipping, the eastward return from the Philippines required a northern detour into the belt of westerly winds. That solution supported the commerce connecting Manila with New Spain and made northern ocean waters part of a wider exchange of American silver and Asian manufactures. Later Russian expansion across Siberia and European exploration of the American northwest brought additional attention to the northern rim. These enterprises followed different coasts and purposes, but all faced cold weather, storms, and long intervals between safe anchorages. Before steam navigation, such waters were understood through the accumulated decisions of pilots, captains, and crews working with uncertain information.