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A Sea within an Ocean!

Nautical map of the east coast of the United States and part of Mexico, showing the route followed by eels as they make their way from the Sargasso Sea to the St. Lawrence River and then return to the Sargasso at the end of their life to reproduce. The Sargasso Sea is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the states of Virginia and North and South Carolina.

Encyclopédie Cousteau
Private collection

The Sargasso Sea covers an area 1100 km wide by 3200 km long in the North Atlantic.

The name of this sea comes from Sargassum, a type of algae that is very common in this region. Stories about large sailing ships being entrapped in this algae have been told for many years. Apparently, these aquatic plants are so abundant in this area that they may well have slowed sailing ships down. The problem would have been compounded by the fact this part of the ocean is particularly calm and devoid of wind.