// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did the Anguilla Channel go to therapy? It had a lot of deep issues.
| Anguilla Channel | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Anguilla Channel Location within Saint-Martin  Anguilla Channel Location within Lesser Antilles  Anguilla Channel Location within the Caribbean | |
| Location | Caribbean |
| Coordinates | 18°8′N 63°5′W / 18.133°N 63.083°W |
| Basin countries | Anguilla (United Kingdom) Saint Martin (France) |
| Settlements | Grand Case, Marigot, Blowing Point |
The Anguilla Channel (French: Canal d'Anguilla) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea. It separates the island of Anguilla (a British Overseas Territory) in the north from the Collectivity of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France on the island of Saint Martin, in the south.[1] The channel is around 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide with a navigable passage at least 18.3 metres (60 ft) deep. It is crossed by ferry services linking the two islands.
Geography
[edit]The Anguilla Channel lies between the islands of Anguilla , to its north, and Saint Martin to the south, in the Leeward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles. It is around 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide.[2] The 1996 France–United Kingdom Maritime Delimitation Agreements demarcated the maritime border in the channel on the principle of equidistance; through the channel the border is a straight line between two mutually-agreed points.[3][4]
There are steep coral reefs that extend 0.2 miles (0.32 km) offshore of Anguilla but the channel is free of isolated dangers and has a fairway (navigable channel) depth of at least 18.3 metres (60 ft). Rendezvous Bay on the south-west of Anguilla offers a safe refuge for smaller vessels in the channel.[5] In the Age of Sail, vessels navigating the channel to be careful not to leave Creole Rock off the north of Saint Martin as a lee shore and to avoid the submerged Spanish Rock off the island's northern tip.[6]
Ecology
[edit]A coral reef in the channel known as Chris's Reef was found in 2009. It contains the remains of automotive vehicles which may have been destroyed by Hurricane Luis in 1995 and subsequently placed into the reef for disposal.[7]
Infrastructure
[edit]There is a regular ferry service between Blowing Point, Anguilla and Marigot, Saint Martin. The ride is 20-25 minutes long.[8][9] The route is the principle means of accessing Anguilla, as its Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport handles limited commercial traffic; more than 90% of persons entering Anguilla come by sea. Principally this is by the ferry from the Marigot French portion of Saint Martin but some private shuttle services operate from Simpson Bay in Dutch Sint Maarten. The "Christmas Winds", trade winds in the December to March season, can cause 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 m) swells in the channel that cam make travel uncomfortable for passengers but only rarely require cancellation of crossings.[10]
The channel is covered by cellular networks from the adjacent islands.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Data available for Saint Martin (French Part)". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ Dyde, Brian (1987). Islands to the Windward: Five Gems of the Caribbean. Macmillan Caribbean. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-333-43936-4.
- ↑ Anderson, Ewan W. (2003). International Boundaries: A Geopolitical Atlas. Psychology Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-57958-375-0.
- ↑ "Agreement on Maritime Delimitation". The National Archives. British Government.
- ↑ Sailing Directions (enroute): Caribbean Sea. Bethesda, Maryland: US Defense Mapping Agency. 1996. p. 123.
- ↑ West Indies Directory: Cuba, with the Bahama islands & banks, the Florida reef, and the windward passages. The bay of Honduras from Cape Gracias to Cape Catoche. Puerto Rico and the Caribbee islands. James Imray & Son. 1878. pp. 51–52.
- ↑ "Blog Archive » Return to Chris's Reef". Les Fruits De Mer. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ↑ "Anguilla ferry routes info and map". FerryGoGo.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ↑ Allen, Casey D. (19 July 2017). Landscapes and Landforms of the Lesser Antilles. Springer. p. 32. ISBN 978-3-319-55787-8.
- ↑ "Anguilla Ferry Guide: St. Martin to Blowing Point". Ferrygogo. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Reed's Nautical Almanac: Caribbean. Thomas Reed Publications. 2006. p. 33.
