Inlet of the southwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica.
Lying at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf , the channel is 92 mi (148 km) long and up to 46 mi (74 km) wide; it has been a major centre for Antarctic explorations. First discovered in 1841 by Scottish explorer James C. Ross, it served as one of the main access routes to the Antarctic continent. On the shores of the sound, Ross Island was the site of headquarters for British explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton .