BENGUELA CURRENT

oceanic current that is a branch of the West Wind Drift of the Southern Hemisphere. It flows northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the west coast of southern Africa nearly to the Equator before merging with the westward-flowing Atlantic South Equatorial Current. The prevailing southerly and southwesterly winds produce upwelling of water with a cool temperature, a relatively low salinity, and a high concentration of plankton, creating excellent fishing grounds. Very cold Antarctic bottom water is prevented from flowing far north by the Walvis Ridge, a submarine feature that extends southwestward from off Cape Fria, Namibia, toward Gough Island. Coastal areas adjacent to the current experience a desertlike aridity that is not broken by the common sea breezes because of their cool temperature and low moisture content.