Golfe du Morbihan (Kerguelen)

The Golfe du Morbihan (Gulf of Morbihan) of the Kerguelen islands forms deep and broad notch in the central section of principal island of the Kerguelen Islands, Grande Terre.

It is a relatively protected maritime space constituting a natural shelter for the ships and on the banks of which were established the stations of Port-Jeanne-d'Arc and Port-aux-Français. The gulf of Morbihan is strewn with many islands and islets. It was thus so called by Raymond Rallier du Baty at the time of its forwardings of the beginning of the 20th century in the honour of the Gulf of Morbihan in Brittany (Kerguelen was Breton, and many of the features in the islands have Breton names). "Morbihan" derives directly from the Breton name which is "Ar Morbihan", meaning 'the little sea' (Compare the Welsh "y môr bychan"), as opposed to the Ocean outside.

The name of Gulf of Morbihan appears on the chart that it published in 1922. Previously the place was known under the name of Royal Sound as that appeared on the chart of James Cook. There remained the name of Royal Master key besides about it to indicate the entry of the gulf. The name of gulf was confirmed by the commission of toponymy of the southern and antarctic Lands French, thus respecting the hierarchy of the topographic terms since the Gulf of Morbihan includes/understands bays of which in particular the Bay of the aurora australis where Port-aux-Français is. However the Bay denomination of Morbihan appears on various charts and is used often indifferently even in official writings.