The Lemaire Channel is an 11 km (7 mi) long passage that runs from False Cape Renard to Cape Cloos, separating Booth Island from the Antarctic continent. It was discovered by Dallmann’s German expedition of 1873, but Gerlache was the first to navigate it in 1898. He named it in honor of Charles Lemaire, a Belgian explorer of the Congo. At its narrowest, the channel is less than 800 m (0.5 mi) wide with towering peaks above 600 m (2000 ft) overhead. The channel can be full of icebergs and sea ice making manoeuvering difficult. It is a good location for spotting Crabeater, Weddell and Leopard seals resting on ice floes and Minke whales passing through. It is one of the most scenic channels on the Peninsula.