Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Canary Current
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Canary Current World map showing major ocean current systems, with arrows indicating the direction and speed of warm and cold currents in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans. Warm currents are marked in red and cold currents in blue, with currents labeled by name and symbols denoting those that reverse direction seasonally. A legend explains current speed categories and color codes. major surface currents of the oceans Map of the North Atlantic Ocean showing major ocean currents, with warm currents like the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift highlighted in pink and cold currents in blue. Arrows indicate current directions and relative speeds, connecting the eastern coasts of North America, the western coasts of Europe and Africa, and the Arctic region.
Quizzes
water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)
Water and its Varying Forms
Quick Facts
Also called:
Canaries Current
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Canary Current
Canary Current

Canary Current

Atlantic Ocean
Also known as: Canaries Current
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Canary Current, part of a clockwise-setting ocean-current system in the North Atlantic Ocean. It branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwestward along the northwest coast of Africa as far south as Senegal before turning westward to eventually join the Atlantic North Equatorial Current. The cool temperature of the water is produced by upwelling caused by offshore winds from the continent. As the current flows around the Canary Islands, it helps to lessen the heating effect of the Sahara to the east. The thermal mixing creates excellent fishing grounds in the region.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.