Cumberland East Bay is a bay

Bay

A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...

 forming the eastern arm of Cumberland Bay

Cumberland Bay

Cumberland Bay, wide at its entrance between Larsen and Barff Points, which separates into two extensive arms that recede inland along the northern coast of South Georgia. Discovered and named in 1775 by a British expedition under James Cook....

, South Georgia. It is entered between Sappho Point

Sappho Point

Sappho Point is a headland which marks the west side of the entrance to Cumberland East Bay, on the north coast of South Georgia. Probably first sighted by the British expedition under Cook which explored the north coast of South Georgia in 1775. Named for HMS Sappho, British ship used in charting...

 and Barff Point

Barff Point

Barff Point is a headland which forms the east side of the entrance to Cumberland Bay, on the north coast of South Georgia. It was named for Lieutenant A.D. Barff, Royal Navy, of the Sappho, who, assisted by Captain C.A. Larsen, made a sketch map of Cumberland Bay in 1906....

, where it is nearly 3 miles (4.8 km) wide, and extends 8 miles (13 km) in a southeast direction. This feature was surveyed by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition

Swedish Antarctic Expedition

The Swedish Antarctic Expedition was led by Otto Nordenskjöld and Carl Anton Larsen.-Background:Otto Nordenskjöld, a Swedish geologist and geographer, organized and lead a scientific expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula...

, 1901-04, who named it "South Bay". It was remapped during 1926-29 by DI

Discovery Investigations

The Discovery Investigations were a series of scientific cruises and shore-based investigations into the biology of whales in the Southern Ocean. They were funded by the British Colonial Office and organised by the Discovery Committee in London, which was formed in 1918...

 personnel and renamed "East Cumberland Bay", which is more descriptive of its geographic position. The shortened form "East Bay" was simultaneously used. Following the SGS, 1951-52, the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) proposed that the name be altered to Cumberland East Bay and that all other names be rejected. This change brings together information about the whole of Cumberland Bay in one place in indexes, and will avoid confusion with East Bay in Prince Olav Harbour

Prince Olav Harbour

Prince Olav Harbour is small harbour in the south west portion of Cook Bay, entered between Point Abrahamsen and Sheep Point, along the north coast of South Georgia.-Background:...

, South Georgia.

On 22 April–24 April, 1982, the British SBS

Special Boat Service

The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...

 attempted to cross Cumberland East Bay. They had landed in Hound Bay

Hound Bay

Hound Bay is a bay, which is 2.5 miles wide at its mouth and recedes 3 miles , entered between Tijuca Point and Cape Vakop along the north coast of South Georgia. The names George Bay and Hundebugten have appeared on charts for this feature...

, and traversed the Sorling Valley

Sörling Valley

Sörling Valley is an ice-free valley between Cumberland East Bay and Hound Bay on the north side of South Georgia. Surveyed by the SGS in the period 1951-57...

, but were prevented from attacking Argentine positions by incessant ice and snow.