Vincennes Bay is a large V-shaped bay

Headlands and bays

Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...

, 105 km (65 mi) wide at its entrance between Cape Nutt

Cape Nutt

Cape Nutt is a mostly ice-covered cape with several rock outcrops at the extremity, forming the west side of the entrance to Vincennes Bay. The position of Cape Nutt correlates closely with the eastern end of "Knox's High Land" as charted as a coastal landfall in 1840 by the United States...

 and Cape Folger

Cape Folger

Cape Folger is an ice-covered cape forming the east side of the entrance to Vincennes Bay on Budd Coast in Antarctica. The position of Cape Folger correlates closely with the west end of Wilkes' "Budd's High Land", as charted as a coastal landfall by the United States Exploring Expedition in...

 in Antarctica, marked by several large, steep glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

s near its head, lying along Knox and Budd Coasts. Photographed from the air by USN OpHjp, 1946-47. The bay was entered in January 1948 by US Navy OpWml icebreakers Burton Island and stations in the Windmill Islands in the NE portion of the bay. Named by the US-ACAN

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending names for features in Antarctica...

 for the sloop of war USS Vincennes

USS Vincennes (1826)

USS Vincennes was a 703-ton Boston-class sloop of war in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1865. During her service, Vincennes patrolled the Pacific, explored the Antarctic, and blockaded the Confederate Gulf coast in the Civil War. Named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Vincennes, she was...

, flagship of the USEE under Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...

, from which a series of coastal landfalls along Wilkes Land

Wilkes Land

Wilkes Land is a large district of land in eastern Antarctica, formally claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, though the validity of this claim has been placed for the period of the operation of the Antarctic Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory...

were discovered and plotted during January-February 1840. Wilkes' chart suggests a possible coastal recession corresponding closely with the longitudinal limits for Vincennes Bay, although pack ice conditions prevented close reconnaissance by the USEE of the coast in this immediate area.