Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland (Victoria in particular). It was discovered by Europeans in 1798 by Matthew Flinders. Flinders named it after his ship's doctor George Bass.

Approximately 240 km wide at its narrowest point, it was almost dry during the last ice age. It contains many islands, with King Island and Flinders Island home to substantial human settlements.

Like the rest of the waters surrounding Tasmania, it is notoriously rough, with many ships lost there during the 19th century. In 1859 the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse was completed, helping to protect shipping passing that point.

Strong currents between the Antarctic driven Southern Ocean and Tasman Sea provide a strait of powerful, wild storm waves. To illustrate its wild strength, Bass Strait is both twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel. The ship wrecks on the Tasmanian and Victorian coastlines number in the hundreds, although stronger metal ships and modern marine navigation have dropped the danger sharply.

Transport

The fastest and cheapest method of travel across Bass Strait is by air. The main carriers are Qantas, JetStar, and Virgin Blue. Major airports include the Hobart International Airport and Launceston Airport; the smaller airports are serviced by Regional Express who generally fly only to Melbourne and the Bass Strait islands.

The domestic sea route is being serviced by three Spirit of Tasmania passenger/vehicle ferries, all based in Devonport, Tasmania. Two travel the Melbourne route, and one to Sydney.

See Transportation in Tasmania for more details.

Communications

The first submarine cable across Bass Strait was laid in 1859. Starting at Cape Otway , Victoria, it went via King Island and Three Hummock Island , made contact with the Tasmanian mainland at Stanley Head , and then continued on to George Town. However it started failing within a few weeks of completion, and by 1861 it failed completely.

Other submarine cables include: