Canal de la Tortue (English: Turtle Channel or Tortoise Canal) is the stretch of sea that separates Haiti from Île de la Tortue.
Geography[]
The Tortoise Canal is located off the Atlantic Ocean, north of Haiti. It separates Tortoise Island from the rest of Haitian territory.
It has a variable width, depending on the coastal points, of around 12 to 15 kilometers (~10 miles) and a length of around forty kilometers (25 mi).
The Tortoise Canal is the upper part of a fault known as the “Tortue Canal fault”. It is an active tectonic fault clearly identified in the northern part of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). It is a fault of subduction, of East-West direction, of strong dynamism, responsible for the majority of the earthquakes occurring in the northern island part, off the north coast of the Haitian territory.
Location[]
The Tortue Canal is part of the Northwest department and the borough of Port-de-Paix.
Transport[]
The maritime transport of people and goods is mainly done in small motor boats that can sail when the breeze allows. The trip, by sail, lasts between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the local weather. In calm weather, the trip is made with the engine, but the price of the trip is doubled. The port city of Port-de-Paix is the main place of embarkation and disembarkation with the municipality of La Tortue. Charcoal is the main cargo from Turtle Island to Port-de-Paix, home to a specific market for this product.