The fjord is named after the French cruiser La Recherche, which visited Spitsbergen in 1838 and 1839. Before being renamed, it had been called Schoonhaven by the Dutch since the early 17th century. The English commonly called it Ice Bay. Both countries established several whaling stations within the fjord in the first half of the seventeenth century, most notably Lægerneset on the eastern side of the fjord.
Alphabetical Index of Pages | Hierarchical Index of Pages