Bottom currents at the entrance to False Bay, South Africa

False Bay, the biggest bay in South Africa, has to accommodate various demands in terms of recreation, naval activities and fisheries while it is lately also exposed to increased pollution. To determine the currents at the entrance to the Bay and thus obtain insight into the dynamics of the region, the flushing rate of the Bay and other aspects of the circulation, a number of current meters were deployed in the lower half of the water column at the entrance during the austral summer of 1986/1987. The results of these measurements, augmented and supported by temperature-salinity sections and meteorologic measurements in the vicinity, are discussed and compared with historical observations of the currents and water properties in the Bay.