Keppel Bay

inlet, Queensland, Australia

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Article History

Keppel Bay, inlet of the Pacific Ocean, indenting eastern Queensland, Australia. It is about 30 miles (48 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide and is protected from the sea by Curtis Island (east). The Keppel Islands lie in the northern section of the inlet near the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Sighted in 1770 by the British navigator Captain James Cook, the bay was named by him after Rear Admiral Augustus Keppel, later first lord of the Admiralty.

Among the resorts along the shores of the bay are Emu Park and Yeppoon. Tropical fruits (pineapples and bananas) are cultivated inshore, and the bay waters yield prawns, scallops, and game fish.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.