Shore lead

A shore lead (or coastal lead) is an oceanographic term for a waterway opening between pack ice and shore.

While the gap of water[1] may be as narrow as a tide crack if closed by wind or currents, it can be as wide as 1,000 feet (300 m).

[2] Its formation can be influenced by tidal action, or subsurface conditions, such as current and ocean floor.

[2] Commonly, a shore lead is navigable by surface vessels.

[3] An opening ("lead") between pack ice and fast ice is referred to as a flaw lead.