Encounter Bay is located on the south coast of Australia. It is named after the encounter in April 1802 between Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin, both of whom were charting the Australian coastline for their respective countries (Britain and France). The encounter between the scientists was peaceful, even though their countries were at war at the time.

The bay is a wide curve of coastline from Cape Jervis up the east coast of Fleurieu Peninsula past Victor Harbor, Goolwa and the mouth of the Murray River then southeast along the Coorong to Kingston SE .