The South Equatorial Current is present on both sides of the Equator. This current is induced by the Southeast Trade Winds. The latitudinal extent of this current is from 10°S latitudes to 3°S latitude Between 5°N and 5°S latitudes the velocity of this current reaches its maximum.
Between these latitudes the constancy of the current is also more than that in other regions. The South Equatorial Current covers a total distance of about 13,600 kilometers in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Peru Current that flows along the west coast of South America extending towards the north joins the South Equatorial Current. The South Equatorial Current is stronger than the North Equatorial Current.
Its average velocity is about 32 km per day. However, in certain sections the current velocity reaches a maximum of 160 km per day.
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Numerous small currents meet this current on its left margin. In the western part of this current, due to the presence of various submarine plateaus, numerous sub-branches originate.
The main reason for branching out of various sub-branches from the southern part of the main current appears to be the large number of big and small islands in the mid-and western Pacific Ocean.
From the western part of this current, a branch flowing close to the northern shore of New Guinea joins the Pacific Equatorial Counter Current.
Besides, the other two important branches move towards the northern and eastern coasts of Australia. The current that flows along the east coast of Australia is called the East Australian Current.
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During the summer of the northern hemisphere the South Equatorial Current flows as a very strong current towards New Guinea and Halmhera to the west of Solomon Islands, and supplies enormous quantity of water to the counter current.