Which cape does the Pequod round to enter the Indian Ocean?

The Pequod rounds the Cape of Good Hope to enter the Indian Ocean.

After leaving the Atlantic cruising grounds, Ahab directs the ship south along Africa rather than taking the route around Cape Horn. The Cape of Good Hope, at the southwestern tip of Africa, marks the passage between the Atlantic and Indian oceans in the Pequod’s eastward voyage.

Melville makes the crossing physically and symbolically significant. The Cape’s powerful winds and rough seas batter the ship, while Ishmael describes the region as a busy maritime crossroads where vessels from many routes meet. Soon afterward, the Pequod begins its encounters with other whalers, including the Goney and the Town-Ho.

Cape Horn is the common mix-up because it is another famous southern ocean passage, and many real whaling routes used it to reach the Pacific. In the novel, however, Ahab chooses the Cape of Good Hope because he is pursuing reports of Moby Dick in the Indian and Pacific oceans.