Old Sow
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The Old Sow is the name of the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere located off the southwestern shore of Deer Island, New Brunswick between the island and Eastport, Maine.
The name Old Sow may be derived from a variety of sources ranging from the sucking "pig-like noises" it makes when churning, to a corruption of the word "sough" (pronounced "suff") which means a sucking noise or a drain.
The whirlpool is caused by variations in local bathymetry combined with the extreme tidal range of the Western Passage where waters exchange between Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy. It has been measured with a diameter of approximately 75 metres (250 feet).
The Old Sow is one of five significant whirlpools worldwide (Corryvreckan, Scotland; Saltstraumen, Norway; Moskstraumen, Norway; and Naruto, Japan are the others). It is claimed that the Old Sow ties with the Moskstraumen for title of the world's most powerful whirlpool, with the former being measured with a speed of water current up to 27.8 km/h and the latter being measured with a speed of up to 27.7 km/h.
The Old Sow generally creates tremendous water turbulence locally, but it does not usually constitute a navigation hazard for larger vessels; small craft are warned to avoid these waters when the tide is running.
The failed Quoddy Project saw a series of tidal barriers constructed during the 1930s to connect Moose Island to Pleasant Point. The changes in local water flow reportedly caused a large "funnel" to develop in the Old Sow during certain tidal conditions, resulting in a drop in local water level at the centre of the whirlpool.
