Barrow Strait

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Barrow Strait is a shipping waterway in Northern Canada's territory of Nunavut. The strait separates several large islands including Cornwallis island and Devon Island to the north, from Prince of Wales Island, Somerset Island, and Prince Leopold Island to the south.

The first 30 miles of its eastern section has no islands, commonly does not freeze until the end of November, nor consolidate until the end of December. Garrett Island, Lowther Island, Young Island, Hamilton Island, and Russell Island lay south of Bathurst Island. Browne Island, Somerville Island, and Griffith Island lay southwest of Cornwallis Island.[1] Beechy Island lays off of Devon Island.

From its eastern junction with Lancaster Sound to its western junction with Viscount Melville Sound, the strait measures 170 miles long. Its eastern mouth, between Prince Leopold Island, and Cape Hurd on Devon Island, is 28 miles wide. Its western mouth, at Cape Cockburn, southwestern Bathurst Island, is 66 miles wide.[2][1]

Habitat for Arctic fox, birds, polar bear, ringed seal, and whales is located along the ice edge, near Leopold Island, while consolidated ice in the strait's central and western sections provides a bridge for caribou crossing.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Pharand, Donat; Legault, L.H. (1984). The Northwest Passage: Arctic Straits. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 7. ISBN 9024729793. 
  2. ^ Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Barrow Strait and Lancaster Sound. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2007-06-05). Retrieved on 2008-04-22.

Coordinates: 74°23′00″N, 097°48′00″W

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