Saltstraumen

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Saltstraumen, Norway. Børvasstindene mountains in the background

Saltstraumen maelstrom

Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located in Nordland some 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway. The narrow channel connects the outer Saltfjord with its extension, the large Skjerstadfjord. It is the strongest tidal current in the world. Up to 400 million m³ of seawater forces its way through a 3 km long and 150 m wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 20 knots (about 37 km/h). Vortices up to 10 m in diameter and 5 m in depth are formed when the current is at its strongest; this feature is commonly known as a whirlpool.

[edit] History and facts

Saltstraumen has only existed for some two to three thousand years. Before that the area was different due to the pressure from the glaciers that had covered Norway for tens of thousands of years. The current is created when the tide tries to fill the Skjerstad fjord. The height difference between the sea level and the fjord inside can be up to 1 meter. The speed of the current can be up to 22 knots (40 km per hour). When the current turns, there is a time-window when the sound can be navigated by vessels. At these times the current is almost calm.

Saltstraumen is popular with anglers, due to its abundance of fish such as saithe, cod, wolffish, rose fish and halibut. Coalfish is the speciality for this area. In fact, the world's largest, registered coalfish of 22.7 kg. was caught in Saltstraumen on a fishing rod.