- Saltstraumen
Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located in
Nordland 30 km east of the city ofBodø ,Norway . The narrow channel connects the outerSaltfjord with its extension, the largeSkjerstadfjord . It is the strongest tidal current in the world. Up to 400 million m³ (tonnes) ofseawater forces its way through a 3 km long and 150 m widestrait 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 awhirlpool ormaelstrom .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 theSkjerstad fjord . The height difference between thesea 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 andhalibut .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.ee also
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Tidal bore External links
* [http://home.c2i.net/rune.dahl/saltstraumen2.html Local Norwegian site with extensive details about the current, in English]
* [http://www.visitsaltstraumen.no Visit Saltstraumen] Useful information about Saltstraumen
* [http://www.saltstraumen.nu Site with information about Saltstraumen and the facilities there]
* [http://www.saltstraumenforum.com/forum/ Forum where you can ask the locals your questions]
* [http://www.bodoe.com/?c=1&display=article&PR=37_271_10&sp=GB Bodø tourist site about the current]
* [http://books.eserver.org/fiction/poe/descent.html The complete text of Edgar Allan Poe's "A Descent into the Maelstrom"]
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