- Address: Norge
- Strait width: 15 m
- Strait length: 3 km
Saltstraumen is the strongest tidal current in the world; it occurs in the same strait, which connects the two Norwegian fjords - the Sherstadfjord and the Salten-Fjord - to the sea.
Basic information about the whirlpool
The length of the strait is 3 km, the width is only 15 m, with over 400 million cubic meters of water passing through it a day, the speed of which is about 38 km per hour.
Whirlpool Salstraumen is considered one of the most dangerous whirlpools in the world; the water forms funnels, the diameter of which reaches 12 meters, and the depth is 5. But it is dangerous not only during "activity", since underwater currents are very powerful and during total calm.
Find Saltstraumen on the map of Norway is easy: the strait is located near the town of Bodø , on the opposite side of the Saltifjorden bay. The Saltstraumen strait is located between the Straumøya and Knaplundsøya islands. By the way, its beaches are a favorite place for anglers, as the waters of the strait are rich in nutrients, and here is a very large fish; in particular, a record saité with a weight of 22.3 kg was caught here.
How to get to the strait?
From Oslo to Bodø you can get by air; the road will take 1 hour 25 minutes. You can go and by car, but the road will have to spend from 16.5 to 18 hours depending on the chosen route. From Bodø by car to the tide can be reached in 30 minutes. To go follows through Riksveg 80 / Rv80 and Fv17.
To go to Salstraumen on a boat it is possible only in clear weather and with observance of all necessary precautions; it is mandatory to use a lifejacket. You should also check the weather forecast in advance. You can admire the current and the bridge that connects the fjords.