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Almost every part of our planet has been explored, at least the portion of it that is dry land. The 70% that lies underwater is another story. Experts say we’ve explored less than five percent of the world’s oceans and they undoubtedly hold many secrets that humans have yet to uncover.
Some of the strangest, most incredible phenomenon that take place in the ocean occurs near the surface and whirlpools are one such thing. Whirlpools are vortexes much like tornadoes in that they rotate, but instead of air they are composed of water and they have a downdraft as opposed to an updraft.
The swirling, swiftly twisting bodies of water are interesting to see from the safety of shore, but you would never want to get caught up in one. This is especially true for the Saltstraumen maelstrom, which is located right off the coast of Norway. It’s been around for at least the last 2,00 years and it happens to be the world’s strongest tidal whirlpool!
Tidal whirlpools occur when opposing currents collide. Every six hours approximately 110 billion gallons of water surges through the Saltstraumen straight, a narrow strip of water running from the Norwegian Sea to the Skjerstad Fjord. The water must pass between two cliffs that are just 150 meters apart and when the tide draining out hits the tide coming in, the maelstroms appear.
Just as tides are affected by the moon, the strength of the vortex at Saltstraumen depends on the phase of the moon. When a full moon rises, it appears in its most powerful and dangerous form. Some whirlpools measuring thirty three feet wide and 16 feet deep have been spotted here and the water reaches speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
To get a better sense of how much water is colliding in the small area when the current comes in, the height difference between the sea level outside and the fjord inside can easily be 3 feet! This means that the whirlpools that form here produce enough power to easily suck a person or small boat into them and many fish get caught up in the current as well. The abundance of fish in the area is why it was settled long ago in the first place, but these days people come mainly to see the picturesque beauty of the area and of course, the maelstroms!
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