About 30 kilometers from Bodø lies the world's largest maelstrom, the Saltstraumen. Enormous masses of water are forced from an 80-kilometer-long fjord into a 2.5-kilometer-long and approximately 150-meter-wide strait, which connects the Saltenfjord and Skjerstadfjord. This occurs during the tides.
The spectacle, in which almost 400 million cubic meters of water are pushed into and out of the strait at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour, repeats itself several times a day. The pressure exerted by the sea sometimes creates whirlpools that reach the bottom of the strait and can reach a diameter of ten meters and a depth of between four and five meters.
Because the nutrient-rich waters attract many fish such as coalfish, cod, wolffish, and halibut, Saltstraumen is a popular fishing area – and has been for around 10,000 years, as documented by archaeological finds. However, this is not without its dangers – a large number of boats have been sucked into the depths of the sea, and as far as is known, 96 people lost their lives.
The best view of Saltstraumen is from the 768-meter-long Saltstraumen Bridge, completed in 1978, which stands 41 meters above the tidal current at its highest point. It is also important to pay attention to the incoming and outgoing tides, as this is when the tide is at its strongest. At other times, the water may just slosh around a bit, and practically nothing can be seen.