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Saltstraumen
is created when the tide try to fill the Skjerstad fjord. The height difference
of the sea surface can be as much as 1 meter or 3 feet between the inside
and the outside of the narrow sound.
In the attempt to level out the two sides, the water increase its speed
and turns into something that looks like a very strong river. However this
"river" has a twist , it runs both ways.
Within a time frame of 6 hours a massive 372 million cubic meter of sea
water passes through a 150 meter wide and 31 meter deep passage.
The speed of the stream is estimated to be up to 22 knots or 40 km per hour,
and it is about 3 km long.
Huge whirlpools are formed , sometimes they can be as much as 10 to 15 meters
in diameter.
