You can experience the world’s strongest maelstrom just 33 km from Bodø. Visit when the tide is at its highest and marvel at the forces of nature. Every six hours, 400 mill m3 of water rush through the 150 m wide and 3 km long sound connecting the Saltfjord and the Skjerstadfjord at speeds of up to 20 knots. The mighty whirlpools that are formed by this phenomenon can be up to 10 m in diameter and 4-5 m deep. The tide is caused by the attraction of the moon here on Earth, and therefore it is the tide and the phases of the moon that determine when the current is at its strongest. The greatest difference between high and low tides occurs in March, and the current is at its strongest when there is a full moon. The time of day when the current is strongest varies. Please refer to the tide table to check out the time of high tide during your visit Saltstraumen.
The tourist information has details and tide tables for Saltstraumen. You can also see www.visitbodo.com
Saltstraumen is famous for its abundance of fish, including cod, saithe, wolf fish and halibut. The world record for saithe caught with a fishing pole was set here, an impressive 22.7 kg!
Saltstraumen offers a wide range of activities and exciting -experiences. If you want to try your luck fishing you can either rent tackle for fishing from the shore, or you can fish from one of our boats. You can hire a boat on the spot, or join a group going out on one of the deep-sea fishing charter boats.
This is also a great starting point for rambling and trekking in the beautiful mountain wilderness, such as Børvasstindene, or for wandering through areas rich in archaeological remains. Traces of 10 000 year old human habitation have been found here.