One of the world's strongest "maelstroms," or giant whirlpools, is located on the coast of Norway, just north of the Arctic Circle.

The Saltstraumen, as it's known, has long been the subject of Norse legends and stories, this formid­able current, the strongest tidal current in the world, was once believed to be caused by a sul­phurous underground fire that alternately sucked water deep into the earth at great speed and then violently ejected it.

We know now that the Saltstraumen is generated by powerful currents that rip through channels connect­ing two large fjords. There are three channels. The northern and southern ones are rarely used for ship traffic. The third or center channel, the Storstraum, is the most important connection between the two fjords, both for traffic and for water masses. And this is where the maelstrom occurs.

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