Saltstraumen Maelstrom – the World’s Strongest Whirlpool in Bodø!

RIB Boat over Saltraumen Maelstrom

Before going to Bodø in Northern Norway I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s not well visited by tourists and I wondered if that was correlated with the amount of things to do there. 

I’m pleased to say it’s not. There are quite a few things to do in Bodø that range from the arty to the adventurous, but its limelight is stolen by its more attractive neighbours, in particular, the beautiful Lofoten Islands.

Bodø is the northern terminus for the train network in Norway, so people stopping here are usually heading further north from the city’s small airport. Basically it’s a means for getting from A to B, but I wanted to see for myself what this city had to offer.

First impressions of Bodø

After arriving in town, the proximity it has to the fjords was the first thing I noticed, together with mountains and the alpine landscape. Being surrounded by all this meant one thing – ADVENTURE!

Bodo, landscape Norway
Bodo, Norway

You can go scuba diving, kayaking, paragliding, hiking, but I had only one thing on my mind… I wanted to take a RIB boat over Saltstraumen maelstrom, the world’s strongest tidal current.

A whirlpool goes by the name of maelstrom in Norwegian. Literary fans will enjoy knowing it was first introduced into English by Edgar Allan Poe in his short story A Descent into the Maelstrom in 1841. In the tale, a man recounts how he survived a shipwreck and a whirlpool in Norway.

About the RIB Safari

Saltstraumen is located outside of the city, about 20 minutes drive away in a narrow channel — connecting the outer Saltfjord with the large Skjerstadfjord. Up to 400 million m³ (tonnes) of seawater forces its way through a three kilometre long and only 150 meter wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 37 kilometres per hour. (I may or may not have taken those figures from Wikipedia…!).

I could not recall seeing a whirlpool before, other than on a tiny scale in my bathroom sink, so I was all fired up to go.

I walked over to where I could get a panoramic view of the area but it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. I was expecting to see a ferocious whirlpool but seeing it for the first time didn’t reach the colossal expectations I had built for myself. In moments such as these I quickly give myself a hard word, and reminded myself how lucky I am to see and experience these out of reach places.

The water was moving in rapid, rotating motions and I could see the resemblance of a few swirls that could be described loosely as a whirlpool. Although the tidal current didn’t look like this almighty force from a Hollywood blockbuster, it was still more than exciting, and it came with a velocity I wanted to test.

Along with a few other people, I zipped myself up into the appropriate clothing provided by the activity company and I jumped (or rather hobbled) into the RIB Boat.

Saltstraumen maelstrom, Bodo, Norway

RIB Safari, Bodo, Norway

Immediately I could feel getting swept up by a magnetic force, the closer we got to the tidal current the wilder the water beneath us became. Whatever disappointment I had initially it was now completely erased after seeing and feeling the strength of the maelstrom up-close.

Saltsraumen whirlpool, Bodo, Norway
Saltraumen whirlpool

We rode across it a few times and then decided to head south into the fjord where the water was calmer and where we had excellent chances of spotting sea eagles (white-tailed eagles). Bodø has the highest density of sea eagles in Europe so my chances were high.

Sea eagles, Bodo, Norway

One of the most beautiful things about Norway has to be its sky. Whether it be in the south or in the cities, or high in the arctic, the sky is always something to behold. It could be the presence of a million low-slung clouds or the colours you see between sunset and twilight, it rarely disappoints and today in Bodø was no exception.

Bodo, Norway

Skjerstadfjorden, Bodo, Norway

Another great thing about Norway is how the weather changes constantly, perhaps not as much as Iceland, but it can be very erratic. Although this can sometimes be annoying, especially when you look out of the window to find blue skies in the morning and by midday it’s raining cats and dogs. On the bright side, it means you get to experience all the elements which are thrown your way – something every person who lives close or within the Arctic Circle has to deal with.

Fjord, Bodo, Norway

It’s extraordinary how different the same landscape can look under different weather.

When we began our boat journey, the weather was gorgeous. As sunset started to approach the landscape was enhanced by soft glow, but as we ventured further into the fjord the clouds crept further and further down towards the fjord until our visibility became zero, and we could see nothing but mist from all directions.

stormy weather, Norway

Hopefully in this blog post I’ve shown that Bodø is far more than just a terminus. It’s a landscape brimming with mountains, fjords and the world’s strongest whirlpool!

Enjoy this short video of the action!

Accommodation in Bodø

I’ve now visited Bodø a few times, and my favourite hotel is Scandic Havet in terms of location, comfort and food (the buffet break is amaaazing). It’s quite a big hotel but still manages to maintain a personal and cosy atmosphere. Ameneties include  a wellness centre, restaurant and a 360 rooftop bar which boasts some of the best views across the city. atmosphere.

Would you like a boat trip over Saltstraumen Maelstrom?

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Hi, I'm Shing

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12 Responses

  1. That maelstrom doesn’t look like something that will wreck ships, based on your pictures. It certainly did not look as deadly as described by Jules Verne’s 20000 Leagues Under the Sea.

    1. Haha no, it probably won’t wreck ships! As mentioned I expected the maelstrom to have a greater physical presence, but once I was in the boat and I could feel the pull, it got really exciting for me! The only photo of the actual maelstrom is the one I labelled, the rest are of Bodø’s surrounding area.

  2. Lovely piccies. I used to work for a company that made football management games, and still fondly remember the Norwegian team called Bodø-Glimt!

  3. Of course you tried it!! 🙂 I found myself in Bodo just for half a day, and even though I didn’t have time I considered taking the tour! The cloud pictures are surreal!!!

    1. Sorry for the late reply. It reaches its peak every 6 hours, hopefully this timetable helps: http://www.visitbodo.com/sites/v/visitbodo.com/files/2491d84d3fcb318a2b6563228de3a9cc.pdf

      As I mentioned in my post, I was rather underwhelmed at Saltstraumen, but that’s because I didn’t see it at its peak. Perhaps it looks wildly different if you catch it at the right time – I’m not sure. However the area is very scenic and if you’re lucky you should spot Sea Eagles. Have a super time and I look forward to reading about your experience!

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