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

Before going to Bodø in Northern Norway I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s not very popular and I wondered if that 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. Perhaps most famous is Saltstraumen, the world strongest maelstrom which you can see with your very own eyes. Better still, you can ride over it in a RIB boat. Which is not as scary as it sounds!

Before, I get to that I want to talk a bit more about the city. I believe the reason for having fewer tourists is that its limelight is stolen by its more attractive neighbours, in particular, the beautiful Lofoten Islands. Admittedly, no where can really compared to the Lofton Islands but Bodø is still well worth a visit.

Bodø is the northern terminus for the train network in Norway. Typically 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 has 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!

You can go scuba diving, kayaking, paragliding, hiking and hiking. However, I had only one thing on my mind… I wanted to take a RIB boat over Saltstraumen maelstrom.

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. I feel guilty that I haven’t read it yet, so I’m going to look for it when I have a minute. I love Edgar Allan Poe so I really have no excuse.

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 metre wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 37 kilometres per hour. You can thank Wikipedia for those figures!

To my knowledge, I had not seen a whirlpool before, so I was all fired up to go. The only semblance of a being near a whirlpool was on a tiny scale in my bathroom sink while brushing my teeth.

“Is that it?”

I walked over to where I could get a panoramic view of the area and looked out. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. Along the channel of water there was a patch of water that looked a bit rough and whirly, but was that it?

My guide pointed over to the exact patch I was looking at, and said, “That’s the maelstrom”. Hmmm, 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 in my imagination.

“At the moment it looks quite gentle but you can feel it more than you can see it”. Challenge accept. 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. I guess all that was left was to feel it then.

I stood there for a little bit longer. 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.

Hopping into the RIB boat

Almost 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 was now completely erased after seeing and feeling the strength of the maelstrom up-close.

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.

Admiring the landscape from the sea

One of the most beautiful things about Norway has to be its sky, or perhaps more accurately, I mean the Arctic light. In the high arctic, the sky is always something to behold.

Whether it’s 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.

It’s hard to describe the colours. Words don’t seem to give them justice so I’l let the photos do the talking.

Another wonderful thing about Norway is how the weather changes constantly, perhaps not as much as Iceland, but it can be very dramatic, and seemingly always beautiful – to me, at least.

Although the constant change in weather is sometimes 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 – raw as nature intended. Something every person who lives close or within the Arctic Circle has to deal with.

It’s extraordinary how different the same landscape can look under different weather. When we began our boat journey, the weather was gorgeous. Then as sunset approached a soft glow transformed the landscape.

This didn’t last long as we ventured further into the fjord and the clouds crept further and further down towards the fjord until the visibility dwindled to zero, and we could see nothing but mist from all directions.

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 – Saltstraumen Maelstrom! Even if at first, it might not seem so strong… the pull of nature inevitably reveals power.

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. Amenities 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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