NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 41
The Corryvreckan
Further Information
The photographs of the
Corryvreckan are
provided by the leading
operator to, around and
through the Whirlpool:
Seafari Adventures -
Easdale Oban PA34 4RF
01852 300003
oban@seafari,co.uk
seafari.co.uk/obantopography. e word Maelstromcame from
Edgar Allen Poe’s short story A Descent into
the Maelstromof 1841. e Nordic word
originates from the Dutch malen, meaning to
grind and stroom (stream).
Tunnel-shaped Eddy
Its inherent danger comes from the potent
and unpredictable current-wave interactions,
with the largest vortices spanning between 48
- 55 yards. During windy conditions, waves
are generated which oppose the direction of
the current, creating exceptionally steep and
choppy waves. However the vast funnel-
shaped eddy described with such menace in
Poe’s tale does not exist.
Enormous tidal level difference in the open
sea is the main cause of the treacherous
currents. As high water flows westwards
between coastal fjords and a network of
small islands, its momentum is split into
numerous varying currents - some of which
develop into vortices.
Norway is also home to the strongest
whirlpool in the world, in the Saltstraumen
Strait. It is also known to have some of the
most powerful tidal currents. Up to 525
million cubic yards of sea water is thrust
through a two-mile long and 165 yards
wide sound every six hours at speeds of up
to 26 knots.Rate Increases
e extreme conditions form when the tide
fills or empties the Skjerstad fiord as the
difference in sea height between the inside
and outside of the sound can be as much as
three feet. As it tries to level out, the flow rate
increases and a whirlpool is formed. Other
notable maelstroms include the Canadian
Old Sow whirlpool in New Brunswick and
the Naruto whirlpools in Japan.
All leave their unique impressions on the sea
with each one manifesting differing
behaviours. Yet they all share an intrinsic
mysteriousness that science is only just
beginning to unravel. erein lies the source
of our enduring fascination with them which
brings visitors to the Corryvreckan to observe
and experience.