Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay (French: "Baie de Baffin" ) is a sea between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is 1130 km (700 mi) across from north to south. It is not navigable most of the year because of the presence of large numbers of icebergs.

History

In 1585 British explorer John Davis was the first European to enter the bay. William Baffin made five voyages to the Arctic and reached Baffin Bay in 1616. During these voyages it was proven that the Northwest Passage was not in the Hudson Bay area. [http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/encyclopedia/DiscoveryandexplorationofCanada.htm Discovery and Exploration of Canada] ]

Baffin Bay was the epicenter of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in 1933. See 1933 Baffin Bay earthquake.

Location

Baffin Bay is a leg of the Arctic Ocean bounded by Baffin Island in the west, Greenland in the east, and Ellesmere Island in the north. It connects to the Atlantic through Davis Strait, and to the Arctic through several narrow channels of Nares Strait. It is a northwestern extension of the North-Atlantic and Labrador Sea. [http://ainc-inac.gc.ca/oil/Pdf/c6_baffin.pdf#search=%22%20history%20baffin%20bay%20canada%22 Baffin Bay PDF] ]

Wildlife

About 120,000 Beluga whales live in Baffin Bay, eating small fish and other crustaceans. They are at risk of being trapped in the ice and face other environmental concerns. [http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/species/species_beluga_eastern_high_arctic_baffin_bay_e.asp Fisheries and Oceans Canada] ]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Baffin Bay — …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Baffin Bay — [after BAFFIN1 William, its discoverer] arm of the N Atlantic, between Greenland & Baffin Island …   English World dictionary

  • Baffin Bay — a part of the Arctic Ocean between W Greenland and E Baffin Island. * * * Large inlet, Atlantic Ocean, between western Greenland and eastern Baffin Island. With an area of 266,000 sq mi (689,000 sq km), it extends 900 mi (1,450 km) southward from …   Universalium

  • Baffin Bay — Sp Bãfino įlanka Ap Baffin Bay L Madrės lagūnos dalis, JAV (Teksasas) …   Pasaulio vietovardžiai. Internetinė duomenų bazė

  • Baffin Bay, Texas — Baffin Bay is a bay in South Texas, an inlet of the larger Laguna Madre. Located near the Gulf of Mexico, Baffin Bay forms part of the boundary between Kenedy County and Kleberg County.Baffin Bay is a popular fishing destination. External links * …   Wikipedia

  • Baffin Bay — Baf′fin Bay′ n. geg a part of the Arctic Ocean between W Greenland and E Baffin Island …   From formal English to slang

  • Baffin Bay — /bæfən ˈbeɪ/ (say bafuhn bay) noun part of the North West Passage, between Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. {named after William Baffin} …  

  • Baffin Bay — geographical name inlet of the Atlantic between W Greenland & E Baffin Island …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • BAFFIN BAY —    a strait stretching northward between N. America and Greenland, open four months in summer to whale and seal fishing; discovered in 1615 by William Baffin …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Baffin Bay — noun A sea between Greenland and Nunavut …   Wiktionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”