Interesting Baffin Bay Facts That Will Surprise & Entertain You

Baffin Bay is one of the largest bays.

The Baffin Bay is an arm's stretch of the North Atlantic oceans. It was also an epicenter of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in 1933.

Baffin Bay is located between the south coast of Greenland and Baffin Island. The Baffin Bay is linked to the arctic ocean through the Nares Strait and towards the Atlantic Ocean via the Labrador sea and the Davis Strait.

Most of the year, Baffin Bay is surrounded by thick layers of icebergs, ice, and floating ice and is unnavigable. Towards the Smith Sound (North), there is 31,000 sq mi. (80,289 sq.

km) that open during summers, which is known as the North Water. Most of the marine mammals occur in Baffin Bay's North Water.

Dorset settlers have inhibited Baffin Bay's areas from 500 B.C. The community replaced the Dorset settlers in late 1200 A.D. As per the studies, it was predicted that the Norse reached the Bay somewhere around 900 and 1300.

John Davis was the first recorded English discoverer to set foot in Baffin Bay in 1585. William Baffin was an English discoverer credited with navigating Baffin Bay, and Baffin island was named after him.

In 1933, Baffin Bay was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3. So far, this was the most powerful earthquake to hit the Arctic circle's North and Baffin bay.

Animals who live in the Baffin Bay region incorporate rorquals, polar bears, bowhead whales, bearded seals, ringed seals, harp seals, walrus, and narwhales. Flora living on the Baffin Bay include lichens, lime grass, mosses, and many more extending to 400 species. Fish species like haddock, halibut, rattail, cod, Arctic flounder, capelin, four-horned sculpin, and polar cod.

Please continue reading to learn more about the Atlantic waters of Baffin Bay, including flora and fauna in the deep waters of the Bay.

Size, Area & Location Of Baffin Bay

The Baffin Bay is a habitat for vast species of diverse marine animals due to its massiveness. It is considered to be the arm of the North Atlantic ocean.

Robert Bylot, a sea captain, was the first European to visit Baffin Bay. However, his name was not given to the entity. In 1928, the Danish did scientific investigations after Robert Bylot mapped the shores.

The Baffin Bay is considered the arm of the North Atlantic oceans with an area extending up to 266,000 sq mi (689,000 sq km). From the Arctic Ocean, it prolongs 900 mi (1450 km) towards the South between the Baffin island (west) and Greenland coast (east). The Bay's width varies from 70-400 mi (110-650 km).

Davis Strait (South) reaches the Atlantic through Bay. On the other side, the Nares strait (North) extends to the arctic ocean. The center of the Bay's hollow is 7000 ft (2100 m) deep.

However, it is exploited to some extent due to its unfriendly environment. It is an intriguing subject for geologists to study the North American continent's evolution. The Baffin Bay is navigable for only some days of the year due to its thick ice cover and the gigantic floating ice and icebergs in the open areas.

However, a polynya called the North water, about 31,000 sq mi (80,289 sq. km) available during the summer besides Smith Sound (North). A large number of aquatic life is located near that region.

Plant, Animal & Marine Life In Baffin Bay

The Baffin Bay is also an icy habitat for a large number of mammals. North water provides air to zooplankton and ice algae. There is a considerable number of animals. They also provide food for rodents and caribou. There are many fish species and distinct types of seals of marine species in Baffin Bay.

The Bowhead whales are one of the whales that spend their lifetime in ice-surrounded waters in the Arctic. The number of bowhead whales in the Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait zone was recently discovered to be in the hundreds.

Killer whales occupy the Atlantic ocean and up into the Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait. As per the killer whales' history, they were harvested in the LME as they were considered competitors to humankind. Early whales would sabotage them due to the competition with other whales.

Walrus are associated with the constant moving ice on the shallow waters of the arctic coast for most of the year. When ice is unavailable during the summers, they haul out on terrestrial zones, often on rocky shores.

Bearded seals are distributed on the circumpolar North. Their distribution is mainly dependent on the shallow waters.

Bearded seals generally migrate to sites of open water of 200 m depth. They are rarely available on the fast-moving ice sites but diversely spread in open area water packs where cracks and leads are common.

Polar bears are mainly present on the sea ice from Smith Sound to Labrador but rarely occur on Greenland's Disco island. Polar bears are opportunistic feeders, and the ringed seal is their prey.

The spread and population of polar size depend on the number and distribution of ringed seals. As per studies, it was shown that beluga is also the prey for polar bears of Baffin Bay.

LME encourages a signification population of vast species of Arctic seabirds. Most breeding species are little auk or dovekie, approximately 33 million pairs, thick-billed murre, which are 1.2 million pairs, 242000 pairs of northern fulmar, and 162000 pairs of black-legged kittiwake.

Many seabirds are colonial breeders, frequently appearing in large colonies across the steep rock coasts, and they occur as mixed species.

Many breeding seabirds in this region have occurred in West Greenland. Many commercial fish species like Greenland Cod, Redfish, wolf fish, Northern Shrimp, and Sandeel have occurred on the West Greenland shelf.

Islands Surrounding Baffin Bay

The Baffin Bay comprises numerous islands and sub-regions for survival purposes and holiday destinations. Ellesmere island, or the Baffin island, is located on the Canadian side of the Baffin Bay in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, formerly called the Baffin Region of the Nunavut territory.

The Baffin Bay incorporates the most extensive and various other islands, which are inhabited and uninhibited. Protected zones surrounding Baffin Bay are Bylot island bird sanctuary, Coburg Island National Wildlife Area, Auyuittuq National Park Reserve, and Iqualirtuuk National Wildlife Area. In Greenland, the societal communities of Savissivik, Uummannaq, Upernavik, and Ilulissat reside on Baffin Bay. 

FAQs

What fish live in Baffin Bay?

Shellfish, wolffish, Redfish, Northern Shrimp, and Sandeel live in the Baffin Bay.

Are there flounders in the Baffin Bay?

Yes, There are flounders found in Baffin Bay.

Why is Baffin Bay a natural wonder?

The salt dissolution in the seawater and the heat effect caused by southerly currents make Baffin Bay a paradise for countless lives.

Is Baffin Bay fresh water?

The Baffin Bay is a pathway to the cold and fresh arctic waters towards the Labrador sea.

Who lives in Baffin Bay?

For thousands of years, The Inuit have resided across the coast of Baffin Bay. Presently, Baffin Bay comprises the terrestrial region and islands and is home to 16,000 people.

What is Baffin Bay known for?

In 1933, Baffin Bay experienced an earthquake of 7.3 magnitude and was the epicenter, and it was one of the most massive known earthquakes in the Arctic Circle.