Kvænangen (fjord)

Kvænangen (Norwegian), Návuotna (Northern Sami), or Naavuono (Kven)[1] (sometimes anglicized as the Kvænang Fjord[2]) is a fjord in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The fjord runs through Skjervøy Municipality and Kvænangen Municipality.

Kvænangen  (Norwegian)
View of the fjord
Kvænangen
Location of the fjord
Kvænangen
Kvænangen (Norway)
LocationTroms og Finnmark county, Norway
Coordinates69.7462°N 22.0883°E / 69.7462; 22.0883
TypeFjord
Native nameNávuotna  (Northern Sami)
Naavuono  (Kven)
Basin countriesNorway
Max. length15 kilometres (9.3 mi)

Geography

The 72-kilometre (45 mi) long fjord stretches from the Norwegian Sea to the village of Kvænangsbotn. The Reisafjorden is a large fjord which branches off the Kvænangen fjord to the west and the Badderfjorden branches off to the east. The European route E06 highway crosses the fjord on the Sørstraumen Bridge where the fjord is only about 350 metres (1,150 ft) wide, just west of the village of Sekkemo.[3]

There are a number of islands in the fjord. On the west side of the fjord are the islands of Arnøya, Laukøya, Skjervøya, and Kågen. The smaller islands of Haukøya, Rødøya, Skorpa, Nøklan, and Spildra are located in the middle of the fjord.

Panorama Kvænangenfjord

Wildlife

Although not in large numbers, cetaceans are known to live in or to visit the fjord. Harbour porpoises and dolphins are more commonly observed, and larger species such as minke whales, sperm whales, and beluga whales can also be seen.[4] In recent years, humpback whales started making comebacks to local waters to feed,[5][6] and there had been a rare observation of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale that have become possibly functional extinct in eastern North Atlantic, stayed for several weeks in the fjord,[7] indicating this area was once a part of historical feeding ground for right whales as well.[8][9]

See also

References
  1. "Naavuono". Kvensk stedsnavndatabase. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  2. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Norway" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 799.
  3. Store norske leksikon. "Kvænangen – fjord i Troms" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  4. "About us - Kvænangen Adventure". The Kvænangen Adventure. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  5. Haug, Isabell (2012). "Hvalfart på Kvænangen - SØRSTRAUMEN: Man trenger ikke dra lenger enn til Kvænangen for å oppleve hval på nært hold". Framtid i Nord. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  6. Østvangs Perspektiv (2012). "Knølhval i Kvænangen". Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  7. "Catalog No: 1133 - Whale Name: PORTER". New England Aquarium Special Section: North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  8. "Case Reports for the OSPAR List of threatened and/or declining species and habitats" (PDF). Ospar Commission 2008 Publication Number: 358/2008. OSPAR Convention. 2008. ISBN 978-1-905859-97-9. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  9. Gross A. (2010). "Background Document for the Northern right whale Eubalaena glacialis" (PDF). Ospar Commission 2010 Publication Number:496/2010. OSPAR Convention. ISBN 978-1-907390-37-1. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
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