Baffin Bay facts for kids
Baffin Bay is a large arm of the Atlantic Ocean. It is located between Baffin Island in Canada and the big island of Greenland. This bay connects to the main Atlantic Ocean through the Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea. To the north, a narrower passage called Nares Strait links Baffin Bay to the Arctic Ocean. In the Inuit language, it is called Saknirutiak Imanga.
People have lived around Baffin Bay for a very long time, starting around 500 BC. The first known groups were the Dorset people, followed by the Thule and then the Inuit. Europeans first reached the bay in 1585. Later, in 1616, an explorer named William Baffin explored and described the bay in detail. The bay and the nearby island are both named after him. Most of the year, it's hard to travel on Baffin Bay because it's covered in a lot of ice and many large icebergs float around.
Baffin Bay was also the center of a very strong earthquake in 1933. It had a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale. This was the biggest earthquake ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle.
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Amazing Wildlife of Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay is home to many different animals and plants. One special area is called the "North Water." Here, the ice often breaks up, letting air get to tiny ice algae and zooplankton. These tiny living things are the base of the food chain for many larger animals.
Marine Animals
About 20,000 Beluga whales live in Baffin Bay, and most of them gather around the North Water area. Other amazing marine animals you can find here include walrus, narwhal (the "unicorn of the sea"), Harp Seals, bearded seals, and ringed seals. Of course, the mighty polar bear also lives here, hunting seals on the ice.
Plants and Land Animals
The shores of Baffin Bay have about 400 different kinds of plants and trees. These include small trees like birch, willow, and alder. You can also find special plants that like salty soil, along with lyme grass, mosses, and lichens. These plants are food for animals like caribou and small rodents such as lemmings.
Fish and Birds
The waters of Baffin Bay are home to various fish species. These include the polar cod, Arctic flounder, four-horned sculpin, and capelin. Many birds also visit the bay. Some common birds are the Little Auk, Snowy Owl, Willow Ptarmigan, Rock Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon, Arctic Redpoll, and guillemots. Most of these birds fly south to warmer places during the cold winter months.
Images for kids
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Robeson Channel, Hall Basin, Kennedy Channel, Kane Basin, and Nares Strait are all south of the northern limit of Baffin Bay between Cape Sheridan and Cape Bryant (unmarked).
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Major North Atlantic currents.
See also
In Spanish: Bahía de Baffin para niños
