Hinlopenstretet

Geographical location

The Hinlopen Strait (Norwegian Hinlopenstretet or Hinlopenstredet ) is a strait in the Svalbard archipelago, between the islands of Spitsbergen and North Country.

Geography

The Hinlopen Strait is 150 km long, 10-60 km wide and extends from Cape Payer in the south to the north Verlegenhuken. It is about 400 m deep and shared by multiple thresholds in a number of basins. In its southern part, it contains numerous islands. The passage is difficult because of the frequent encountered pack ice.

The coastline of the Hinlopen Strait is interrupted by several fjords that cut deep into the mainland limiting part. These are the Murchison and Wahlberg fjords in the east and the Sorg and the Lomfjorden in the West. Some large glaciers calve into the Hinlopen Strait, including the Etonbreen and the 1248 km ² largest outlet glaciers of Spitsbergen, the Hinlopenbreen.

Flora and Fauna

The flora on the coasts and islands of Hinlopen Strait is scanty. Most areas are cold deserts. The dominant plant is the Spitzberg poppy ( Papaver dahlianum ). In the tundra on Lomfjorden, the Murchisonfjorden and Wahlberg fjords of the Arctic Wood-rush ( Luzula nivalis) is frequent. Furthermore, mosses and lichens represented.

There are some major seabird colonies, particularly on the west side of the Straits. The largest is located on the south of the Alkefjellet Lomfjorden. On the Doleritfelsen breed in the spring and summer several hundred thousand kittiwakes and thick-billed murres. Next you will find in the area of ​​Hinlopen Strait fulmars, auks, guillemots and eider ducks. In the vicinity of bird colonies and the Arctic fox occurs. In the Augustabukta and Vibebukta walruses are found. Polar bears are relatively common. In 1995, on Kiepertøya, one of Bastian Islands, a tragic incident in which a polar bear killed a man.

Since 1973, the Hinlopen Strait is part of the Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve.

History

The street is named after probably the head of the Nordic company of Tymen J. Hinlopen ( 1572-1637 ). It was attended by early whalers and Pomors. 1827 Henry Foster mapped the northern part and found a good agreement with Dutch cards from the beginning of the 18th century. On the First German Arctic expedition in 1868 Carl Koldewey sailed with the Greenland Hinlopen Strait. Many geographical names go back to this expedition, as Bastianøyane, Wilhelmøya and Augustabukta.