Irbe Strait

Geographical location

The Irben Straits (also Irbestraße, Estonian Kura kurk, Latvian Irbes jūras šaurums ) is the main exit of the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic Sea.

The strait is named after the River Irbe, who near the Latvian town Lielirbe ( Ventspils ) flows into the Baltic.

The Irben Straits lies between the peninsula Sõrve ( Sworbe ) forming ( Osel ) the southern end of the Estonian island of Saaremaa, and the north coast of Courland in Latvia at Cape Kolka ( German: Cape Domesnäs ). At its narrowest point, it is 27 km wide.

The sea depth is on average 10 to 20 meters. Along the Kurzeme coast of the fairway was deepened to allow larger ships to pass through.

On August 8, 1915, came in the Irben Straits to naval engagement of the Russian battleship Slava with the large German battleships SMS SMS Nassau and Posen in the context of the German advance into the Gulf of Riga. In early autumn 1917 was the strait scene of "Operation Albion, " of a maritime occupation of the Baltic islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Moon.

On May 4, 2008 due to a Manövrierfehlers the hard running of the cruise ship Mona Lisa, it came at the height of Irbemündung in Latvian territorial waters.