The World's Most Powerful Maelstrom ,Saltstraumen ,Norway A maelstrom is a very powerful whirlpool. Located in Nordland, 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway in a narrow channel – connecting the outer Saltfjord with the large Skjerstadfjord – is the strongest tidal current in the world. Up to 400 million m³ (tonnes) of seawater force their way through a three kilometer long and only 150-meter wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 37 kilometers per hour. Vortices up to ten met