The Northern part of the Bothnian Bay “The Lapland Sea” is located in Sea Lapland. It is one of the easiest places in the world to experience sea ice and walk on the frozen sea. Lapland Sea is the sweetest sea on earth because seven rivers fall into it, diluting the salinity so much that the sea freezes every winter.
Sweet sea and sea ice
Even if the sea ice of the earth covers – at the moment – 2,5 times the area of Europe, most of us never see sea ice. This is because see ice is mainly found in remote polar oceans.
Although sea ice may not directly affect on us, it is a critical component of our planet because it influences on climate, ocean’s global circulation, wildlife and people who live in the Arctic. Due to combined actions of winds, currents and temperature fluctuations, sea ice is very dynamic, leading to a wide variety of ice types and features. As a result, there are at least 19 different kind of ice types.
In Lapland Sea, sea freezes due to low salt levels and low temperatures in the winter months. Lapland Sea is the sweetest sea on earth because it has several fresh water rivers flowing in and it is located in the last tip of the second largest inland sea in the World- Baltic Sea. As a result, the underwater nature in the archipelago is a unique mixture of freshwater and marine species.
Rivers as a lifeline
The rivers in Sea Lapland are a unique entity because in small area there are so many rivers flowing with pure fresh water. Only 0,0002 % of the water on earth is found from the rivers. Throughout history, rivers have been the lifeline in Lapland. They have served as mode of transport for people and goods in winter and summer.
The Tornionjoki river is the longest free flowing river in Europe which offers great fishing opportunities. The Kemijoki river is harnessed to produce hydropower, and one of the highlights of the spring is to visit the opening of the dam hatches and waterfalls. The Simojoki river is the best place for salmon rowing and from there you can get the biggest catch of the summer. Of the municipalities of Sea Lapland, Tornio, Kemi and Simo have been established at the confluence of the sea and rivers and named after their rivers.
Accommodation with water views is easy to find as in Sea Lapland as 30 accommodation establishments are located along the rivers and 9 by the sea.
