Location Kvænangen, Troms Max. length 72 kilometres (45 mi) Max width 15,000 m | Basin countries Norway Length 72,000 m | |
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Kvænangen (Northern Sami: Návuotna Kven: Naavuono, anglicized as Kvænang Fjord) is a fjord in the municipalities of Kvænangen and Skjervøy in Troms county, Norway.
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Geography
The 72-kilometre (45 mi) long fjord stretches from the Norwegian Sea to the village of Kvænangsbotn. The Reisafjorden is a large fjord which branches off the Kvænangen fjord to the west. The European route E06 highway crosses the fjord on the Sørstraumen Bridge where the fjord is only about 350 metres (1,150 ft) wide, just west of Sekkemo.
There are a number of islands in the fjord. On the west side of the fjord are the islands of Arnøya, Laukøya, Skjervøya, and Kågen. The smaller islands of Haukøya, Rødøya, Skorpa, Nøklan, and Spildra are located in the middle of the fjord.
Wildlife
Although not in large numbers, cetaceans are known to live in or to visit the fjord. Harbour porpoises and dolphins are more commonly observed, and larger species such as minke whales, sperm whales, and beluga whales can also be seen. In recent years, humpback whales started making comebacks to local waters to feed, and there had been a rare observation of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale that have become possibly functional extinct in eastern North Atlantic, stayed for several weeks in the fjord, indicating this area was once a part of historical feeding ground for right whales as well.