Saltstraumen: Fjord with spin cycle

The Saltstraumen flushes the entire volume of Lac de Dix – that is 400 million cubic meters of water – through its narrow strait four times a day.

While Switzerland's largest reservoir lies quietly in the Alps like a well-kept secret, the Saltstraumen simply throws the same volume into the dishwasher four times a day. With a bang. Without a lid.

Lac de Dix has been collecting for decades – the Saltstraumen says, "Hold my beer." And lets the water dance, swirl, and swirl. A flex of the North Sea's muscles, precisely timed and mercilessly efficient.

For those who have forgotten how the tides work: Tides at the Fjord