What a wonderful day
for some kayaking out
on the open sea.
Wait a second.
Why is the water spiraling?
Is this a whirlpool?
Maybe you’ve seen it in movies.
A powerful spiral of water.
Boats helplessly spin
toward the ocean floor
with barely any odds of survival.
There are lots of mythical stories
about the dangers of whirlpools.
Yet, they do pop up frequently
around the world.
Whirlpools form when two opposing currents meet.
If they are strong enough,
these rotating currents start to wrap around each other,
creating a spiral of fast-moving water.
As the spiral intensifies,
a cavity opens at the center.
The vortex, or vacuum effect,
could be powerful enough to pull objects down to the seafloor.
But not only objects get caught in these maelstroms.
People do too.
People like you.
Paddling your kayak off the coast of Norway’s Lofoten islands,
you’d find yourself in some very rough waters.
That’s because you’d stumble across, or rather into,
the Moskstraumen maelstrom.
Say that 5 times fast.
This is one of the most famous whirlpools in the world.
It was a source of inspiration for authors like
Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne.
But, there wouldn't be just one whirlpool to worry about.
There would be several.
And you'd find yourself
approaching the biggest one of all.
With a diameter of 40 to 50 m (130 to 160 ft),
this maelstrom has a length of four school buses.
And its currents move at a powerful speed of 32 km/h (20 mph).
Big ripples and strong waves
would threaten to knock you out of your kayak.
And eventually, they’d succeed.
Now you’d be in trouble.
You’d try to swim away from the current,
but it would be too strong.
All this turbulence and spinning
would make you dizzy and disoriented.
You’d be pushed underwater for a moment
and then thrust back up, gasping for air.
The whirlpool would pull you closer and closer
to the center of the vortex.
You’d see the water forming in the shape of an inverted bell,
narrowing to a point somewhere deep in the ocean.
You’d make one last attempt to swim to safety.
But you’d be exhausted and out of luck.
The water would take total control.
You’d get dragged down under the surface of the water.
And you’d better be able to hold your breath.
You’d start to think you’re a goner
and that you will keep going deeper in a never-ending spiral.
But eventually, you’d hit the bottom of the ocean floor.
You wouldn’t have a moment to catch your thoughts.
You’d need air.
But now, you’d be swept up fast
in a deeper ocean current.
The whirlpool above would start to fade into the distance.
Finally, out of its grip,
you’d muster all your strength to swim to the surface.
You could be very deep underwater,
so you’d struggle and struggle.
You’d feel your lungs about to burst.
And just when you think you’re not going to make it,
you’d break the surface.
You’d gasp for air,
the rough ocean water still raging around you.
But your life would still be in danger.
The ocean waters in these parts would be frigid.
And like over half of the people who die in cold water,
you’d start to suffer from cold incapacitation.
You’d lose control of your arms and legs.
Keeping your head above the surface would be almost impossible.
You’d feel like you couldn’t hold on any longer.
But then a lifebuoy is tossed in your direction.
You’d look up and see a big fishing boat.
Rescue.
Once safe and shivering on the boat,
you’d wrap yourself in dry blankets to avoid hypothermia.
You’d try to thank the fishermen.
But you’d be in shock from your near-death experience.
And you wouldn’t be completely safe yet.
Shouts would echo through the ship.
The big boat is now caught
in the same whirlpool you just escaped.
The boat would struggle against the water
with the motor sputtering
and propellers lifting out of the water.
With no traction, you’d think you were doomed.
But just then the propeller would catch the water again.
And with one big surge,
the boat would escape the pull of the vortex
into calmer waters.
You and the fishermen
would finally take a deep breath of cold sea air.
And you’d thank your lucky stars
that it wasn’t a giant sea monster,
like the Kraken, trying to pull you under.
Because that sounds like a story
for another WHAT IF.