Kandalaksha Bay

Kandalaksha Bay 

a bay of the White Sea between the Kandalaksha and Karelian coasts. Length, 185 km; width, at the entrance, 67 km. It is divided into two regions: Kandalukha, the western, shallow part (maximum depth, 40 m); and Kandalaksha Bay proper, the eastern, deep part (including the greatest depths of the White Sea, up to 330 m). The coasts are rocky, strongly dissected, and edged by many small islands, reefs (ludy), and sandbars. The Niva and Kovda rivers empty into it. In summer the surface temperature of the water reaches 18. 5°C;in winter it ranges from — 1° to 1. 5°C. Between mid-Novemberand May the greater part of the bay is frozen over. In winter thesalinity is from 27–29 parts per thousand in summer, from 0% to 20–25 %o. The tide occurs twice daily, reaching 2. 2 m. Currents are unstable, ranging from 20 to 30 cm/sec. The bay’sherring, cod, and ringed seal provide the base for a maritimeindustry. Kandalaksha, Kovda, and Umba are the main ports onthe bay, and the Kandalaksha Preserve is situated on its islandsand coast.