A rotating body of water produced where opposing currents, tidal flows or the meeting of two water masses create a powerful circular motion, often around a central depression that can draw floating debris toward its core. Most natural whirlpools are relatively mild and short-lived, but a handful of narrow, tide-driven channels, such as Norway's Saltstraumen and the Old Sow in the Bay of Fundy, generate whirlpools strong and consistent enough to be a genuine hazard to small craft and a recurring subject of maritime folklore.
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