Eiders are the only birds capable of diving for mussels in the strong stream. Name The first element is the name of the district Salten and the last element is the definite form of straum, meaning "stream" or "water flow". History The remains of a 10,000-year-old hunter settlement in the area are the oldest known traces of human settlement in Bodø, and also one of the oldest archaeological discoveries in Norway. These hunters lived on the edge of the ice, attracted by the abundance of fish caused by the strong currents. Media gallery See also Maelstrom Tidal bore Skookumchuck Narrows Horizontal Falls, where the tide creates a water fall with a drop of 5 metres, as the water flows at the maximum rate. References External links Local Norwegian site with details about the current, in English Visit Norway's guide to Saltstraumen The complete text of Edgar Allan Poe's A Descent into the Maelstrom Whirlpools Landforms of Nordland Bodies of water of Norway Bodø Tourist attractions in Nordland Straits of Norway Articles containing video clips