Melville Bay

Melville Bay
Qimusseriarsuaq

Location of Melville Bay in Northwest Greenland
Location Arctic
Coordinates 75°45′N 61°00′W / 75.750°N 61.000°W / 75.750; -61.000Coordinates: 75°45′N 61°00′W / 75.750°N 61.000°W / 75.750; -61.000
Ocean/sea sources Baffin Bay
Basin countries Greenland
Max. length 300 km (190 mi)
Max. width 100 km (62 mi)
Frozen Between October and late July

Melville Bay (Greenlandic: Qimusseriarsuaq), is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, Qimusseriarsuaq, means "the great dog sledding place".[1]

Geography

Melville Bay is delimited by Cape York in the northeast and Wilcox Head, the western promontory on Kiatassuaq Island in the south.[2] Some islands of the Upernavik Archipelago are in the Melville Bay area, such as Kiatassuaq Island, Kullorsuaq Island, Saarlia Island and Saqqarlersuaq Island.

An Inuit hunting boat in southern Melville Bay. Late morning fog and icebergs in the background.
Aerial view of Wilcox Head

History

In the 19th century Melville Bay was an important place for whaling fleets.

View of two ships in Melville Bay by Edward Augustus Inglefield.
1869 photograph of a steamer and a party of hunters in Melville Bay.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Melville Bay". Danish Polar Center. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  2. ↑ Upernavik Avannarleq, Saga Map, Tage Schjøtt, 1992
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