Naruto swirl
The Naruto whirlpools ( Japanese 鳴 門 の 渦 潮 , Naruto no Uzushio ) are tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait between the islands of Ōge-jima ( Naruto ) and Awaji .
The tides move twice daily large amounts of water through the 1.3 km wide strait from the Pacific into the Seto Inland Sea and out.
A tidal range of up to 1.7 m creates a height difference in the water level between the inland sea and the Pacific of up to 1.5 m. Because of the narrowness of the road, the current reaches up to 13–15 km / h four times a day, twice in each direction. With a spring tide , the water can even reach 20 km / h, creating vortices up to 20 m in diameter. The tidal current of Naruto is the fastest in Japan.
The Naruto whirlpools can be observed from ships or from the Naruto Bridge . The fully glazed Uzunomichi promenade leads 450 meters under the roadway of the bridge from the abutment on the Naruto side to a viewing room at a height of 45 meters above the water level. A good observation point is also on the coast of Awaji Island .
Naruto Street captured from space
Aerial view of Naruto street with bridge and whirlpools
Naruto Street, view from Awaji, with the current from the right
Naruto whirlpool as seen from Uzunomichi Promenade
Naruto vortex photographed from a tourist boat
Web links
- http://www.uzunomichi.jp/image/e-pamp.pdf (in English)
Coordinates: 34 ° 14 ′ 16 ″ N , 134 ° 39 ′ 7 ″ E