The White Sea and the North-South navigation connection

The White Sea, (Beloye More) is an almost landlocked extension of the Arctic Ocean indenting the shores of northwestern Russia. It is connected to the more northerly Barents Sea by a long, narrow strait known as the Gorlo (“Throat”). Therefore, from the point of view of navigation it is a very important body of water for Russia. The area of the White Sea is approximately 90,000 square km. Its mean depth is 60 metres, and its maximum depth is 340 metres in the northeast part of the Kandalaksha Inlet.  In winter the sea freezes but the freezing period varies from year to year. 90% of the ice in the White Sea is floating and its thickness is usually about 40cm. but may reach 150cm. in cold winters, while thickness of stationary ice at the shore and in shallow waters may reach several meters. Because of the freezing period which hinders navigation  in harsh winters From the 1920s, most northern Russian sea shipments diverted from the White Sea to the new port of Murmansk (officially founded in 1916), where the waters do not freeze in winter.

From its main port, Arkhangelsk, through the White and the Barents seas,  Russia connects wth the Arctic sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and eastwards with  the economically active Russia’s Far Eastern ports and with foreign countries..  

In addition, the White Sea is also linked to the water transportation system of European Russia by the White Sea-Baltic Canal, which empties into Lake Onega. There it meets the Volga-Baltic Waterway which faclitiates shipping from the Baltic, Black, Caspian and Asov seas..

Geography

The boundary between the White and the Barents sea runs along a line joining Cape Kanin Nos and Cape Svyatoy NosThe sea’s irregular shape is formed by the large Kandalaksha, Onega, Dvina, and Mezen gulfs. The largest islands in the sea are Solovetskiye, at the entrance to Onega Bay; Morzhovy, at the entrance to the Gorlo Strait; and Mudyuga, at the entrance to Dvina Bay. The sea’s northwest shores are bordered by steep cliffs; the southeast shores are low and flat. Rivers flowing into the sea include the Northern Dvina, Mezen, Onega, Vyg, Niva, Umba, Varzuga, and Ponoy. The White Sea is situated on continental shelf whose present form appears as a land’s-end depression on the slope of the ancient structural block known as the Baltic Shield. The bottom of the sea is badly broken up. In the northwest lies the Kandalaksha Hollow with its sharply formed sides that apparently originated as a fault. In the southern portion is an elevation known as the Solovets Islands . Many small underwater elevations are found in the Onega Inlet. Sandy underwater ridges, created by inflowing currents, prevail in the Gorlo Strait, Voronka, and the Mezen mouth. The sea’s chief hollow is separated from the Barents Sea by a sill 130 feet deep, which restricts deepwater exchange between the two bodies of water.

The White Sea contains more than 700 species of multicellular invertebrates, about 60 species of fish, and 5 species of marine mammals. The fishing industry is relatively small, however. Of greatest value as food are the lysun (a kind of Greenland seal) and herring.

The region’s economic value derives from the rich neighbouring land, which is heavily forested, and from the elaborate river network that connects remoter regions with the sea.

The principal ports along the White Sea are Arkhangelsk, Onega, Mezen, Kem, Kandalaksha, and Umba. With the help of icebreakers in winter, navigation may continue year-round.