This isn’t a movie scene. It’s a real ocean maelstrom powerful enough to drag boats into spinning water. Off the coast of Norway, between the islands of Moskenesøya and Værøy in the Lofoten archipelago, tidal currents collide in narrow channels. When massive volumes of water rush through tight passages during changing tides, the flow destabilizes — and forms violent whirlpools. This is the Moskstraumen maelstrom. Some whirlpools can reach several meters across, with powerful surface rotation and