Gullmarn, also known as Gullmarsfjorden or Gullmaren, is a
threshold fjord in the middle of
Bohuslän
Bohuslän (; da, Bohuslen; no, Båhuslen) is a Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea ...
Archipelago on the west coast of Sweden. It is the largest of the Bohuslän fjords
with a length of and a width ranging from .
At its mouth, the depth is , plunging to at its greatest depth near Alsbäck.
The name "Gullmarn" means "God's sea" and comes from
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
.
At its northern end the fjord branches into the Färlev and Saltkälle fjords.
Its shoreline has steep rock walls marked by many valleys containing streams and rivers. Deeply cut ravines are typical and steep cliffs alternate with sandy beaches and meadows.
The fjord was designated as Sweden's first
marine conservation
Marine conservation, also known as ocean conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these marine resources. Marine conservation is in ...
area in 1983.
The
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
covers and parts of several municipalities. Because of the varying depths of the fjord the marine wildlife is abundant and diverse. There are many unique marine animals that are not found in the more shallow areas of the fjord.
The shallow waters also provide habitat for a broad range of bird species. Three scientific research stations have been established in the conservation area.
See also
*
Brofjorden
Brofjorden is a fjord in Lysekil Municipality, Bohuslän, Sweden. It cuts into Västra Götaland County in a southwest–northeasterly direction between the Stångenäset and Härnäset peninsulas. Situated between Gullmarn and Åbyfjorden, it is ...
*
Stora Bornö Stora Bornö is an island in Gullmarn fjord, belonging to the Lysekil Municipality.
Stora Bornö is about long from north to south and is largely covered with pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family P ...
References
External links
*
Gullmarnat
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County ( sv, Västra Götalands län) is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden.
The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1 ...
Västra Götaland County
Fjords of Sweden
Nature reserves in Sweden
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