Baffin Bay pack ice. Winds are predominantly north-western through the whole year. South-eastern and eastern winds are common in July and August. Between May and July (sometimes April), a significant portion of navigable open water (polynya) forms at the extreme north of the bay, presumably due to the relatively warm Greenland Current. With an area of about in summer, it is the largest polynya of the Canadian Arctic and covers the Smith Sound between the Ellesmere Island and Greenland. This polynya has a stable position and existed for at least 9,000 years. It was first described in 1616 by William Baffin and
Grand Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador) Grand Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador) Grand Bay ( NST) is a small bay immediately to the west of Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, Canada. Two communities line the bay, on the east is Grand Bay East and on the west, Grand Bay West. Grand Bay first appeared on Captain James Cook's 1766 chart of the south coast of Newfoundland. It was the landing place for Micmac and French groups who crossed the Cabot Strait in the early 18th century in contravention of the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). Kettle and Lomond were common surnames among the settlers in the