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
Cook Strait west side and North Island on the east. At its narrowest point, separate Cape Terawhiti in the North Island from Perano Head on Arapaoa Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Perano Head is actually further north than Cape Terawhiti. In good weather one can see clearly across the strait. The west (South Island) coast runs along Cloudy Bay and past the islands and entrances to the Marlborough Sounds. The east (North Island) coast runs along Palliser Bay, crosses the entrance to Wellington harbour, past some Wellington suburbs and continues another to Makara beach. The Brothers is a group of tiny islands