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
Frozen Strait Frozen Strait Frozen Strait is a waterway in Nunavut just north of Hudson Bay between the Melville Peninsula to the north and Southampton Island to the south. It connects Repulse Bay to the west with Foxe Basin to the east. The strait is long, and 19 to 32 km (12 to 20 miles) wide. In 1615 Robert Bylot was blocked by ice at its east end. In 1742 Christopher Middleton (navigator) reached the west end. He sailed north through Roes Welcome Sound to Repulse Bay. Seeing the strait ice-filled in August, it seemed clear that there was no passage so