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
Makassar Strait Makassar Strait as being one of the waters of the East Indian Archipelago. The IHO defines its limits as follows: The channel between the East coast of Borneo and the West coast of Celebes <nowiki>[</nowiki>Sulawesi<nowiki>]</nowiki>, is bounded: "On the North." By a line joining Tanjong Mangkalihat, Borneo () and Stroomen Kaap (Cape Rivers), Celebes (). "On the South." By a line from the Southwestern extreme of Celebes (), through the Southern point of Tana Keke, to the Southern extreme of Laoet () thence up the West coast of that island to Tanjong Kiwi and thence across to Tanjong Petang, Borneo