Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay, a gulf, or rather sea, on the NE. coast of North America, extending between Greenland and the great islands NE. of Hudson Bay (one of which is called Baffin Island), in 69° to 78° N. lat. It is about 800 miles long, with an average breadth of 280. The shores are for the most part lofty and precipitous, backed by ranges of snow-clad mountains. Baffin Bay communicates with the Atlantic Ocean by Davis Strait; and with the Arctic Ocean by Smith Sound on the north, and Lancaster Sound on the west. Baffin Bay, discovered in 1562, was first explored in 1615 by William Baffin, pilot of an expedition commanded by Bylot. Whale and seal fishing are prosecuted to a large extent in Baffin Bay, which, on account of ice, is only navigable for some four months in summer.