t what lies beneath hidden dePthS 122 P r t L a n d montHL maga ine from toP: aBdieL fiLe PHotos I n the Western Passage of Passamaquoddy Bay that divides Maine from New Brunswick lurks Old Sow, the largest natural whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere– an in- triguing and unpredictable force of nature. Robert Godfrey has lived in Eastport for the past 26 years and is the self-appoint- ed president of the Old Sow Whirlpool Survivors Associa- tion. “I have passed through it many times, but I’ve never had a truly scary experience. Anyone that makes it through can join the club. If you don’t survive–well, you can’t join!” There’s no precise origin be- hind the whirlpool’s porcine name. Some suggest it refers to the sucking, snorting noise of the whirlpool. “Look, it does not sound like a pig,” Godfrey insists. His theory is that “sow” is a mis- spelling of “sough,” meaning ei- ther a rushing or murmuring sound of wind, water, or the like, or a subterranean drain or trench. Godfrey’s knowledge of the little- known maritime phenomenon caught the attention of Mythbusters, who consult- ed with him on the feasibility of placing a crew member in the “sty” of the whirl- pool. “I advised against it–strongly.” Af- ter all, he knows Old Sow and her capri- cious tidal moods. The whirlpool’s unique and violent hy- drology is the result of a complex conflu- ence of ocean currents distorted into a roil- ing mass by the topography below the sur- face. During incoming tides, vast quantities of water surge through the confined chan- nel between Deer and Indian Islands, driven north through a 400-foot trench at the base of a 119-foot underwater mountain at Deer Island’s southern tip, before being forced into another deep trench. Countercurrents rushing through Friar Roads to the south and from the St. Croix River to the north contribute to the general confusion. The organization Artsipelago (“One Bay, Two Countries”) says the whirlpool “can be seen from the end of Clark Street, East- port.” Godfrey recommends “Deer Island Point Park Campground” as the best spot to watch from. Peak viewing time is two hours to high tide. For a glimpse of the sea hog at her most cantankerous, spring tides (which oc- cur twice a month with the full and new moons) and stormy weather are the times to watch. The rush of water “produces a huge area of chaos,” including a vortex, gaping holes, and even shoots of water up to 15 feet. “Old Sow has claimed 11 lives to date that we know of,” says Godfrey. “The arrival of motorized engines has dramatically decreased the danger. The most recent death that may be attributed to Old Sow happened in the 1990s. The body of a student from St. An- drews University in New Bruns- wick washed up on Carlow Is- land. There’s no way of know- ing for sure if Old Sow was to blame, but it certainly could have caused his boat to tip.” Recent inductees into the Survivors Association have tall tales to tell. “Most recent- ly, a fellow from Calais was ob- serving the whirlpool with his sister and wife in their motor vessel when they found them- selves getting dragged in,” God- frey says. “A circling weir stake caught in the propeller and stopped the engine. He said the stern was at a 15-degree angle to the water. His wife and sister had to dangle him over the boat to unlodge the propeller.” It’s not just the vortex you have to watch out for. “A friend of mine recalled sailing his dory from Deer Island and dropping into a hole in the water that was lower than the top of his 12-foot mast,” Godfrey recalls. Old Sow’s powers have decreased in the past century as a result of the aborted Pas- samaquoddy Tidal Project of the 1930s that saw three hydro-dam causeways construct- ed between Eastport and Carlow Island. The dams reduced the tidal flow, thereby taking some of the spite out of Old Sow’s surges. She’s still deadly, though: a glimpse of her vortex can conjure the harrowing last minutes of Drag Me To Hell when the perky blonde protagonist is spun mercilessly into the netherworld. ■ Maine’s Time-Space Portal y Sarah m re