Talk:Whirlpool

Niagara River Whirlpool

This feature of the Niagara River has nothing to do with the presence of the Falls about a mile upstream. The whirlpool is the result of the erosion of different layers which caused a bend in the river at that point. It is not related to the falls. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.206.16.35 (talk) 19:14, 6 July 2017 (UTC)

Where does it end?

Where does a whirlpool end? After being swallowed by one where does one end?

The bottom. They're eddies in the current, not water being sucked into the depths of the earth. Except in the case of the lake in Louisiana referenced in the article. – Kuroji 19:08, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Whirlpools

HOW DO WHIRLPOOLS HAPPEN? Is it true that whirlpools spin in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemispere? Charlie chuck22@bestweb.net

• The really important question is... What do they do on the equator? Wahkeenah 01:22, 6 March 2007 (UTC)
  • Unlike whirlpools caused by drainage, these are caused by tides so one would expect they would flow however the tide makes them. As for the question on how "drainage whirlpools" form on the equator, perhaps it depends on the actual location, since it's technically impossible to lie exactly on the equator or a similar point where the vortex would theoretically be at a neutral disposition to spin either way. I live in Singapore, supposedly on or near the equator and it spins in a clockwise direction. --BlueStream 08:38, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

WHY are there whirlpools and vortexes? We can describe them well enough...but why are they here?!

a_sweeping_current@hotmail.com

-Katie

• I'm pretty sure the article covers it mate. --BlueStream 08:38, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

Saltstraumen picture is a whirlpool?

Is it just me or does anyone else not see a whirlpool?

--BlueStream 08:30, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

Video is a wirlpool?

I can't see a whirlpool in that video, just some turbulence and other hydraulic effects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.178.22.82 (talk) 13:22, 11 May 2012 (UTC)

Agreed, I watched several times and it's just turbulent water. Removing. --Bridgecross (talk) 19:18, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Proposed merge with Maelstrom

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.

The result of this discussion was to merge. MartinZ02 (talk) 23:05, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

---

There's a lot of overlap between the articles; better to keep everything in one place. —me_and 21:20, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

These could be merged, but since the writing style is much simpler in the whirlpool article, it seems that it would be more approachable for younger readers than the maelstrom article. The Maelstrom article is in depth and detailed, covering fictional and musical references, while the whirlpool article leans toward a simpler, more matter-of-fact approach. Perhaps a brief explanation of vortices and more on small whirlpools should be added to one or the other.Centasiafriend (talk) 22:48, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

"Sucked" in?

I object to [someone's] insistence that the whirlpool's action be described as "sucking." There is no suction involved. Objects are pulled toward the vortex according to the flow of the surrounding water. I changed the wording accordingly, as it is both a more accurate and less colloquial word choice—and now I see that someone has arbitrarily changed it back. rowley (talk) 18:49, 10 July 2019 (UTC)

Largest

The article repeats Corryvrecken being the third largest twice, but it begs the question.

Perhaps the content is being ripped too closely from this Doyle source.

I mean, stating the 3rd largest and the 1st and 2nd strongest seems a bit quircky. --Kiyoweap (talk) 13:11, 26 August 2019 (UTC)

Reference [2] is broken. Is "this" website the same website?

Reference [2] seems to be broken. I think that this is the same article, but am not sure (I do not know what webecoist.com is).. https://www.momtastic.com/webecoist/2009/07/24/10-magnificent-maelstroms-and-destructive-whirlpools/

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Wallby (talk • contribs) 18:04, 8 July 2021 (UTC)

Sargasso Sea

Any idea what the story is behind the malstom—presumably maelstrom—marked across most of the Sargasso Sea in this 1761/3/4 map later reprinted in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed.? Does the Sargasso Sea produce any whirlpools? It's an old mistake? or what? — LlywelynII 16:48, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

No French page of Whirlpool

Just noticed there isn't any page in french. Probably would translate to Tourbillon which can also refer to whirlwind in french. There is a french page for maelstrom that seems to closely relate to this page. Anyhow probably worth investigating! 66.171.162.222 (talk) 15:13, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

"Maelstrom (whirlpool)" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Maelstrom (whirlpool) has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2025 December 16 § Maelstrom (whirlpool) until a consensus is reached. consarn _{(talck) (contirbuton s)} 13:06, 16 December 2025 (UTC)