The Bay of Bothnia national park has 60 bird species

Bay of Bothnia National Park

The Finnish name for the Bay of Bothnia national park is "Perämeren kansallispuisto". The Swedish name is "Bottenvikens nationalpark".

This national park is located in the northern Baltic Sea in the archipelago outside Tornio and Kemi. The park was established in 1991. It covers 157 km². Around 2.5 km² is on land. The islands in the area have been formed by post-glacial rebound.

There are some old, traditional fishing bases in the park area. Here you can learn about the unique and ever changing natural features of the area. These features were formed by land uplift which started after the last Ice Age. The land lifts about 9 millimetres a year.

Accessing the park

The national park can be reached by boat. But it is only recommended for experienced boaters. There is an excursion harbour at the north-end of the island of Selkä-Sarvi. The shores of the island are shallow and rocky, so landing on most shores is impossible with a large boat. A rowboat is the best way of accessing these shores.

The varying nature is well worth seeing. And so are the traditional fishing bases and heritage landscapes on the islands.

The Bay of Bothnia National park also has a rich variety of birds. There are around 60 bird species. The park is an eldorado for bird watching. And the vegetation of the park includes several rare or threatened plant species.

Read more about the Bay of Bothnia national park.

Read also about the other Finnish national parks of Lapland

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