Mehamn is a village in the Gamvik

Gamvik

is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mehamn. The municipality of Gamvik was separated from Tana on 1 July 1913....

 municipality in the county of Finnmark

Finnmark

or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...

 in northern Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. The village abuts the base of a small Vedvik peninsula, itself part of the greater Nordkinn Peninsula

Nordkinn Peninsula

Nordkinn Peninsula is a peninsula in Finnmark, in northern Norway. Settlement is mostly concentrated on the northern shores and at the base of the peninsula. The main towns are Mehamn, Gamvik and Kjøllefjord. The Slettnes lighthouse near Gamvik is the northernmost lighthouse in mainland Europe.-...

, at the southern end of Mehamn Fjord, a bay in the Barents Sea

Barents Sea

The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...

. As of 1 January 2009, the village has 704 inhabitants, serving as the administrative center of the Gamvik

Gamvik

is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mehamn. The municipality of Gamvik was separated from Tana on 1 July 1913....

 municipality.

Transport

Regional route 888 connects Mehamn to the European route E6

European route E6

European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...

 at the base of the Nordkinn Peninsula, and thence to Kirkenes

Kirkenes

is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...

 in the east and Alta

Alta, Norway

-Birdlife:For those interested in bird watching, the river outlet, known locally as Altaosen is well worth a visit. This tidal area is used as a stopover for many wetland species.-Transportation:...

 in the west. Mehamn is a port of call for the Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...

 coastal ship. Mehamn is also connected by air via Mehamn Airport

Mehamn Airport

Mehamn Airport is a regional airport serving Mehamn in Finnmark, Norway. In 2005 Mehamn Airport had 10,895 passengers and is currently operated by Avinor...

, with services by Widerøe

Widerøe

Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...

.

Whaling

Svend Foyn

Svend Foyn

Svend Foyn was a Norwegian whaling and shipping magnate who pioneered revolutionary methods for hunting and processing whales. Svend Foyn introduced the modern harpoon gun and brought whaling into a modern age....

 established the whaling station in Mehamn that was the largest of its kind in Finnmark. This station was built in 1884-85, and was put into use from the spring of 1885. After Foyn’s death in 1894, the whaling station was run by Foyn’s whaling company. Svend Foyn also established the Svend Foyn Chapel, in Mehamn. This stood ready for use from 1887.

1982 air crash

On 11 March 1982 a Widerøe Twin Otter

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...

 crashed into the sea on approach to Mehamn Airport during flight from Berlevåg Airport

Berlevåg Airport

Berlevåg Airport is a regional airport serving Berlevåg in Finnmark, Norway. In 2005 Berlevåg Airport had 4,264 passengers. It is operated by Avinor.-Service:...

, killing all on board. Despite controversies regarding the cause of the crash, clear-air turbulence

Clear-Air Turbulence

Clear air turbulence is the turbulent movement of air masses in the absence of any visual cues such as clouds, and is caused when bodies of air moving at widely different speeds meet....

over Mehamn Fjord was determined as the official cause.