Maelstrom Bay
Maelstrom Bay is where the Tempest River converges with the Great Western Sea. The bay provides a safe harbor for ships, mainly smuggling vessels, to anchor near River's Rest away from the rough waves of the sea. It is often crossed by locals in River's Rest to reach the land north of the bay, which is home to numerous humanoids and several ruins.
Crossing the Bay
One requires some skill in swimming or the spell Water Walking (112) to cross Maelstrom Bay. In fact, crossing the Bay is one of the most frequent uses of Water Walking in the game, which also allows one to drag a dead body across the surface. Note that to exit the Bay on the side away from town, one either requires skill in climbing (about 15 ranks), or to swim below the surface and enter through a dungeon in the Ruined Tower. It is quite difficult to circumvent these requirements, as Niima's Shrine is the only location across the Bay where incoming teleportation is allowed.
Areas Accessible by Crossing the Bay
As there are no creatures across the Bay less than level 30, less trained characters are generally advised against crossing the Bay without an escort. The areas include: