The Beaufort sea is a portion of the Arctic Ocean located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Alaska and west of Canada's Arctic islands. Its northwestern boundary is defined by a line connecting Point Barrow, Alaska and Lands End, Prince Patrick Island.
Its total area is about 450,000 km² (170,000 square miles). The sea is named after Irish hydrographer Sir Francis Beaufort.
The large Mackenzie River and some other smaller rivers empty into the Beaufort Sea. It is an important habitat for whales and sea birds and is still relatively untouched by commercial traffic.
The Beaufort Sea is also the location of what are believed to be significant petroleum reserves beneath the seabed. There are a continuation of proven reserves in the nearby Mackenzie River and North Slope. The Beaufort Sea was first explored in the 1960s and the Amauligak Project of 1986 began operating the first functioning oil platform.
The entire Beaufort Sea is totally frozen during much of the year. The permanent ice-pack covers the northern edge of the Beaufort Sea year-round.
