Snorkelling in the Silfra fissure

Icelanders love extreme excursions, so they came up with this. Although the water is very cold, you will naturally get warm inside.

You can snorkel or dive in the rift between Europe and America wearing a special dry-suit. The Silfra fissure is world famous because it’s where two tectonic plates meet, which are slowly moving away from each other. And the water is crystal clear.

This is where the tectonic plates of Europe and North America meet. Well not really, as they drift apart due to the movement of the earth. The result is actually that the gap is widening.

The shifting of the earth plates has created the bizarre Silfra Gorge. A gap that continues to widen. Which will one day break Iceland into two parts, scientists say. Although this will take millions of years. But you can get into the water here. In fact, extremely clear water.

Do note, the water is incredibly cold, about five degrees Celsius. It might even be four degrees… That’s why you will wear a dry-suit that will give you extra protection from the cold. And then you can enter the glacier water. All this happens under the supervision of a guide. He goes ahead and keeps an eye on you continuously. Your lips will bruise quickly (and become quite big) but you’ll be comfortable otherwise.

You see something unique through your snorkel mask. Extremely clear water, the visibility is more than a hundred meters … Algae and other strange aquatic plants can actually survive here. A bizarre underwater world. An excursion that you will not soon forget.

You can also dive here, which will obviously take you deeper into the rift than snorkeling. But you won’t see much more because here you won’t find any fish or other animals. You can look up from below and see the silhouettes of snorkelers.

More information: www.dive.is/diving-snorkeling-tours/snorkeling-day-tours