You dont need a diving license to go snorkeling in iceland. The silfra fissure is located in thingvellir national park, near the peninsula of reykjanes and the hengill volcanic area. The first part of the fissure drops to 23m before it heads down under the rocks to a maximum depth of 45m. Silfra crack in iceland is a small section of thingvallavatn lake, whose name means lake of the parliament. The bestknown and most spectacular section is the cathedral, which is the 330footlong fissure often written about. The silfra fissure is a crack between the north american and eurasian continental plates. Best snorkeling tours in silfra iceland guide to iceland. The earthquakes that struck thingvellir in 1789, along with the divergent movement of both plates, have only deepened and widened the crack. The silfra fissure isnt home to a multitude of marine lifemost fish prefer the warmer waters of thingvellir lakebut it is a breeding ground for many different types of algae. The valley, and silfra itself, were formed by the divergent tectonic.
It was about 45 minutes or 40 kilometers by car from icelands capital city of reykjavik to thingvellir national park, the site of the world renown silfra crack. Diving will be done in a dry suit as the water is very cold, ranging 35. Leaving silfra hall takes us another step closer to lake thingvellir and into the. Explore iceland unique snorkeling spot, the silfra fissure which is the only place on the world where you can swim between two continents, the eurasian and northamerican tectonic plates. The first section near the entrance is the silfra deep crack, which is long and narrow as it winds a little to the left and right. The gap between europe and the united states is widening by one inch a year. Apr 11, 2018 the silfra fissure is located in thingvellir national park, about 60 km 37 miles from reykjavik. Five fascinating facts about silfra fissure scuba diving. Thingvallavatn is the largest natural lake in iceland with a surface of 84km2. We conduct a variety of different snorkeling day tours, such as the all time bestseller, the snorkeling silfra day tour or a number of combo tours where you can combine snorkeling in silfra with the golden circle or caving in a lava tube or a visit to the blue lagoon or horseback riding or more. Snorkeling trips to silfra thingvellir tripadvisor.
The clarity of the water in silfra is what attracts thousands of visitors every year. Silfra fissure snorkeling tour thingvellir national park. Perfect for those who have a rental car, drive to our snorkeling base at. You will float through the big crack first, silfras narrowest section, where you can have your dive between the continents photo taken. A scuba diver is suspended in thingvellir lake, silfra.
Icelands silfra fissure is located within the heart of thingvellir national park. Snorkelling and diving in its crystalclear waters is an experience that is both thrilling and relaxing, and it is now considered to be one of the top five dive sites in the world. Diving down the silfra crack allows divers to be able to swim between continents and actually touch two tectonic plates at the same time. Silfra, where this snorkeling tour took us, is the tectonic divide between the north american and eurasian continental plates. These two tectonic plates drift apart roughly 2cm per year. Jul 16, 20 located in the thingvallavatn lake in the thingvellir national park in iceland, silfra is part of the atlantic rift the dividing line between the continents of europe and america. These spectacular underwater photographs show the vast gap between the two tectonic plates, as seen. Silfra fissure snorkeling tours iceland extreme iceland. Over the many years, both species have evolved to survive together in extremely cold water 23. Silfra crack iceland juli 2007 diving between two continen. Dive site silfra in thingvellir national park, iceland. It is about 5 to 10 meters wide and 200 meters long.
The water is 50 to 100 years old once it reaches the lake from the melting glacier through the lava field, and is drinkable silfra is in the. Silfra is the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly in a crack between two tectonic plates. Located in the thingvallavatn lake in the thingvellir national park in iceland, silfra is part of the atlantic rift the dividing line between the continents of europe and america. The silfra fissure is located in thingvellir national park, about 60 km 37 miles from reykjavik. The ravine was formed as part of the midatlantic ridge, which runs diagonally through the middle of iceland and represents the divide between the diverging north american and eurasian tectonic plates. The silfra fissure is known as one of the top dive sites in the world for two main reasons. The benefits of choosing the wetsuit option is you can dive down and have the most unique perspective, seeing above and below the water. Scuba diving the silfra in iceland dive buddies 4 life. Located in the thingvallavatn lake in the thingvellir national park in iceland, silfra is part of the atlantic rift the dividing line between the.
The first of the five sections of silfra that divers and snorkelers have access to is known as big crack. Here, absolutely pure water from 36 to 40 degrees f emerges from the ground and fills silfra crack, creating a constant, mild current and amazing visibility as far as the eye can see. Silfra is the place where american and european tectonic plates meet, and you can go diving between them. Snorkeling in iceland silfra snorkeling extreme iceland. Browns, blacks, greens and blues created an underwater kaleidoscope. Silfra snorkeling in worlds clearest waters magmadive. As the largest natural lake in iceland, thingvallavatn measures about 84 sq km 52 sq mi and 100 m 328 ft above sea level. The silfra ravine, located in the unesco world heritage site of thingvellir national park, about one hours drive east from reykjavik, is one of the worlds most spectacular dive sites. There are many walking trails around the park and close by silfra, and many of the areas have information signs telling you about the historical. Nov 20, 2014 the silfra crack is located at the rim of. Best scuba diving destinations silfra, iceland aquaviews. The silfra is situated in the thingvellir national park, at the rim of the thingvellir lake, only 45 kilometers 28 miles from reykjavik city. We are hoping to snorkel in lake silfra and would like to rent snorkel gear. Silfra is located in thingvellir national park, one of the main sites of the golden circle.
Silfra is located in thingvellir national park, about 45 minutes from reykjavik. Information about silfra silfra is a fissure filled with fresh spring water within. Leaving silfra hall takes us another step closer to lake thingvellir and into the silfra cathedral. Silfra crack dive site for scuba diving in selfoss, reykjavik. Tectonic plate and drysuit scuba diving between continents. Silfra cathedral is litterally a divine section of silfra. You need to decide whether youre a snorkeler or a scuba diver. Silfra fissure opened in 1789, due to the movements of the tectonic plates that frame. First, the silfra fissure is a crack between the north american and european continents, meaning that you dive or snorkel right where the. Aug 09, 2018 if you are diving, the most significant depth of your dive at silfra will be 18 meters. Snorkeling between continents in iceland backpack me. From the silfra cathedral we veered sharply left into the shallow silfra lagoon. The diving experience itself is not only unique, but exclusive and not for the faint of heart too as the area is an active tectonic region with many possible plate and rock movements. Its located between the tectonic plates of america and eurasia, and snorkling in this fissure is an absolutely an experience that should be on everyones bucket list.
Larisa pelle, germany silfra the name is a variation on the word silver is a deep crack in the lava in the national park thingvellir in iceland. Its a huge crack in the earths surface, where the continental plates meet and which is slowing widening by about two centimeters per year. This section is 120m long and holds the deepest area of the main fissure. Located in the thingvallavatn lake, in the thingvellir national park in iceland, silfra is part of the atlantic rift the dividing line between the continents of europe and america. The swim is an up and down for the diver since at certain spots the diver needs to swim over rocks that have got stuck in the crack at shallow depths. Silfra fissure is located in thingvellir national park in iceland, the silfra. Even though thingvellir lake has a wealth of fish species and trout angling is exceptionally prominent in the lake, the fish usually dont wander far into the silfra gap. The space between the walls widens out to 8 meters 26 feet. Silfra crack dive site for scuba diving in selfoss. Diving between two continents is a stunning new diving video that has surfaced on the internet. A lone diver can be seen literally swimming his way between the connecting european and north american continental plates.
On dive day, the weather was indecisive, but apparently, thats completely normal in iceland or so we were told. Silfras is a small crack area which runs parallel to the midatlantic ridge within the lake itself. Due to national park regulations, snorkeling in silfra is only possible with a local guide. During your dive you will explore the four main parts of silfra. Diving in silfra crack, thingvellir lake, national park. Diving in silfra iceland at thingvellir national park. Snorkel gear lake silfra thingvellir forum tripadvisor.
We pass through the dramatic silfra cathedral between the towering walls of seperating continents and conclude the dive in the extraordinary visibility and dazzling neon blues and greens of the silfra lagoon. Diving silfra tour the dive between the continents with. On rare occasions, magnificent giant trout from lake thingvallavatn swim upstream into silfra in search for food. At the south end of the thingvellir fault lines is a large lake, as you can see in the picture below. Diving between two continents, diving in silfra gloholiday. To participate on a silfra fissure snorkeling tour, you have two options. The river oxara traverses the national park and forms a waterfall at the almannagja, called oxararfoss. It is about a 1hour drive from reykjavik 40mi60km by car.
As it is located in a national park, you will need to join a dive tour operator. A diver submerges into silfra canyon, a deep fault filled with fresh water in between the eurasian and american tectonic plates at thingvellir national park, iceland. The earthquakes of 1789 opened up several fissures in the thingvellir area, but the silfra fissure cut into the underground spring filled with glacial meltwater from the nearby langjokull glacier. Go snorkeling in the silfra rift, part of thingvallavatn lake. Silfra is a fissure between two continental plates with over 100m visibility. Its hard to smile with a regulator in your mouth but i somehow.
Snorkelling trips to silfra in the national park thingvellir are operated by dive. Dec 20, 2015 the silfra water is as pristine as water can get and you can drink it at anytime during your dive or snorkel. You wont actually reach the center of the earth diving at silfra, but the water is so clear you may almost think you can see. Diving in silfra is a unique underwater experience. This then widens slightly into what we appropriately call the silfra hall, which leads to the deepest point at 22m called the silfra cathedral. There are many walking trails around the park and close by silfra, and many of the. Here, absolutely pure water from 36 to 40 degrees f emerges from the ground and fills silfra crack, creating a constant, mild.
On the lakes northern shore the silfra fissure is a popular diving and snorkelling tour location. Leaving the big crack behind, you will arrive at a place called silfra hall. Once we have arrived at the silfra fissure, your guide will give a detailed briefing. If you opt for the silfra snorkelling or diving experience and selfdrive, note that you need about 45 minutes to 1 hour from reykjavik downtown to drive out to thingvellir national park, where the crack in the earth is located. The underwater visibility in the silfra fissure is over 100 meters, making it some of the clearest water on the planet. Dive site silfra in thingvellir national park, iceland dive. Silfra is a fissure filled with fresh spring water within. A scuba diver is suspended in thingvellir lake, silfra, iceland. It also boasts some of the clearest waters in the world, with the natural purification process ensuring divers enjoy visibility exceeding 328 feet 100 meters. Image credit frank schafer thingvellir national park is recognized as a unesco wolrd heritage site for its cultural and historical significance as well as natural and geological uniqueness a feature that we. From silfra hall its a 200 meter swim to silfra cathedral.
In a drysuit or a wetsuit, youll swim between two tectonic plates, through pristine water where the visibility exceeds 100 metres. Silfra crack, thingvellir lake, national park thingvellir, iceland the dive between the continents. The crack between two continents andrijadurlanac on july 12, 2018 no comments cool wow located in the thingvallavatn lake in the thingvellir national park in iceland, silfra is part of the atlantic rift the dividing line between the continents of europe and america. Snorkeling in silfra in thingvellir national park in iceland. It is a stunningly beautiful area as well as being one of icelands most important historical sites.
I dont need a day trip package or anything, and we can even bring our own maskssnorkels, and fins hopefully not because they are big to pack. The silfra water is as pristine as water can get and you can drink it at anytime during your dive or snorkel. As the silfra fissure widens you will find yourself in silfra hall with the possibility of spotting local ducks and geese paddling overhead. Visiting thingvellir national park is often part of the famous golden circle tour, but silfra is usually an excursion all of its own. Snorkeling silfra, thingvellir national park, iceland.
Snorkeling the silfra fissure in iceland the blonde abroad. More light and brighter colors fill the water and massive boulders and rocks lie on the bottom at a depth of 14 meters 46 feet. Silfra rift diving between two continents, iceland youtube. Snow and ice from glaciers 30 miles away is filtered through layers of rock before reaching thingvellir valley. A calmer and quieter section of the dive, the colorscape of the lagoon looked so brilliant through the water. This natural icelandic fissure allows divers to swim right. Silfra is a big crack in the ground located in thingvellir on the midatlantic ridge formed as two tectonic plates move apart from each other. Whats the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving.
This world heritage status afforded to the silfra fissure is for both for its cultural and historical significance. The silfra fissure is the only place where a swimmer can dive or snorkel directly in between the fissure crack and literally dive between two continents. Silfra is a rift formed in the divergent tectonic boundary between the north american and eurasian plates and is located in the. Its a huge crack in the earths surface, where the continental plates meet and which is slowing widening by. Its the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly between two continental plates.