Only the bravest of hearts should attempt freediving in frigid environments.
Even though most dives below zero may seem crazy, those who dare to do so will experience incredible scenes of natural beauty and phenomena. We present three places that will encourage you to explore cold waters. If not for freediving, you can always hop in a dry suit.
Spitsbergen in Greenland
Diving in Greenland has to be cold. Ice cold, right? Many visit this country because of the deep fjords and narrow canals that are home to reindeer and arctic foxes. But they also offer numerous diving opportunities between high blocks of ice. The complete peace that such a remote location can provide is truly an experience that must simply be experienced. Underwater, you will find a spectacular array of shapes and textures of glacier walls. While the silence of the underwater world is interrupted only by the crackling and moving of icebergs. Which will show you how far you are from the hustle and bustle of the city. And if you’re lucky, you might even hear a deep whale song.
Silfra in Iceland
Here you can see how the two worlds (continents) collide or separate. Silfra, Iceland’s main national park, is also on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Shallow lagoons and deep rifts lie here, allowing them to separate the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Although the water temperature is only two to four degrees Celsius throughout the year. You will not even notice it from the view you will have. Since visibility here is up to 100 meters. So you will feel like floating in the air rather than diving in the water.
Tromsø in Norway
You will certainly see beautiful fjords in this cold Scandinavian city, but you will probably encounter one of the world’s most intelligent predators, who can reach up to eight meters … Orcs (killer whales)! In winter, you are most likely to meet them, most often seen in groups of 50 to 100 individuals, and it is possible to encounter a blue whale because in winter the sea is served by the most abundant buffet. Although orcs can be shy, they can also dare and stage the show by swimming fully in sync. And once you get out of the water, you will be able to enjoy the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) color game, since the sun lingers over the horizon for only eight minutes.
Thank you for reading! Read more about cold diving adventures like scuba diving under the ice – here.
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