I've not quite got round to scuba diving here yet, but perhaps one day. It always looks a bt chilly.
Silfra Ravine lies close to Thingvellir and is described as lying on the tectonic boundary (which in a sense it does as does much of that part of Iceland)
As with the 'Bridge between the Continents', the idea that one side is one plate and the other side is symbolic really rather than being the 'actual' place where that happens.
Various companies offer(ed) the chance to dive in this location, such as Dive.IS
A particular feature of this location is the clarity of the water, described on this page as 'the clearest water on Earth'
Silfra is the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly in a crack between two tectonic plates.
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 Langjökull glacier. The water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before reaching the spring that feeds into Silfra. The water is therefore extremely pure by the time it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake and it allows for underwater visibility of over 100 meters in Silfra. The glacial meltwater remains very cold in Silfra, but as fresh water is constantly filling the fissure, the water never freezes and remains 2°C – 4°C year round. The underwater visibility of the water in Silfra will rarely, if ever, be surpassed. Silfra is said to have the clearest water in the world; feel free to have a sip of this pristine water at any point during your dive or snorkel.
As Silfra is right at the crux between the tectontic plates, it is a very “living” dive site in that it is constantly undergoing changes, both large and small. The fissure widens incrementally, but more drastic changes to the depth profile have occurred during earthquakes in which boulders and rocks fall into the crack. This shifting of the earth creates new tunnels, caverns, and underwater terrain.
Image source: CC Licensed
https://live.staticflickr.com/3884/15217075522_887ceb3534_o.jpg
Silfra Ravine lies close to Thingvellir and is described as lying on the tectonic boundary (which in a sense it does as does much of that part of Iceland)
As with the 'Bridge between the Continents', the idea that one side is one plate and the other side is symbolic really rather than being the 'actual' place where that happens.
Various companies offer(ed) the chance to dive in this location, such as Dive.IS
A particular feature of this location is the clarity of the water, described on this page as 'the clearest water on Earth'
Silfra is the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly in a crack between two tectonic plates.
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 Langjökull glacier. The water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before reaching the spring that feeds into Silfra. The water is therefore extremely pure by the time it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake and it allows for underwater visibility of over 100 meters in Silfra. The glacial meltwater remains very cold in Silfra, but as fresh water is constantly filling the fissure, the water never freezes and remains 2°C – 4°C year round. The underwater visibility of the water in Silfra will rarely, if ever, be surpassed. Silfra is said to have the clearest water in the world; feel free to have a sip of this pristine water at any point during your dive or snorkel.
As Silfra is right at the crux between the tectontic plates, it is a very “living” dive site in that it is constantly undergoing changes, both large and small. The fissure widens incrementally, but more drastic changes to the depth profile have occurred during earthquakes in which boulders and rocks fall into the crack. This shifting of the earth creates new tunnels, caverns, and underwater terrain.
Image source: CC Licensed
https://live.staticflickr.com/3884/15217075522_887ceb3534_o.jpg
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