I did manage to get close to the odd cod as well. They have fearsome looking teeth to say the least. There are lots of cod to attract fishermenĮasier to photograph were the sedentary wolf fish, of which there were many hiding in crevices and resting amid the rocks. Visibility was variable, making it difficult to see and photograph the schools of cod out in the channel. It is definitely not a dive for a novice. We kept close to the shore, where the current was slack, but even so there was plenty of upwelling, making buoyancy control a challenge at times. I did two shore dives on in going and outgoing tides on the same day, with Fredric, a very professional and helpful instructor from the dive centre. Nutrient rich waters and the currents attract lots of fish such as cod, and along with them seagulls and anglers. Being July and above the Arctic Circle, the sun was still up at midnight, although low in the sky meaning you can dive whenever the tide suits.
Saltstraumen maelstrom full#
The tides are greatest at full and new moon, however when I dived it was half moon, but still quite impressive. There is a dive centre located nearby where all gear can be hired, and guided shore and boat dives can be organised. Needless to say, the water is cold, about centigrade 7 degrees when I dived it in August, and colder in winter, so a good dry suit is required. The strait is dive-able only for about 20 minutes either side of a turning tide, and is rich in sea life and has an interesting topography. Saltstraumen is an exit point for a fjord Up to 500,00 cubic metres of seawater forces its way in or out of the fjord every six hours, creating massive whirlpools or a maelstrom (a Norwegian word) and water velocities up to 40km per hour. Saltstraumen is located above the Arctic Circle near Bodo in northern Norway, and is a 3km narrow (150m wide) strait that connects the Skierstad fjord to the North Sea. DIVING THE SALTSTRAUMEN MAELSTROM, NORWAY by Andrew Falconer
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