During our #icelandic adventure we got the chance to go #snorkelling, hoping it would be an incredible experience and it really was!!
The #Silfra Fissure is one of the world's most unique snorkelling sites and gives you the opportunity to swim between, and touch both the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates at the same time.
We booked our guide and snorkelling session through Troll Expeditions. Our guide was a guy called Nacho; he was brilliant and made us feel really at ease which was good as an ambulance had just arrived to treat a person that had taken a turn after leaving the water!
Through Troll Expeditions, once you have made your booking you are given an address where you park and meet the team. This is a carpark very close to the Silfra.
We met our guide and were taken through a briefing which covered how the area was created, all about the Silfra Fissure, what to expect when we got into the water and above all to let us know it would be 2degrees once in the water. Actually not as cold as you imagine, just a bit chilly on your face...
We were then measured up for dry suits and we jumped into the back of a heated truck to change. You're advised to wear thermal underwear and are also given a thermal suit that you put on under your dry suit.
Once back outside we were helped into the dry suits, the neck and cuffs were sealed up tight to stop any leaks a we were given pair of flippers and goggles; then it was off to the water.
It's was about a 10 minute walk to the channel of water and, following a further safety briefing on land and in the water we were ready.
So with only one thing left to do - drop our heads into the water - we were off and OMG it was incredible! The moment you drop your head into the water it's just another world, the water is some of the purest on the planet so make sure you drink a little. Swimming through the Silfra Big Crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Lagoon is just so exciting. The first three sections are deep expansive canyons, sometimes extending down into dark and unchartered cave systems. Hidden from view is a cave that extends from one of the first pools of water to great depths—63 meters at least.
The rift was formed in 1789 by the earthquakes accompanying the divergent movement of the two tectonic plates. The snorkelling site at Silfra is right where the two continents meet and drift apart, about 2 cm per year. Silfra is the only place in the world where you can snorkel directly through a crack between two tectonic plates.
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.
As we swim through a narrow section you get the opportunity to have a hand on North America and Eurasia at the same time! Nacho our guide took photos of us as we did this and also some pictures whilst we were swimming to capture the experience. These pictures were all included in the cost of the experience.
Although Thingvellir Lake has an abundance of fish species and trout fishing is very popular in the lake, the fish usually do not venture far into the Silfra Fissure. The marine life in Silfra consists mostly of bright green “troll hair” and different types of algae that provide a colorscape unlike anything that occurs naturally above the surface. A truly unique and memorable experience.
If you are looking for a brilliant company that runs lots of experiences in Iceland we used Troll Expeditions and here's a link: https://troll.is/silfra-iceland/snorkeling-in-silfra-tours/snorkeling-in-silfra/
If you're planning a trip to Iceland and would like any help advice or tip please don't hesitate getting in touch. info@hitthetrail.co.uk