Dive site
Strýtan
Eyjafjörður, Iceland
- Typical depth
- 35 m
- Type
- Freshwater
- Level
- Advanced
Notes
Hydrothermal chimney rising from 65 m — open-water tech.
Marine life
- Macro
- nudibranchs
- Other
- hydrothermal plume — warm freshwater visibly shimmering out of the cone
- Reef fish
- wolffish (Atlantic catfish), lumpsucker, redfish
- Invertebrates
- mussels, metridium and other anemones, bryozoans, sponges, hydroids, brittlestars, polychaete worms, sea spiders
Site features
- Hydrothermal
- Underwater Chimney
- Sub-Arctic
- Drysuit Required
- Wall
- Remote
- Unique Geology
When to dive
- Best
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar
Strýtan is a hydrothermal chimney in Eyjafjörður (north Iceland) — a 55 m tall limestone cone built up over ~10,000 years by ~75 °C freshwater venting from the seafloor. The chimney top sits at ~15 m, the base at ~65–70 m. It is the shallowest known active hydrothermal vent in the world and the only one at recreational diving depth. Saltwater fjord environment, sub-Arctic — 4–8 °C ambient outside the plume. Dive season is May–Sep when boat access from Akureyri is reliable; winter ice and weather effectively close the site. Drysuit mandatory.
Conditions & access
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Water temp
- 4–8 °C
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Seasonal
- Min cert
- Advanced Open Water + drysuit certification; cold-water experience essential
Location
65.9000° N, 18.1167° W
Sources
Curated from 1 source
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