North Iceland
Nesgjá snorkeling tour
Snorkel in the Silfra of the North
100m+ visibility
On the Diamond Circle
Nesgjá is another lovely fresh water fissure with the crystal clear water that is so unique to Iceland. It is often called the Silfra of the North as it has such similar qualities as the famous Silfra in the South.
Due to the activity of the tectonic plates, tension builds up in the earth’s crust. Every couple of years this tension is released through earthquakes. These earthquakes create cracks that can be seen from the south west of Iceland all the way to the north east. The Eurasian and North American continental plates meet deep down under the earth’s crust along this line.
Some of these fissures are filled with water, usually glacial water that has been filtering through lava fields for many years, before it flows into rivers, the ocean or these fresh water fissures. After dripping for a such long time through porous lava rock, the water has been filtered perfectly and is literally as clear as it gets.
Nesgjá is quite shallow but amazingly beautiful. The lagoon is huge and as one of our instructors says: “The visibility depends solely on the quality of your dive mask.” You can see further than 100 meters.
Sometimes we get to see arctic charr, a certain type of salmonide in the fissure.
This location is on the Diamond circle about 30 minutes from the whale-watching town of Húsavík and a short distance from Ásbyrgi canyon, making this the perfect Diamond circle selfdrive tour. Other destinations on the Diamond circle include Goðafoss (waterfall of the Gods), the infamous Dettifoss waterfall and the beautiful Lake Mývatn.
Tour Details
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July and August
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Approx. 2.5 hours at the site
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Maximum 4 snorkelers per snorkel guide
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Minimum 2 snorkelers. We will refund you in full if the minimum is not met
Included:
- Guided snorkeling trip
- All necessary snorkeling equipment
- Hot chocolate and cookies after the snorkeling trip
Please bring:
- Long underwear
- Thick socks
- Suitable clothes for the weather of the day
- Contact lenses if you wear glasses
If you would like to add another activity to your day on the Diamond circle, check out our Double snorkeling tour in the North
Safety requirements
All snorkelers must:-
have read, signed, and followed directions on our online Snorkeling Medical Statement PDF
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have our Snorkeling Medical form signed off by a doctor if they are age 60 or older PDF
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sign our liability release form at the start of the snorkeling tour PDF
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be at minimum 150cm / maximum 200cm
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be at minimum 45kg / maximum 120kg
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fit within our dry suit size chart PDF
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be at least 12 years of age on the year and at least 45 kg / 99 lbs
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be comfortable in water and be able to swim
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be physically fit
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be ready to wear a sometimes tight & constricting dry suit
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be able to communicate in English
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not be pregnant
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eat well before the tour
Timeline of your tour
- When you arrive at Nesgjá fissure you will meet the DIVE.IS guide who will give you a detailed briefing of the snorkeling tour and get you dressed into our top quality undersuit, dry suit, fins, hood and mask.
- You will enter Nesgjá fissure at the entry point and snorkel down the fissure for about 30-45 minutes.
- Then, you will exit the fissure and walk back to the parking lot.
- After the snorkeling tour, we will warm you up with hot cocoa and cookies.
Experience the tour
Guides on this tour
You might be guided by one of these nice guys
Address
Nesgjá fissure
You will meet us at Skúlagarður Country Hotel and Restaurant. We will then drive together to Nesgjá fissure.
