This tour starts with pick up in Akureyri, which is 400km north of Reykjavik. Then we travel to the geothermal vents of Strytan. It's been said that the Strytan dive site is an enigma, like something straight out of an ancient Icelandic Saga or Norse legend. Strytan has the world's only known scuba dive-able hydrothermal vents.
This tour starts with pick-up in Akureyri, which is 400km north of Reykjavik, we then travel to the geothermal vents of Strytan.
The Strytan day tour is guided by the commercial diver Erlendur Bogason, the discoverer and researcher of Strytan and Arnarnesstrytur or divers he has trained.
You will feel the 79°C hot water steaming out of the cones and we will take some hot water with us up to the boat and make hot chocolate. We will show you the variety of animals and plants living on the cones and maybe you can help us to discover new creatures we have not seen before. At the small cones, we will feed the wolf fish with the shell, Arctica Islandica.
Strytan is a white smoker and its form is that of a cylindrical chimney or cone. The hydrothermal cone is the product of over 11,000 years of natural mineral deposition. The hot water emerging from the top of the chimney contains magnesium-silicate minerals, which once in contact with the surrounding cold salt water solidify and over time extend the height of the chimney.
In total three chimneys have been discovered at the Strýtan site: the largest one described above is the main one, which is dived and two deeper chimneys, each about 20m and 10m tall, the tops of which are 50m depth.
In the first week of June, we dive down to the cone and take guillemot eggs with us which we then boil at a depth of 24 meters. The guillemot eggs take 13 minutes to boil.
Drysuit diving experience in the form of either Drysuit certification or a minimum of 10 logged drysuit dives. You need to have dived in a dry suit within the last 2 years. Your dive guide will ask you to see proof of your certification or logbook before the tour starts.
All divers have to supply their height/weight upon booking to ensure we bring you suitable equipment. For safety reasons, all divers need to understand instructions in English and be able to communicate with the dive guide in English.
In order to participate in this tour, you have to have an Open Water diver certification or higher. Also please evaluate your physical health, if you have some medical issues please check health certificate and get physician approval if needed.
Please read our Diving Handbook for more information about the tour.
Age limit: Minimum 18 years old
Weight limit: 50-120 kg
Height limit: 155-200 cm
