Nesgja

Nesgjá Fissure, Northern Iceland

Nesgjá crack was formed by the Mid Atlantic Ridge Plate Tectonic action which also formed Silfra but the processes at this site have generated a much more chiseled appearance to the basalt rock face underwater. The water flowing through the site starts out as Glacial Meltwater from Europe’s largest Glacier Vatnajökull about 150km south, travels underground and filters through the porous lava rock emerging into Nesgjá clear enough to drink!

Our customers who have dived the site have often remarked at how the walls in the crack appear to have been chiseled out by hand as they are extremely well defined, angular and uniform in their orientation and shape. The main crack section of the site is about 100m long and narrows at various points along its course allowing the diver to touch both continental plates (American & Eurasian) during the dive. The visibility at Nesgjá is phenomenal at over 100m and the sunlight which filters through the water combined with the dancing shadows from the walls create a stunning atmosphere to take photos in.

This is one of the best dive sites in Iceland for photography and its shallow depth means you can stay as long as you like to get the best images or at least as long as you can take the 2°C glacial water which runs through the site. The crack is connected to a saltwater lagoon which also has stunning visibility and an atmosphere unrivalled on any other dive site around Iceland.