Highlights
- Chimaeras (ghost sharks) at night in 10 to 30 m (33 to 100 ft) depth
- Deep sea corals (gorgonians and stone corals) in 20 to 40 m (65 to 130 ft) depth
- Deep sea jellyfish Periphylla periphylla in 5 to 30 m (17 to 100 ft) depth
- Richly varied macro life in 0 to 30 m (0 to 100 ft) depth
- Spotting various sharks and rays is possible
- Spotting various deep sea fish species is possible
- Often we spot moose, white-tailed eagle (sea eagle), and whales
- Fall landscapes in magnificent colors
- Northern lights (Aurora borealis) are possible
Tour dates
2018
23rd September - 30th September
07th October - 14th October
14th October - 21st October
2019
22nd September - 29th September
29th September - 06th October
2020
04th October - 11th October
11th October - 18th October
2021
Tour price/Services
Price per person
2.450 Euro
Tour price INCLUDES the following services:
- Airport transfer
- All accommodation in twin rooms, incl. breakfast and dinner
- All diving excursions (incl. cylinders/tanks, air, and weights)
- English-speaking support
- All local transfers and land excursions
- Northern lights tours (subject to weather and sun activity!)
- Various alternative programs to replace excursions that had to be cancelled
- Travel planning assistance
Tour price EXCLUDES the following services:
- Getting here / flights (incl. possible overnight stopovers)
- Single room (available at additional cost!)
- Any additional activities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Insurance
Getting here
Guests usually arrive in Trondheim by plane via Oslo, Copenhagen, or Amsterdam. There are also direct flights from some other European airports. We will meet you at Trondheim airport Værnes from where the tour will start.
During the summer and fall, weather-related flight delays and cancellations are rare.
We will gladly provide you with additional information to current flight schedules and fares.
Also (for guests from Europe) it is possible to travel by car. There are various travel routes via Denmark and Sweden (ferry or toll bridge) or by ferry from Germany. However, you have to expect a ten-hour drive from Oslo to our base at the Namsfjord in Mid-Norway.
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel from departure airport to Trondheim airport. Pickup at airport. Transfer to accommodation. Photo stops en route. Dinner at accommodation. Night dive possible.
Day 2: Diving day at the Trondheimfjord. Depending on the tidal period, it may be possible to conduct two dives. A range of dive sites is available. Diving is possible directly next to the accommodations (helmet jellyfish and a few deep-sea corals) or at diving sites that require driving. Night dive among chimaeras. Dinner.
Day 3/4: Two more dives are scheduled. We will decide which diving locations to visit over breakfast. Choices include coral walls, channel edges with an incredible macro life, and, when properly planned, also a lophelia pertusa reef (deep-sea coral reef). Dinner and night dive.
Day 5/6: Today we will devote ourselves to the exploration of dive sites that have not yet been part of our program. We could also check out some entirely new dive sites. We will use a nautical chart to determine these ahead of time. What awaits us in the water is then anyone's guess. It might be well worthwhile but the dive site might also turn out to be a little less interesting Dinner and night dive.
Day 7: Depending on the departure time of the following day's flight, there might be enough time for a morning dive in the fjord. Afterwards, we will dry and pack our equipment and might go on a short photo tour. Dinner.
Day 8: Departure. Transfer to airport and end of tour.
Diving
On this tour we will visit various dive sites. Most of the dives, or maybe even all of them will proceed from the shore. It can be demanding to get in and out of the water. Stones on the beach can be slippery, and waves (in the surf zone) might be challenging. Divers who suffer from knee problem or whose physical fitness is limited might not be able to join these dives.
Even when arranging the diving activities in slack water, (strong) currents must be expected. Some dives on this trip will be night dives and will take place in total darkness. Every diver has to bring a dive torch, as well as a backup light! The dive torch should be taken on every dive.
Maximum depths for most dives are 30 m (100 ft), and can increase to 40 m (130 ft) only if we dive along the Lophelia reefs. Visibility varies from 5 to 20 m (17 to 65 ft). The water in the Trondheimfjord is dark, caused by a thick (1 to 4 meters or 3 to 12 ft), dark-brown layer of fresh water covering the “clear” sea water. This is also one of the reasons why there are so many deep-water species in shallow waters here. We strongly recommend using a dry suit for diving.
We provide steel tanks with DIN double valves (200 bar) and a volume of 10, 12, or 15 liters as well as lead weight in different sizes. Oxygen equipment in case of diving emergencies is available during the whole trip.
The water temperature is around 8 to 12°C (46 to 54°F).
Weather
Late summer and fall are a period of transition into the Scandinavian winter. It is very difficult to forecast weather conditions. First snow on the mountains is possible, as well as “warm” summer temperatures. On average we expect 0 to 4°C (32 to 40°F) at night and 6 to 12°C (43 to 54°F) during the day. Along the coast it is slightly warmer than inland. We have to expect wind and rain. From October on, daylight time decreases noticeably every day.
Tour members who tend to suffer from seasickness should bring relevant medication such as pills or chewing gum. Tour members must bring their own warm and weather-resistant clothing and shoes. Please transport all sensitive equipment such as cameras in water-resistant and shock-resistant bags or cases. All participants are responsible for their equipment for the entire duration of their journey!
