Snorkeling in Iceland

If you were going to snorkel the clearest water in the world, I imagine you think of being on a beautiful white sand beach on some island in the South Pacific or the Caribbean. Turns out one of the most memorable snorkeling experience you can have isn’t even in the southern hemisphere.

Fox 31, a news station in Denver, recently sent their anchors to the Nordic country that rests between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe with an average density of less than eight people per square mile. Swimming in that water seems less than possible, and snorkeling in it doesn’t appear pleasant. But with the right equipment, the anchors of Denver’s Fox 31 were ready for a unique experience.

The crew were outfitted by Arctic Adventures in head to toe extreme wet suits. The suits look like the consisted of a puffy down layer and then a thick rubber suit covering the rest. Heads, hands, and feet were all covered. And when I say the head was covered, I mean there was neoprene across their nose, chin, and forehead, leaving little room for chatting. But I can’t imagine you’d be wanting to do much talking when you’re face first in near freezing water.

The water where Arctic Adventures took the group snorkeling in Iceland originated from a melting glacier about 50 kilometers north. The water doesn’t look that special when viewed from the bank—more like small streams snaking through a meadow. But once they were in the water, the snorkelers were awed by how deep and clear the water was.

Sarah Goransson served as their guide and gave plenty of informative tidbits on camera.

“Some of the water also travels underground…through the lava and it travels for about 50 years until it reaches this lake.”

There are portions of the trenches where you really get to see 250 feet straight down through some of the clearest water in the world. Although there isn't much sea life, the expanse of the view is worth seeing.

Said Goransson, “When you really open your eyes and you see, you know, this is like being in the cleanest aquarium in the whole world.”

I can’t imagine either of the anchors were really relishing the opportunity to get in the frigid water, but both seemed to be overcome by the experience.

“That was like having a discussion with the creator of the planet. That was incredible.”

What do you think? Would you want to snorkel in Iceland?