Norway – Lofoten islands

 

Lofoten islands constitute a crescent-shaped archipelago located north of the Arctic Circle and surrounded by the Norwegian Sea. Glacier and tectonic movements shaped a landscape whose beauty dazes at first sight. The sea is crystal clear, it is Atlantic, after all. Gulf Stream carries warm, fertile water from the south that provides for milder climate and creates ideal conditions for the development of underwater world. It features beautiful forests of brown algae that, at least according to some divers, offer as fascinating views as a coral reef.

 

 

Even the very journey to Lofoten was an adventure. First we reached Gdañsk, where we boarded a night ferry to Nynashamn, and then crossed Sweden all the way to Norway. Caution! Remember to leave your Polish driver's mentality at home. Exceeding the limits by 1 kilometer per hour only will cost you a 100 krone fine! By driving just 10 km/h over the limit we scored a fine of 500 zlotys - that's around 120 euro!

We had 800 kilometers of Swedish highway ahead, leading from Sundsvall to Umea, where we entered tundra and crossed the border of Norway. From the car's window we could observe the wild nature and lakes outside. The views were simply stunning. The sights were so memorable that we are sure of a return visit to Norway. It was getting late, almost 11 p.m., but it was still light outside. It was our first polar day. This incredible experience caused many running jokes of the expedition (for example questions such as: who's going for a night dive? when does the night liquor store open?). And try to explain to a four-year old that it's the middle of night and he should go to sleep. The poor child will treat his parents as divorced from reality.

 

 

We left the highway behind and entered the tundra. Not a living soul anywhere, and not even a bird cry either. The landscape was filled with dwarfish trees with reindeer strolling in a manner redolent of Polish cows. The kids were given a mission to count all the road signs. They spotted 54 "beware of moose" signs. We crossed the Norwegian border without even registering the fact. Only the colors of village name signs changed. The sun was still shining. I cannot truly describe just how extraordinary the view was, in the middle of the night with calm weather. We passed the industrial city of Mo i Rana and once again we traveled through the wilderness. About 6 o'clock we reached the Arctic Circle. We paddled in the snow like small children. It might be June, but we were knees deep in white down. We were tired, but fascinated. 

If you cross mountains at night in the arctic regions, you should take into consideration difficulties in gas filling. The further north you travel, the less gas stations open 24/7 there are. One should remember that the gas pumps at the stations accept only 20, 50 and 100 krone notes. Obviously, you can also pay by credit card. 

 

 

The ferry from Skutvik sets off at 11 a.m. By 1 p.m. we were already in Svolvaer on Lofoten. We stayed at Lingvaerstua Camping near Kabelvag. The views were simply stunning. Our cabin was located on a hill, by the sea. Seen from a window, the water was azure. On the horizon we could see the mountains, as the air visibility in this spot was simply unmatched. Air temperature was 25 degrees C, while the water was crispy 8 degrees C.

In the evening (well, as far as it can be called so, what with the light) several adventurers set off for a fishing trip. An hour later, they returned with a bucket of codfish and pollocks. The fish had to be scaled, then fried... yummy. It became our everyday meal: fried or smoked codfish, codfish soup, codfish sauce, codfish stew and even a cake, but this time of halibut. Soon we had quite enough of fish.We started longing for Polish-style pork chops or cabbage stew. Fishing does not require a lot of experience. The only necessity is sturdy equipment, as the sizes of some of the fish caught there are truly legendary. The first rule of fishing is easy: the further you take the boat, the bigger the fish you'll catch. Usually, codfish bait has no time to sink, as it's already bitten.

 

 

We organized most of our dives ourselves. We were familiar with the area, as it wasn't our first vacation there. We had our own compressor, while a small motor boat was rented locally. Lofoten have some of the most shallow fjords in Norway, therefore most dives take place at 20 meters, though some sites allow for exploration down to 40 meters and deeper.

 

We started at Olderfjord. It was located a 15-minute drive from our accommodations. The location is very picturesque, as the fjord is closed off from the north and in the south it is connected with the watery masses surrounding the archipelago. We searched for a good place to enter the water. Eventually, we found a beautiful green meadow that gently sloped towards the sea. We parked our cars and took in the view. Soon, the owner of a nearby cottage arrived. As it turned out, we were now at his private property; still the guy, like all the locals, was good-natured and had no problems with us diving there. Later on, we discovered that our host was a natural healer, well known in the area. Apparently, he had potential students and patients coming from all over the world. Well, in case of any health problems we knew where to look for help.

 

 

We had four dives at this spot. At first our experience was similar to diving a Polish lake, but soon we discovered something unusual, i.e. sea stars, which were completely different from kinds seen in other parts of the world. We were amazed by their variety. We spotted three-armed sea stars, as well as specimens which had fourteen of them. Their colors attracted our eye: against the gray backdrop of the fjord's bed, they simply looked otherworldly. After an intense photo session, we swam on. Not a long way away, we spotted massive sea anemones growing on the rocks, as white as polar bears. It was the only site we managed to see specimen of such size; the same was also the case for a man-sized wolf-fish, which we left some 5 meters behind. What a fabulous beast! There was no way to win a wolf-fish to speargun encounter. Watching the creature's massive teeth, we almost felt as if we were in a cage attacked by a large white shark. This fjord also held many medusas and black-lip pearl oysters, as well as sea slugs and several kinds of crab, while the coastline featured a forest of brown algae. The sight, however, did not resemble the massive groves of algae or bladder wrack known from numerous photos. To grow to such large proportions, algae require good exchange of fresh water, which is made difficult by this fjord's shape. Water temperature by the surface amounted to 12 degrees C, while the bottom temperature was 6 degrees C.

 

 

Our subsequent dives took us to the wreck of the MS Hamburg, which sank during the wartime activities on 4th March 1941 in the port of Svolvaer, the capital of the Lofoten. It was an extraordinary dive, for normal ferry traffic as well as port activities were uninterrupted. Among that bustle we went under and swam underwater towards the wreck. Its location was easy, as the site was clearly marked by a well-visible buoy. Just plot your route on the compass and you can't miss the 120-meter wreck. Water clarity was lower in the port, but the giant wreck still provided us with many attractions. We approached the vessel by a rocky ridge that collided with the ship. At her deepest point, the wreck descends to 25 meters, but below the 18 level the water clarity falls below 10 meters, therefore we circled the vessel without reaching the maximum depth. The wooden deck and steel hull are located on the starboard. Quite a lot of interesting equipment items have been preserved until this day, such as: big reels, anchor lift, bull-eye windows, etc. The ever-present pollocks posed for photos in each part of the wreck, while the massive cargo bays seemed to invite visitors. Well, maybe next time, even though the wreck's inside is handrailed, as attested by dive lines affixed outside.

 

 

On the same day we drove off in search of an ideal site for another dive. We had a professional batimetric map with us. It provided us with information on places of steep descent, that is wall sites with clear water. In this way we found one of the best diving spots explored during our expedition, i.e. Ostenfjord near the town of Stordalen. It is located some 10 km north east from Svolvaer. We drove along the coast, with the sea on our left. According to the map, by the road there should have been a small beach with a wall descending to 54 meters. Without a second thought, we decided to search for that site. And we found it! The sandy beach could be easily accessed in the car. We entered the water from the south, but had to swim a bit on the surface to the east in order to reach the edge of the underwater canyon. The distance to the bottom increased dramatically. We observed the magnificent underwater meadows that hid codfish, pollocks and halibuts. We spotted several kinds of sea slugs. The rock formations were composed like stairs. We descended to 40 meters, where the water was so stunningly clear that we returned to the spot many times. As we looked down, we could see the dark abyss below. If anyone has experienced diving in the Hañcza lake, then they know the feeling, but here the water clarity is 35 m.

 

 

On the next day we decided to explore the eastern side of the Svolvaer port. Behind the stone jetty, there is another wreck, this time of the MS Fram, a cargo ship which sank in 1976 during stormy weather. In this case we needed detailed directions. Our plan was thorough: half-way down the jetty there were concrete stairs leading to water. We chose the place to go under. Swimming at the 130o or 150o course we arrived at the wreck. First we noticed the large boilers, then the rest of the well-preserved hull. The wreck rests at the maximum depth of 32 meters. Even though we dived in the vicinity of the port, the water visibility exceeded 20 m. On the north side of the vessel, there was a large rubble of rocks that probably caused the collision. We were surrounded by many fishing nets. Diving here required caution; still, we could observe the wide variety of local maritime fauna. Some 30 m away from the stern of the MS FRAM, there lies another wreck. It is a fishing boat that is very well-preserved and rests on the keel. During the ascent we noticed magnificent meadows of brown algae, growing from the level of 10 meters upwards, which were inhabited by large numbers of fish. Under the algae, crabs and slugs were hiding. You need well-trained eyes to notice anything in the lush greenery.

 

 

During low tide, the local waters show tops of rocks that have not been studied, but are usually marked by long metal sticks. We called such spots "spires". Diving there is possible only after arriving at the site by boat. Depending on the tide, we jumped into the water and either descended 2-3 meters to reach the spire or stood on it, with water lapping at your knees. Our excursion by boat started from the islet of Spandene, whose location was the closest from the road. The passage took about 10 minutes. The naked rocks of the northern side of the island were uninteresting, while the southern side was overgrown with brown algae and populated by sea slugs, crabs, wolf-fish and sun-reflecting pollocks. From the latter side, the wall descended to 26 meters, while the previous came down to 22 meters. Further down, there was nothing but sandy bed that sometimes featured flatfish or codfish, lazily swimming past.

 

 

We took a break from diving in order to explore the area and venture further towards the Atlantic. It took us an hour's drive to reach the ocean. There was no land further north, only the North Pole. A small fishing port that became lethargic after the end of the codfish season. There was no one around, apart from noisy gulls that built their nests on jetties.

 

We decided to enter the water to experience an Atlantic dive. We were attracted by underwater meadows visible from the port. It turned out to be a bad idea, but still we gained some more experience. The site was shallow, with the maximum depth of 6 meters, at least that we managed to find. Add significant waves to that, and you end up with an unsuccessful dive. Still, we did find at the spot huge numbers of hermit crabs. It almost seemed as if the sea bed moved. If you fished out several shells, you ended up with 20 or so crabs in your hand.

 

 

The next site was the islet of Spandete, near Spandene. Like the previous spot, this one was also overgrown by a forest of algae. The island rock descended to 32 meters; further down there was only sand. Even at 20 meters we felt the waves. That worried us, as most creatures escape such conditions by going deeper. On ascent we heard a seal, which must have been resting somewhere close.

 

 

We visited the most interesting sites with the local diving center called LofoDykk. We experienced memorable drift diving in the vicinity of Troli fjord. That picturesque, though very narrow fjord does not betray what awaits beneath the water. We dived in pairs. The strong current immediately snatched us for an underwater adventure. First meters in the drift, we noticed colonies of fish swimming either with or against the current, but that was a sight, which we had already grown accustomed to. All the rocks at the bottom were overgrown by soft, colorful sea anemones. Along with bladder wrack, they swayed with the fast water current. The bottom was populated by flatfish, wolf-fish and many-armed sea stars. After drifting several kilometers, we were raised to the surface. Our fjord was approached by a massive holiday ferry. At first we thought that the vessel would never squeeze in between the steep walls of the fjord. We saw holiday-makers waving at us, while sipping drinks or frolicking in swimming pools, all behind glass walls. Keeping a strong hold of the rock, we waited for the ferry to depart. First the bow wave thrust us against the rocks, then the water tried to take us to the middle of the fjord. As soon as the surface water calmed down, we continued our dive. It should be noted that for all dives the pairs were equipped with a buoy and line. Under the water, the line divided into two, connecting both participants. Taking into account the speed of the current, it was the only solution that could guarantee safe diving. Without it, diving partners would have lost sight of each other. This narrow fjord, through which millions of liters of sea water flew within a couple of hours, provided for an extraordinary experience. Some of us even decided that these sites were much more interesting than the Egyptian ones.

After a mad adventure in the drift, on the way back we decided to see one of the most famous and beautiful fjords, called Troli. The view was simply indescribable. Some of us were almost in tears upon observing the magnitude of the landscape. Some believed that it was the most beautiful spot they had ever seen! Against the backdrop of snowy mountains, two eagles were circling above us, reminding us that we were intruders.

 

 

On the next day we once again departed in search for new dive sites. With the help of our reliable batimetric map, we made our way to Sildpollneset at Austenfjord. The end of the tip is graced by a picturesque small church. 

What looked good from the surface, turned out to be one of the most beautiful dive sites we explored during the expedition. The small tip cutting into the land suggested that the rock may go deep. Snow falling one day before left the mountain tops decorated in white. Even though it was the second part of June. The glorious sunny weather and gorgeous scenery could touch the hearts of even the toughest guy. Diving in a new spot provided us with many attractions. But first we had to reach a small islet located about 40 meters from the shore. We started our descent from there. In some places, the wall descended almost vertically. It was overgrown with large numbers of bladder wrack, brown algae and other plants we were not familiar with. We descended to 30 meters, where we were welcomed by several wolf-fish. We chased them around to ensure a good photo. The most interesting sight of the dive were the remains of large fish, codfish probably, which for inexplicable reasons were found in large numbers at this spot. We theorized that the fish might have dropped from fishing nets. The waters between the islet and the shore are only several meters deep. With good sun exposure, we felt as if we were in Croatia. The sea bottom was rich with large round violet stones. We still speculate whether those were not some coral form.

 

 

Before the end of our expedition, we dived the "spire" located between the town of Henningsvaer and Lyngsvaer. We left the boat in the middle of a large pool, standing in knee-high water. In this spot, the rock descended to the depth of 32 meters. Probably due to a change in the current, we didn't see many fish there, but the spot featured the most beautiful underwater meadow we'd seen during all our dives in the Svolvaer area.

 

Water temperature in Lofoten was far from mild. Only a few of us had dry suits, but with proper preparation (hood, gloves and boots with double closures) divers in wet suits could stay under the water for up to 1.5 hours. It is important not to forget that you are north of the Arctic Circle.

For adrenaline-junkies, the Lofoten islands offer speargun diving for wolf-fish. In Norway, the underwater fauna is so rich that no permits or fees are required in virtue of fishing or hunting. That is why some of us made spearguns a part of their diving equipment. Wolf-fish not only looks scary, it can also fight. To catch one, you must be skillful, vigilant and maintain constant distance from the fish. Still, its meat is very delicate and different in taste from the generally popular codfish.

 

 

Our expedition was spent pleasantly on diving, relaxation and sight-seeing. The only problem related to our stay on Lofoten was biological clock completely out-of-synch and a disturbed sense of time. A late-night talk during supper would last until 2 a.m., finished only because someone remembered to look at the time. Windows had to be covered at night, and at first it was difficult to fall asleep. But you could get used to it. There was one big advantage, though: at night you didn't have to wake everyone up by simply turning on the light while going to the bathroom.

At last we returned home. No, that didn't sound right. We had to go back. We returned by the same route that seemed to be just as fascinating on the second round. We couldn't help to stop in the middle of the night to take a memorable photo of red and purple clouds reflected in the mirror of the water. Our hearts were fed with energy that we couldn't find anywhere else; despite fatigue related to the long drive, we still kept our eyes on the passing landscapes. We still managed to spot several reindeer before entering the more civilized areas of Sweden. Finally we reached the port; it was time for setting off and falling asleep in your cabin. However, some of us still had the strength to visit a pub and a disco. 

The great charm of the Lofoten islands will ensure our each year's return. The season starts in the middle of June; from that moment the prices only go up. In May, there is still snow on the roads, while after the season, in September, the day is becoming shorter and shorter. The local dive sites are numerous, allowing everybody to find something interesting. It is recommended to try the local LofoDykk diving center at least once. The price is rather steep (at approx. PLN 150, that is about 36 euro, per one dive), but at least you can be sure to see the most interesting sites in the area, which would be otherwise inaccessible.

 

 

Prepared by: Rudi Stankiewicz, photo: Rudi Stankiewicz