Welcome to the world ice diving capital In northern Russia you will find the beautiful, inland White Sea. Part of the Arctic Ocean basin, it is rich in marine and bird life. Every winter, Greenland seals make their rookeries in the vast openness. The uninhabited islands teem with bird colonies and the sea is home to whales. Between Autumn and April the sky will often light up with the colours of the Aurora Borealis. Underwater there is a peculiar mixture of temperate and arctic species, with visibility of 30-40 metres, the landscape is magnificent with rock walls plunging into the depths, swaying kelp and ice masses towering on the surface. Cod, wolf-fish, sea perch and butter fish may be encountered along with soft corals, sponges, bright sea anemones, sea stars and huge basket stars, crabs, urchins, and shrimps, plus plankton forms such as Sea Angel Mollusk or big flickering comb jellies which are unique to this area. During the long winter the temperature may fall to minus 40C, and the ice may be 1.5 metres thick. The annual ice diving programs run from mid-February to mid-April. The dive centre used by Dive Worldwide is the only place in Europe and one of the best places in the world where you can experience ice diving in the marine environment. Clear water, the severe natural beauty of the Russian North, the wonderful underwater world, the proximity of the North Pole, a well-found base and experienced instructors, make 'Polar Circle' the world ice diving capital.

itineraries

Russia's White Sea Northern Russia is rich in marine and bird life. Highlights include: the 28-hour wagon-lit journey from Moscow to Chupa and magnificent underwater topography home to Cod, Wolf-fish, corals, sponges a...

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