Gardur

Gardur is one of the most popular dive sites in Iceland and is a shore dive in the ocean near Keflavik International Airport, about an hour’s drive south of Reykjavik. This fantastic dive site contains numerous species of colorful algae, which act as a food source for all manner of marine animals. It’s great for macro, but also has some kelp forests sheltering wolffish, flatfish, monkfish, and scorpionfish. You will also see cod, pollock, and maybe some Atlantic herring. Keep your eye on the blue while you’re macro hunting and a humpback or minke whale might swim past. It’s technically possible to see orcas, sperm, fin, sei, or blue whales. But it is pretty unlikely, as the site is no more than 60 feet (18m) deep. Dive in Gardur between May and September, as the winter is usually too windy for calm seas. Open-water certification is adequate, but drysuit qualification is preferred.

Location: Suðurnesjabær, Iceland