SNORKELING THE SILFRA FISSURE
“Sometimes later becomes never, do it now”
We have decided to seize the day………today we will snorkel the Silfra Fissure, a fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Thingvellir National park.
Silfra is right where the two continents meet and drift apart about 2 cm per year, the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly in a crack between two tectonic plates.
“And then I realized, adventure was the best way to learn”
Adorned with our dry suits, we entered the freezing 2 degree Celsius water, filled with glacial meltwater from the nearby Landjokull glacier.
I was feeling excited and apprehensive at the same time. We followed the guide, along a short path to the entry point. But as soon as we entered the water, my fears melted away. The amazing underwater visibility revealed rock formations that were just incredible. At the deepest, the fissure goes over 200 feet deep, or let’s just say, so deep that it’s impossible to see the bottom! It was a strange feeling as the water on my slightly exposed palms and nose felt freezing, while against my body, I barely felt the moisture or coldness. I had never heard of a drysuit before and was impressed with its function.
We slowly glided along and as the sunlight streamed through the crack and changed the sub-aquatic landscape to magical green and blue colors, I marveled at the feeling of transformation that overcame me, as if I was transported to a completely different universe.
“Feel the fear and do it anyway”- Susan Jeffers
We were lucky to have a bright and sunny day so walking back to the start point after our adventure was not the freezing proposition I had imagined. Although I like adventures, I almost always have to talk myself out of fear and into the ‘brave’ zone. Sometimes this self-talk works and sometimes not. Having snorkeled in multiple tropical locations, I realized that my fear was mainly the water temperature and the awkward suit, once I decided to look beyond those two, it was smooth sailing. Sure, am glad I did it! An experience to remember ……..