the whole plateau of ice is liſted up and dropped again at low tide. Underwater we again noticed the effects of this tidal movement on the ice. During our first dive we found some narrow overhangs near the edge of the island, while during our second dive these overhangs had disappeared completely because of the fact that the ice had dropped. At some places the current of the sea had polished the sharp edges of the ice blocks and big plates of ice, creating rounded forms. Here the colour of the ice varied from white to almost green, but the sunlight tends to brings out different colours in the water every minute. Tat day our favourite canteen cabin was not available for lunch – instead we were taken by snowmobile to an old fisherman’s hut, a primitive house, but one which was certainly very charming. It was as if we had gone back a hundred years in time. Every day, in between dives,


there was more than enough time to enjoy the beauty of the nature around us. A litle walk around the dive site was certainly worthwhile, yet when you walk around on land you become aware of a new challenge... Te layers of snow there can be so thick that you could find yourself buried waist deep in the snow. Aſter a number of days of


diving at the Polar Dive Circle it was time to move on to another dive centre – Nereis. Tis dive hotel, in a white environment, stands in fairy-tale like surroundings. Most of the dives we did with them were close to the dive hotel – the advantage was that we could warm up in between dives at the hotel. We were once again taken by snowmobiles to the dive sites, and what is striking over here is the different colour of the water compared to what we saw during our first days of diving. Te water in the bay of Nereis was a golden brown colour, which was also reflected in the ice. Te sunlight further enhances the mysterious nature of the environment. All dives here were done beneath a rocky area in the bay, which meant that we


encountered a maze of different ice blocks underwater. As we kept on enjoying the


mysterious environment when diving under the ice, we also took our time to enjoy the rest of the underwater life. On the rocky botom we found enormous amounts of kelp, and of course, a lot of anemones known from the colder parts of the world. In the water column we regularly found small jellyfish – some were totally transparent, whereas others had a more pink-red hue. Te cold water also does not disturb the nudibranchs and starfish – many of them could be found on the rocks and kelp leaves. On the days when we went


diving a bit further from the dive centre, we again used the well-known wooden cabins on the ice to change warmly. And at lunchtime we again used the wooden cotages used by fishermen in the summer. Te days in Russia were quite sunny, making life pleasant outside. One day though the sun really let us down and we had to cope with a strong wind – as a result the temperature dropped to -10 to -15 below zero, yet with the wind chill factor, this felt even colder. Aſter having done our dive it was advisable to go into the heated cabin at once. Aſter only a few minutes, even our BCD had frozen to our tank! We did the last dive of our


trip near the centre of Nereis. In the harbour a ship lies surrounded by ice – we doubted whether the fact that the ship was fully surrounded by ice would benefit us, but it made for good diving. Te propeller sits, unemployed in the water, waiting for the weather to warm up. Because of the rust coming off the ship, the water in the ship’s immediate surrounds is almost brown.


Aſter a week and a half of ice


diving it was time to make the trip home again. We enjoyed our last evening in the sauna and then it was time to return to Moscow. We can look back on an impressive trip and a lot of beautiful dives – it was a trip that will stay in our memory for a long, long time!


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