Silfra “approaching safety limits”

The Silfra fissure at Iceland’s famous Þingvellir is hugely popular among divers and snorkelers – so popular, in fact, that there are worries visitor numbers may be reaching safety limits.

The number of visitors at Silfra is expected to exceed 20,000 this year – four times higher than just five years ago.

“More visitors can lead to greater risk and we are approaching safety limits,” warns Þingvellir national park ranger Ólafur Örn Haraldsson. “The nature in the ravine is delicate and caution must be exercised to ensure it is not damaged and the moss and other vegetation on the banks is not destroyed.”

Silfra is the only place in the worlds where divers and snorkelers can get right into the fissure between two continental plates. The underwater visibility in the Silfra fissure is over 100 m.

Over 20,000 visitors are expected this year. Photo: Einar Á.E.Sæmundsen