The meltwater forms layers of saltwater and freshwater which amplify the interplay of light and colour. Only a few scuba diving tourists have as yet taken advantage of the opportunity to experience this cold paradise, in which the water has a temperature close to freezing point. One day you're diving with the icebergs, the next day exploring a wreck, the third on walls of rock teeming with life of every colour. Or how about meeting humpback whales or a herd of seals in their natural element?

Infinite visibility

Above the water, Greenland is one of the world's most beautiful countries - whilst below the surface it offers some of the most unspoilt and impressive opportunities for diving anywhere in the oceans of the world. Visibility in the clean water is almost infinite, and better than in the tropics. The flora and fauna is lush and diverse, and a dive will typically enable you to see several species of fish, including the Atlantic wolf-fish and lumpfish. There are forests of sugar wrack with leaves up to 4-6 metres long. There are bright red sea cucumbers, sea urchins, crabs, starfish and sea anemones. There are shoals of cod. If you wish, you can pick scallops and take them home for dinner.

Wreck dives

North of the Arctic Circle there are several easily accessible shipwrecks, which, apart from their fascinating external details and highly-coloured fauna and flora, are easy to get into. Unusually, only a few people have actually dived down to them, thus the ship in question's cargo and equipment remain generally intact from the day it sank. "Borgin", for instance, is a triple mast wooden schooner which sank in 1954 with the hold full of salted fish. Today she's lying upright at a depth of 26 metres with two of her masts almost reaching the surface. It's possible to dive into the crew's quarters with its bunks, clothes and washing facilities. A Portuguese prison ship is another well-preserved wreck, which also lies at a depth of 26 metres. The rig's in good condition and, in particular, two large hatches and the wheelhouse with its wooden helm and steps are well worth a closer look.

Current diving at 5 - 7 knots

Several locations are ideal for current dives at speeds that exceed most people's experience. The crew and instructors responsible for the diving trip combine narrow stretches of currents, such as at "Avalleq", with the tides, thus enabling you to experience a dive in currents of five to seven knots. You might as well not bother trying to hold onto anything, because you'll be travelling pretty fast. Just concentrate on your buoyancy and enjoy the ride.

Unique diving in the midnight sun

The best time of year for diving in Greenland is from March until September, with good chances of ice diving in March and April. The period above is characterised by a high number of daylight hours, and north of the Arctic Circle there's midnight sun from May through to July. Whatever you choose, you can be pretty sure that you're the first person in your immediate circle of friends and acquaintances who's ever dived here.

Read more about diving locations, requirements and courses, as well as opportunities for tech-dives, equipment hire, live-aboard diving and package holidays including flights at Tropic Ice Dive.