Saltstraumen is located at the top of Kystriksveien (the Coastal Route), about 30 minutes from Bodø city center. Saltstraumen is known worldwide for its powerful whirlpools, and is considered the world's strongest tidal current. The tide pushes through the narrow and shallow strait under the Saltstraumen bridge on its way in and out of Skjærstadfjorden. This creates the world famous maelstrom with its beautiful whirlpools. The nutrient-rich water that is pushed up from the depths creates a unique fauna and a wonderful rich marine life.
Saltstraumen became one of Norway's first marine protected areas in 2013. If you want to experience Saltstraumen at its strongest, visit us when the moon is full - or new. If you want to take pictures underwater, choose to visit us closer to half moon.
We follow the shoreline, where you can see the kelp fluttering in the current below you, schools of fish, colourful anemones and if you are lucky, a wolffish. We are careful to choose snorkeling places that do not take us out in the big whirlpools, ship lanes or the strongest currents.
Everything you need is included in the price; dry suit, fins, mask, snorkel, hood and gloves. But you must bring warm clothes to wear under the dry suit, such as a layer of wool or two. During the briefing you get information about how the equipment is used, techniques for snorkeling, hand signals, how to get in and out of the boat, safety and a little about the wildlife you will see during snorkeling. A guide is with you in the water, and the boat is always nearby if someone wants to get out of the water before the others.
Recommended lower age 12 years, due to the smallest dry suits we have are adult XXS. You need to have some basic swimming experience.
Contact us to book snorkeling. Our main season is May to October. We need at least 2 people to arrange a trip, and we bring a maximum of 6-8 in the boat.
We accept cards (VISA, Mastercard etc.) or Vipps. We prefer not to take cash.
Priece per person: 1.190 NOK
The snorkeling take 1,5-2 hours
and we spend 45-60 minutter in the water
Here you can experience large schools of pollock, and get in close contact with a large cod that graze in the kelp forest. Meet impressive wolffish face to face. Enjoy the sight of a huge halibut that gracefully sails through the water. Study beautiful nudibranches or colorful anemones, and watch kelp forests dance in the streams.
The strong currents and steep walls make it demanding to dive here. So to dive with us in the Saltstraumen itself, you must be a certified dry suit diver, and master the dry suit well., And preferably be AOW-certified. How demanding the diving is depends on the lunar phase, and how big the difference is at high tide on the day in question.
We are diving from both land and from a boat. All our dive sites are within 1-7 minutes by boat or car. We have one of our best land dives straight from the quay at NORD&NE. To take out the boat, a minimum of 3 divers is needed. We do not take larger groups than 6 guests in the boat.
For beginners or divers who do not have sufficient experience with dry suit, we have a couple of areas outside the strong current, about 15-25 minutes drive away. These are also the places we use for courses, with plenty of underwater life to see there as well.
Saltstraumen is a marine protected area since 2013. Marine protected areas (MPA) are supposed to be free zones where species can grow large and diversity can flourish. They are also supposed to protect vulnerable and unique nature. This is well documented as the best way to ensure that we can harvest food from the sea for generations to come, as it increases catches outside the MPA. It also provides a rich marine life in the protected area, a paradise for divers interested in underwater life.
In Norway, protection of our MPA are weak, as fishing is allowed as before with very few restrictions. These vulnerable areas are exposed to increasingly intense fishing pressure as word quickly spreads around the world that it is actually legal to fish and hunt in Norwegian MPA.
Saltstraumen is one example, where protection has contributed to an ever-increasing numbers of underwater hunters and fishermen, and fish stocks are now rapidly declining. Large spawning cod and halibut in particular have become increasingly rare in what is naturally an oasis of marine life.
Wolffish is the only fish species here that is protected, as a year-round ban on catching wolffish was introduced in August 2024 throughout the Saltstraumen MPA.
Welcome to the Saltstraumen marine park, but respect our desire to take care of diversity. The only things we bring up are experiences and beautiful photos.
