Marine biology week - Northern Explorers

Norway: Marine biology week

Gallery "Marine biology week"

During this marine biology week, we will devote ourselves entirely to the secrets of the underwater world. Our focus will of course be on the North Sea and the North Atlantic, because aside from fascinating evening lectures, we will use the daytime hours to explore various marine habitats.

Dives starting from a boat will let us explore wrecks, kelp forests, canyons, seagrass meadows, and shallow sandy lagoons. There is a special habitat for every kind of dweller. It would be great if tour members also captured their observations on camera for later use during the lectures. We could use them to point out the special features of the dive sites and their ecological roles.

We are happy to announce that marine biologist and underwater photographer Uli Kunz will join us as tour guide. His accounts are as entertaining and informative as they are practice-oriented. This is a diving tour with as much potential for adventure as for interesting background information!

Highlights

Different interesting dive sites and habitats every day
North Atlantic kelp (laminaria) forests
Mysterious ship wrecks as artificial reefs
Richly varied macro life
Spotting various sharks and rays is possible
Spotting various deepsea fish species is possible
Exploratory workshops with marine biologist and scientific diver Uli Kunz
Practice-oriented tips for taking underwater pictures
Examination of samples collected during the dives
Often we spot moose, white-tailed eagle (sea eagle) and whales
Fall landscapes in magnificent colors
Northern lights (Aurora borealis) are possible
Typical Norwegian dishes

Tour price/Services

Price per person
2.450 Euro

Tour price INCLUDES the following services:

Airport transfer
All accommodation in twin rooms, incl. breakfast and dinner (single rooms free of charge, if available!)
All diving excursions (incl. cylinders/tanks, air, and weights)
Non limit diving at the house reef
All workshops and lectures
English-speaking support
All local transfers and land excursions
Northern lights tours (subject to weather and sun activity!)
Travel planning assistance

Tour price EXCLUDES the following services:

Getting here / flights (incl. possible overnight stopovers)
Single room (if available: see above)
Any additional activities
Alcoholic beverages
Insurance

Getting here

Guests usually arrive in Trondheim by plane via Oslo, Copenhagen or Amsterdam. There are also direct flights from some other European airports. We will meet you at Trondheim airport Værnes.

During the summer and fall,weather-related flight delays and cancellations are rare.

We will gladly provide you with additional information to current flight schedules and fares.

Also (for guests from Europe) it is possible to travel by car. There are various travel routes via Denmark and Sweden (ferry or toll bridge) or by ferry from Germany. However, you have to expect a ten-hour drive from Oslo to our base at the Namsfjord in Mid-Norway.

Itinerary

Day 1: Travel from departure airport to Trondheim airport. Pickup at airport. Settling into accommodation. Dinner.

Day 2: After breakfast, we will get the diving equipment ready and start with a few dives in the proximity of the accommodations. As of today, night dives will be possible every evening. Dinner. Introductory lecture.

Day 3: Today's schedule includes a wreck and a steep rock face. A lot of fish and other sea creatures inhabit the wreck. The thick vegetation of anemones along the rock face is particularly impressive. Dinner, lecture, and night dive.

Day 4: Second diving day in the fjord. Today, we will dive among underwater cliffs and mixed ocean floor sediment to explore marine life. Upon request, we can also dive among another exciting wreck. Here, the walls of the ship's hulls are completely overgrown with peacock worms. Dinner and lecture. Night dive possible.

Day 5: We will now begin to explore the coast. For this excursion, we will start from another harbor that we can reach after a 15-minute drive. From here, a boat will take us to extensive kelp forests and deep canyons within just a few minutes. Dinner and lecture. Night dive possible.

Day 6: After breakfast, we will return to the coast to explore the underwater world and its denizens. We will dive at two sites that we didn't visit on the previous day and will collect samples for more detailed study under a microscope. Dinner and lecture. Night dive possible.

Day 7: Depending on the departure time of the following day's flight, there might be enough time for a morning dive in the fjord. Afterwards, we will dry and pack our equipment. We will use the remaining time for lectures and the examination of samples under the microscope. Dinner.

Day 8: Departure day. Transfer to airport and end of tour.

Diving

On this tour we will visit various dive sites. Every diver who wants to join us for the night dives has to bring a dive torch, as well as a backup light!

We provide steel tanks with DIN double valves (200 bar) and a volume of 10, 12, or 15 liters as well as lead weight in different sizes. Oxygen equipment in case of diving emergencies is available during the whole trip.

The water temperature is around 8 to 12°C (46 to 54°F).

Most dives will start from the boat. Currents are rare, but individual dives will take place in darkness. Maximum depth for the dives is 30 m (100 ft). Swells are possible along the coast and in the fjord.

We recommend using a dry suit for all dives.

Weather

Late summer and fall are a period of transition into the Scandinavian winter. It is very difficult to forecast weather conditions. First snow on the mountains is possible, as well as “warm” summer temperatures. On average we expect 0 to 4°C (32 to 40°F) at night and 6 to 12°C (43 to 54°F) during the day. Along the coast it is slightly warmer than inland. We have to expect wind and rain. From October on, daylight time decreases noticeably, every day.

Tour members who tend to suffer from seasickness should bring relevant medication such as pills or chewing gum. Tour members must bring their own warm and weather-resistant clothing and shoes. Please transport all sensitive equipment such as cameras in water-resistant and shock-resistant bags or cases. All participants are responsible for their equipment for the entire duration of their journey!

Practical information

The national language is Norwegian. Most people understand and speak English well.
The currency is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). Prices are high. Credit cards (especially VISA) are generally accepted. Customers are very often asked for a PIN. Currency conversion rates vary on a daily basis. Roughly, 1 € = 8 NOK, 1 £ = 11 NOK and 1 US$ = 7 NOK.
The time zone is Central European Time (GMT + 1).
Vaccinations are not required.
Visa requirements vary by nationality. No visa is required for visitors from the EU or the US.
Electric appliances use standard European voltage (230 V) and plugs (types C and F).
Norwegian custom regulations must be respected, particularly with regard to tobacco and alcohol.
We strongly recommend complete insurance coverage (travel cancellation insurance, diving accident insurance, international health insurance, possibly also baggage insurance and camera equipment insurance).

COVID-19 travel information

The worldwide COVID-19 situation is changing constantly, some countries are opening up for tourism again while others may remain closed for months. Of course, this makes a booking a bit different. In case your trip has been effected, we will inform you. The impact of COVID-19 is a concern to everyone in the travel industry, including us and our local partners. We are working hard to avoid negative effects for your journey as good as possible.

The Covid-19 protection measures are different per destination. Approximately 30 days prior to departure at the latest, we will have a good idea whether a trip will be cancelled or not. Then we will contact you from the moment we have more information.

What happens if my trip with Northern Explorers gets cancelled?

In case we need to cancel your trip due to COVID-19 measures, you can rebook your trip to the next year. Your deposit will be transferred to the trip, and we will send you a new invoice reflecting your new dates. We will inform you about the options to cancel or change your booking.

What happens if the journey can't take place due to corona measures?

If the trip can’t take place due to corona measures, there are two options:

1. The travel date will be postponed to a date in 2022.
2. The trip will be cancelled by us and you will receive a voucher to use for booking a new trip.

If you cancel the trip yourself, our normal cancellation policy applies. Please note that additional products (e.g. flights, hotels and other excursions) are excluded from above conditions.

How does Northern Explorers handle preventive and hygiene measures during the trip?

The safety and well-being of our guests and crew continues to be our top priority. We are in regular exchange with our partners regarding regular updates about the specific measures that will be taken to ensure your health and safety.

Do you have a risk-free booking policy?

All existing and new bookings for our 2021 season, will be free to rebook to 2022 season at no costs in case Northern Explorers need to cancel the trips due to the corona virus measures.

What procedures have you put in place for snorkelling activities?

To ensure your health and safety during our snorkelling activities, we recommend to bring your own snorkelling set for use during the trip. All guests keep the same rental equipment (e.g. dry suit) during their entire stay.

Do I need travel insurance?

We always strongly recommend complete insurance coverage (travel cancellation insurance, diving accident insurance, international health insurance, possibly also baggage insurance and camera equipment insurance) also in case of a COVID-19 infection (medical expenses, evacuation, and other expenses).