Dive with
Best places to dive with Arctic Char
Salvelinus alpinus
A cold-water freshwater and anadromous char, and the only fish divers are likely to encounter in Silfra. Operators report Arctic char entering the fissure mainly during the August–September spawning period. A resident dwarf form lives deeper in Silfra year-round but is rarely seen. Brown trout and sticklebacks live in Þingvallavatn but are not reported inside the fissure.
Destinations ranked by how reliably arctic char is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Not a reason to book. Sightings are incidental — the dwarf char stay deep and dark, and the larger Arctic char come in from the lake mostly around the August–September spawning period. Most divers see no fish at all.