Árskógssandur Kelp Forest
Eyjafjörður · Iceland
Dense forests of sugar kelp and oarweed drape the shallow rocky shelves off Árskógssandur village, creating towering green cathedrals that filter the Arctic light into shifting columns. Wolf fish emerge from crevices in the basalt bedrock while schools of Atlantic cod drift languidly through the canopy. The sandy clearings between kelp beds are carpeted with spiny sea urchins, brittle stars, and Iceland scallops in extraordinary densities.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 22 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 20 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
1 to 13°C
Drysuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Common Eider
Last confirmed Apr 1, 2026 · 32 records
Very likely
Most dives
Northern Fulmar
Last confirmed May 27, 2026 · 27 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Atlantic Cod
Last confirmed Aug 2, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Black Guillemot
Last confirmed May 27, 2026 · 9 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Black-Tailed Godwit
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 16 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Atlantic Wolf Fish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Common Sea Urchin
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Lumpsucker
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear