Pictures and text by Erling  Svensen

I am not without a little quivering in my body. Nervous trembling and exitement strike me as I stand there holding on to my camera. Vebjørn Karlsen has invited me to dive in the strongest whirlpool in the world. He has made many dives here before and says that it is possible without large problems.

He jumps first. The water is almost calm - between ebb and flow. The snow covers the mountains and the sun has returned from the hiding place of the winter. I jump out in the air and splash down along the cliff that reaches down more than 60 meters. We signal OK before I follow Vebjørn into the deep. The place where we are diving is called Bakevja. By outgoing stream the waters rotate at this point. This makes it possible to dive even at stronges outgoing stream.

It is very different when the stream is incoming - the enormous stream directly hits the rock and presses downwards. It looks like chaos at the surface and could be fatal even for large boats.

We slide downwards into the deep. The visibility is close to 40 meters. At approximately 40 meters' depth the colours change. The white dominates. Anemones and fungi cover the rocks and not even a square inch is spared. We stop and enjoy the impressive view of rough nature and fabulous wildlife. A lumpsucker rests on a ledge. We slide up a few meters. At approximately 35 meters the colours change to all the colours of the rainbow - and a few more. Even the Red Sea would have problems showing a similar amount of flora. The camera is frequently used and I suddenly remember that it only contains a 36 exposure film. Under such conditions I could easily use 100 pictures - and more.
 

I study the life closely. Sea anemones and horse mussels are the primary vegetation. On top of these species lives most of the life the biological books tells about. I turn around and glance into the water catching a glimpse of coalfish in large amounts - eating what is passing by. Saltstraumen is also an El Dorado for anglers. In the summer season many fish are drawn out of the sound. Recently a new world record for coalfish was set when a large whopper of almost 30 kilos was landed by the inlet.

Vebjørn waves at me. Between two stones lie two large lumpsuckers - one of my favourite subjects. I just get 3 pictures before the lumpsuckers escape over the edge and down into deep waters. We are now at 15 meters' depth and a forest of seaweed meets us. Enormous kelpstalks bear witness of how the seaweed has to struggle to avoid being swept at the top of the tide. Amongst the seaweed lie hundreds of spoon baits showing the intensity of the fishing through the summer time.

The computer shows that we have been diving for a hard half hour. The stream is getting stronger. I continue to look for new subjects. We are out of Bakevja (bakevja meens: rotating water). The biology has changed to large deadmanhands corals, large numbers of mussels, seacucumber and bread-spong. The colours are impressive but slightly moderate. I find a beautiful nudibranch in the grooved rock. Incredible that such an animal is able to survive in such a place. Maybe it seeks shelter in the grooves. The rock looks like a pile of slates - excavated by the stream over thousands of years.

Vebjørn signals from the cliff. A large pothole passes straight through the rock. It is more than 5 meter high and wide enough for a person to swim through it. I am impressed.

The dive comes to an end. As I break the surface a white-tailed eagle glides above me. What a impressive wildlife - above and beneath the surface. The dive has ended - but the memories will last forever.