Scuba Diving Between North America and Europe (Epic Journey Iceland)

Ever since I lived in Iceland back in middle school, I've always wanted to scuba dive between the North American and Euroasian tectonic plates.  A top 10 dive spot in the world, Silfra is known for its infinite visibility and stunning rock formations.
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I'd like to give a huge shout-out and thank you to Dive.is for sponsoring this dive and Episode #7 of Epic Journey Around The World.  They're the #1 dive shop in Iceland, and I highly recommend diving with them when you come to Iceland.  Nothing is better than diving with a company that has top-quality gear, friendly staff, and access to incredible dive locations.  Visit www.dive.is to book your scuba diving experience!

Scuba Diving Silfra – In Between The North American & Eurasian Tectonic Plates

When most people think of scuba diving, their minds usually wonder to the Caribbean or Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  Not many people would even think about scuba diving in Iceland, but thanks to www.dive.is this is a reality.  There aren't many places on the planet where you can dive with infinite visibility, let alone between to continents.

After a 45 minute bus ride from Reykjavik, you pull up to þingvellir national park.  This is where the North American and Eurasian continental plates are being split apart by the most active volcanic area in the world.  In the park there are many hiking paths, water falls, and what seems to be a crack down the middle of the earth.  The sheer cliff walls separating the tectonic plates are surreal.

 Eating Rotten Shark & Getting Rescued On A Volcano

In the spirit of honoring their Viking heritage, Icelandic folks like to eat traditional food .  One popular option is fermented (or rotten) shark.  They take a Greenland Shark, bury it in the ground for a few weeks, then slice it up and hang it in a shack to rot for about 6-8 months.  It tastes exactly how it sounds.

Iceland is one of the most active volcanic hot spots in the world, and it hosts dozens of great mountains for climbing and hiking.  After backpacking part of the Appelatian Trail and trekking through the Hemalayas in Bhutan, I'm always looking for an opportunity to scale a mountain.

One important thing to remember about Iceland is that the weather can change on a dime.  My wife Nikki and I were setting off on a day climb on a volcano close to Reykjavik.  What looked like a sunny day quickly turned into a blizard after we had started our ascent up the mountain.

Thankfully, there were two amazing Icelanders who helped us successfully get up the mountain.  They gave Nikki ice clamps for her feet, which kept her from sliding off the side of a very slippery cliff face. The key lesson here is to be prepared for any any all weather conditions.  As the saying goes, “if you don't like the weather in Iceland, just wait 15 minutes and it will be completely different”.