Tour

The Arctic Circle PADI Dive Centre is the only place in Europe and one of the best places in the world to discover sea ice diving. The White Sea: the only sea in Europe that freezes every year. Clear water, natural beauty of the Russian north, the wonderful underwater world, a well-found base and experienced instructors, make the Arctic Circle the world’s ice diving capital.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Fantastic underwater ice formations, caverns and fissures. Exquisite underwater environment: soft corals, sea anemone beds, Gorgon’s head, brittle stars, hermit crabs, numerous starfish, mussel farms and seaweed forests, underwater cliffs and their inhabitants, seals and Beluga whales, aurora borealis.
ACTIVITIES:
Ice-diving safari and snowmobile rides to dives at the mobile ice camp, snorkelling with belugas, seabirds and seals watching, ice-fishing and Russian steam bath experience.
 

TRAVEL:  
You can choose one of the ways of getting to the Arctic Circle Dive Centre:

• Option 1 (travel by rail from St. Petersburg): Train from St. Petersburg to Chupa (19 hours); transfer to the Dive Centre (2 hours).
• Option 2 (travel by rail from Moscow): Train from Moscow to Chupa (28 hours); transfer to the Dive Centre (2 hours).
• Option 3 (travel by air from Helsinki): Flight from Helsinki to Kuusamo (1:15 hour); transfer to the Dive Centre through the Finish - Russian border (7- 8 hours).
• Option 4  (travel by air from Moscow): Flight from Moscow to Murmansk (2 hours); transfer from Murmansk to the Arctic Circle Dive Centre (5 1/2 hours). 

SAMPLE ICE DIVING PROGRAMME:

Day 1 Arrival at the Arctic Circle Dive Centre. Check dive; second dive – a slope near Maly Krestovy (Small Cross) Island. Kelp forests, crabs and starfish. Evening: a Russian banya and rest. 
Days 2 - 5 Ice diving programme – 2 dives per day for qualified ice divers.
Alternatively the opportunity to take the ice diving specialty course conducted over 2 days from the first day of programme.*
A daily trip to the ice camp for 2 dives
The programme includes:
Diving by a legendary cliff with sea anemones near the Krestovy (Cross) Islands.
Diving by a bank with soft corals.
Wreck diving: a wooden fishing boat and steel scientific boat.
Lectures on White Sea biology.
Day 6 – Following the completion of the programme, at 23:30: departure from the Dive Centre for Chupa train station, Murmansk or Kuusamo Airport. Return to Moscow (the train arrives in Moscow on the fallowing day).  The programme can be changed depending to the ice and weather condition.

NOTE:
Itineraries can be tailor made on request;
The number of days in the programme can be changed upon request.
Overnight stays, tours and transfers in Moscow, St. Petersburg or Kuusamo can be arranged;
Due to the varying currency rates the Arcric Circle Dive Centre reserve the right to change the prices at any time!