Cold Water · Denmark
Lillebælt & Middelfart
A multi-level shore wall and bridge piers in a tidal Danish strait
Photo: Kåre Thor Olsen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lillebælt, the Little Belt, narrows at Snævringen beside Middelfart, where the old and new Little Belt bridges cross between Funen and Jutland. The diving is mostly from the shore: Søbadet's multi-level wall, the granite piers of the Old Lillebælt Bridge and the boulder reef at the Marsvinet diving club, with most dives between 4 and 22 m. The draw is cold-water life on walls and bridge piers in a strait where harbour porpoises are common.
About diving in Lillebælt & Middelfart
Most diving here is from the shore, starting at a car park close to the water. At Søbadet and the Marsvinet club, divers put on their fins a few metres from the beach and the depth increases quickly, as it does at most places in Snævringen. Boats come into play for the bridge piers: when the tide is strong the Old Lillebælt Bridge piers can be very difficult to reach from the beach, and reaching the New Lillebælt Bridge from the shore is not recommended. Tanks can be refilled at a campsite in Middelfart that is open all year, or through the local diving club.
The seabed in the strait is a mixture of gravel, stone and sand. At Søbadet, eelgrass gives way to sugar kelp and Laminaria hyperborea, then to rocks crusted orange with breadcrumb sponge, and the wall steps down in levels before the bottom slopes to 25 to 30 metres. The bridge piers carry plumose anemones, sea squirts and mussels. Flounder and plaice lie on the gravel, cod shelter behind the large rocks, and lobster can turn up at Søbadet and Kongebrogaarden. The Little Belt is also a nature park, Naturpark Lillebælt, and draws divers to its archaeological sites and shipwrecks.
It suits divers who navigate well and are comfortable in cold water: the seabed rises and falls, so a compass is a must on every dive in Snævringen to find the way back to shore. Søbadet and the Marsvinet club rate 2-3 on a five-point difficulty scale, and the two bridges 3-4. Beginners are better placed at Stenderup Hage, a shallow site for beginners and snorkellers, than at the bridge piers, and anyone wanting warm water should look elsewhere.
Best time to dive Lillebælt & Middelfart
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good |
The shore sites at Søbadet and the Marsvinet club are dived all year round. January to March is the cold end, with the sea averaging about 3 °C (38 °F) and feeling painfully cold, yet winter is when many nudibranchs turn up at Søbadet. May to September is the best season for the Old Lillebælt Bridge, and the sea is warmest in August, averaging about 18 °C (65 °F).
Dive types & marine life
The Little Belt has the highest known density of harbour porpoises in the world. Porpoises and seals are seen from the boat at the New Lillebælt Bridge, especially in summer and autumn, and from the shore at the Marsvinet club. Nudibranchs are common at Søbadet in winter.
- Wall
- Kelp forest
- Nudibranchs
Best dive sites in Lillebælt & Middelfart
- 1
Søbadet
The most popular site in Lillebælt, a multi-level shore wall with tadpole fish and Yarrell's blenny in its caves.
- 2
Kongebrogaarden
Wall dive with sea squirts and giant plumose anemones, and the shortest swim in Lillebælt from shore to 40 m.
- 3
Old Lillebælt Bridge
Granite railway-bridge piers at 0-22 m, overgrown with marine life and home to large cod.
- 4
New Lillebælt Bridge
Pylons covered in plumose anemones; the tide is strong, so it is dived from a boat.
- 5
Boulder Reef at Dykkerklubben Marsvinet
A reef of 1,000 tons of stone right at the Marsvinet diving club in Middelfart.
- 6
Fænø Kalv
Gravel slopes of varying depth at a deserted island, with turbot, hermit crabs and possible strong tide.
- 7
Stenderup Hage
Shallow eelgrass with little tide and pipefish in the summer months, suited to night dives.
Site guides
Artificial reef
A reef built from 1,000 tons of stone outside a diving club
Gravel slopes with turbot and hermit crabs in the Little Belt
The shortest swim from shore to 40 m anywhere in Lillebælt
Granite bridge piers overgrown with marine life and large cod
Wall
One of the only multi-level wall dives in Denmark
How to get to Lillebælt & Middelfart
Billund Airport is the nearest airport, roughly an hour's drive from Middelfart, with car hire on site and buses via Vejle. Middelfart is on Funen beside the two Little Belt bridges to Jutland; the diving club is in Middelfart and a PADI centre is in Fredericia.
Questions divers ask
Can Lillebælt be dived from the shore?+
Yes. Søbadet, the Old Lillebælt Bridge and the reef at the Marsvinet club are all entered from the shore. The New Lillebælt Bridge piers sit in strong tide and are much safer dived from a boat.
What is the best time of year to dive Lillebælt?+
The shore sites are dived all year round. May to September is the best season for the Old Lillebælt Bridge, and winter brings nudibranchs to Søbadet, though the sea then averages about 3 °C (38 °F).
Is there strong current in Lillebælt?+
The tide can be strong out in the Belt and very strong at the New Lillebælt Bridge, but it is seldom strong close to shore at Søbadet. A deco buoy is always needed at the New Lillebælt Bridge.
Where can harbour porpoises be seen in Lillebælt?+
The Little Belt has the highest known density of harbour porpoises in the world. They and seals turn up especially in summer and autumn while waiting on the boat at the New Lillebælt Bridge, and can also be seen from the shore at the Marsvinet club.
How do divers get to Middelfart?+
Billund Airport is the nearest, and the drive to Middelfart takes roughly an hour; buses run with a change in Vejle.
Sources
- Diving and snorkelling | VisitFredericia — VisitFredericia
- Diving club Marsvinet — VisitDenmark
- Søbadet — VisitDenmark
- Old Lillebælt Bridge — VisitDenmark
- Diving spot New Lillebælt Bridge — VisitDenmark
- Blivdykker.dk — Blivdykker.dk
- Little Belt — Wikipedia
- Middelfart — Wikivoyage
- Middelfart Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
Photo credits
- A long steel truss bridge on concrete piers crossing a wide blue strait under a sunny sky with white clouds. by Kåre Thor Olsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 5 dive sites near Lillebælt & Middelfart on your own page.
Similar destinations
Sweden's only cold-water coral reefs, inside its first marine national park
Giant Pacific octopus and anemone-covered walls in the 'Emerald Sea'
_with_an_IC4_trainset_seen_from_Middelfart_Harbour.jpg){kind=link}
Basalt cliffs continuing underwater into surprisingly clear Atlantic water
Cold Water
Ravines, kelp and drop-offs beside the Atlantic Ocean Road