Øresund & Isefjord · Denmark · Muck & macro
Munkholm Bridge
Bridge piers crowded with sea urchins, plumose and dahlia anemones
Photo: Freeskydk · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Munkholm Bridge crosses the Isefjord in northwestern Zealand, and its piers make a shallow shore dive full of small life. Divers come here when the weather keeps the boats in, or simply for an easy macro dive among sea urchins, anemones, crabs and cuttlefish.
Also known as Munkholmbroen.
Where it is and how deep
55.6736° N, 11.8123° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts at the beach. On a first visit, a surface swim of about a minute to the first bridge pillar saves air, and the dive then follows the line of piers. The depth at the piers does not go past 5 m, so no extra air is needed for a decompression stop.
Thousands of sea urchins, plumose and dahlia anemones grow on the pylons. Shrimp live in the holes, and in autumn and winter they gather so thickly that the holes look like an anthill. Along the bottom, crabs, viviparous eelpout and above all cuttlefish move about everywhere.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Øresund & Isefjord: Spring brings the best visibility on the Anemone Wreck, and September and October decent visibility and weather on Vapper; the Munkholm Bridge is dived through autumn and winter.
Know before you go
- A little current can run when water is forced into the Isefjord, though it is rarely more than a couple of fin kicks can handle.
Dive videos
Munkholmbroen Muck Diving · blumedm on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is the Munkholm Bridge a shore dive?+
Yes. Divers enter from the beach and can swim to the first pillar at the surface in about a minute; the piers stay within 5 m.
Sources
- Denmark: Øresund and Isefjord — X-Ray Magazine
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a long low bridge crossing calm grey fjord water between wooded shores under a pale sky. by Freeskydk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Øresund & Isefjord
Havheksen, an underwater course laid out for divers beside Copenhagen
Wall dives at Ablahamn and odd rock formations at Ransvik
Wreck
A fish factory trawler standing upright on the sand with an open wheelhouse
Artificial reef
A stone reef built in 2016 that stays sheltered on windy days
Similar dives elsewhere
Chalk deposits and flatfish under the cliffs of southern Langeland
Muck & macro
Ferguson's Cove
Halifax & St Margaret's Bay · Canada
Nudibranchs and hermit crabs between a pier and a breakwater
Spring cuttlefish in water with almost no current
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