Skarnsundet & the Trondheim Fjord · Norway · Coral garden
Tautra Reef
White Lophelia coral over about 100 square metres
Tautra Reef is a cold-water coral reef in the middle of the Trondheim Fjord, near the island of Tautra. White Lophelia coral covers about 100 square metres at 39 m, among the shallowest Lophelia reefs known.
Also known as Tautra.
Where it is and how deep
63.5748° N, 10.6105° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Boats mark the reef with a shot line instead of an anchor, and divers follow it down through the brown surface layer. The reef can come into view from around 20 m, and white stony Lophelia covers about 100 square metres of the bottom. The reef lies at 39 m, the depth that makes it among the shallowest known Lophelia reefs.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Skarnsundet & the Trondheim Fjord: Diving runs all year; September and October give the best odds of fine weather and clear water, while spring and summer plankton blooms can cut visibility.
Dive videos
Visiting Norwegian coral reef | Blueye Pioneer · Blueye Robotics on YouTube
Sources
- Trondheim Fjord: A Nordic Diving Adventure Into the Depths — X-Ray Mag
- Desmophyllum pertusum — Wikipédia
- Trondheim Fjord — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Skarnsundet & the Trondheim Fjord
Wreck
An upright 5,900-ton wartime freighter sloping from stern to bow
Wreck
Two wartime seaplanes resting in silt beside the Trondheim dock
Deep-sea Lophelia coral growing on a ridge within scuba range
Yellow-orange sea fans hosting Grieg's tritonia nudibranchs
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral gardens across the island's southern tip, 15 m to 40 m
Coral garden off Apolima Island, dropping from 8 m to 40 m
Ghost pipefish, odd shrimps and nudibranchs in the coral
Hole-in-the-roof entry to coral blocks rising from 10 to 40 m to the surface