White Sea · Russia · Pinnacle · Kelp forest
Big Cross Island (Anemone Rock)
A lone rock carpeted in plumose anemones
Anemone Rock is a lone rock on a sandy plateau beside the slope of Big Cross Island, one of the most visited sites near Nilmoguba. Plumose anemones carpet the rock, kelp-forest life surrounds it and the current is mostly mild. The whole dive stays within 4 m at low tide.
Also known as Sea Anemones Rock, Big Cross Anemone Rock.
Where it is and how deep
66.5204° N, 33.1989° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive circles a free-standing rock on the sandy plateau next to the island slope, between 1 m and 4 m at low tide. Large populations of Metridium senile anemones cover it, and cod, wolffish, nudibranchs and feather duster worms (Sabellidae) live on the rock and in the kelp around it.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows White Sea: Ice diving runs February to April while the sea ice holds; summer diving is by speedboat, with the water warmest in July.
Sources
- Dive sites — The Arctic Circle Dive Centre
- Diving in the White Sea — Off Beaten Waves
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap contributors
More dive sites in White Sea
Ice hummocks under a cliff shaped like a mammoth
A kelp-topped wall falling into deep water
Deep anemone and soft-coral colonies far out from Nilmoguba
Sea angels drifting over a kelp forest
Kelp forest
Fucus shallows above a slope into deep water
Wreck
A Yaroslavets diving boat from a biological station
Reef
Rare Gorgon's head brittle stars among Arctic soft corals
Channel & pass
Sponge and hydroid gardens fed by a strong tidal flow
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