Norway is a natural progression for divers who have already visited Orkney and Shetland. It offers clear, if very cold, water, spectacular fjord scenery and an impressive collection of shipwrecks lying on the seabed beneath the surrounding mountains.
This trip was a joint undertaking with Huddersfield BSAC 18, who had chartered the dive boat Clasina, skippered by Bob Anderson and crewed by Lee, the gas blender, and Ben, the cook. The trip was billed as suitable for divers with a 50-metre depth progression and up to 15 minutes of decompression.
Marlin Sub-Aqua Club had the option of five spaces, but in the end only three members joined the trip – Martin, Rob and Jamie. Several other places were taken by divers known to both clubs, meaning that when we arrived there were only four of the twelve divers who were completely new to us. This made for a particularly friendly group.
All but two of the divers were using closed-circuit rebreathers with normoxic-ish trimix diluent, using JJ-CCRs in a GUE configuration. The remaining two were diving on air with 50% nitrox for decompression. For dives beyond around 30–40 metres, helium can be included in the breathing mix to reduce nitrogen narcosis. On a liveaboard operating in Norway and away from its home port in Orkney for six weeks, rebreathers also make the logistics of carrying sufficient gas considerably more practical.
Getting to Norway
Travel to Bergen was by Lufthansa from Birmingham, via Frankfurt. Business class tickets were not too expensive and provided sufficient luggage allowance to transport the rebreathers, drysuits and all the other equipment needed for the trip.
Electrically heated undersuits were desirable, although perhaps not essential for the hardier diver! Another option for travelling to Norway would be to drive to the north of Denmark and take a ferry to Bergen.
The diving began the day after arrival and was planned to last for six days, with Clasina slowly making her way through the western Norwegian fjords before returning to Bergen on the final afternoon.
Two useful sources of wreck information are Scarsbrook and Dykkepedia.
Day 1 – Sunday
Morning – SS Haakon
The SS Haakon was a 45-metre Norwegian cargo ship built in Glasgow and powered by a quadruple-expansion engine. She sank on 29 January 1910 near Bergen while travelling from Hamburg to Christiansund, “in ballast”.
Today she sits upright in 45 metres of water to the seabed at the bow, which is the deepest point and where we started our dive. The anchors remain in the hawse pipes and glass can still be seen in some of the portholes.
The stern lies against the reef, with the top at 30 metres and the seabed at 34 metres. The rudder and four-bladed propeller remain in place. Although the superstructure has disappeared, the rest of the wreck is remarkably intact.
The spare propeller, engine and remains of the helm are all exposed. The secondary helm has fallen into the hold, along with windows from the bridge and a collection of glass bottles. Much of the decking has gone, creating a variety of possible swim-throughs.
Afternoon – SS Frankenwald
The SS Frankenwald was a 122-metre German cargo vessel built in Hamburg and powered by a triple-expansion steam engine. She ran aground near Brattholmen in the Sognefjorden, with the crew being rescued by local fishermen.
Today the wreck is a famous Norwegian dive site. She sits upright in 35–40 metres of water and is largely intact.
Both masts are still standing, reaching to within around 5 metres of the surface, and are completely covered in plumose anemones. The stern section is particularly interesting, with an auxiliary steering wheel, a bank of air cylinders on the starboard side and a block of three toilets on the port side.
We explored the gangways and discovered a bath with a mirror above it and sinks, with the taps still in place.
Day 2 – Monday
Morning – SS Frankenwald
We continued our exploration of the SS Frankenwald, starting at the stern to look at the intact steering quadrant.
We also explored some of the cargo holds, although these were empty. Moving on to the bridge, we found some of the original wooden door frames still in place, complete with their brass fittings.
The galley was also remarkably intact, including Aga-style ovens with coal still inside.
Afternoon – SS Ilse Fritzen
The SS Ilse Fritzen was a 108-metre German cargo vessel built in Dunkirk and powered by a triple-expansion steam engine.
She was sunk on 26 January 1945 in the Eidsfjord during an RAF attack. The wreck now lies on her starboard side, with the shallowest part at 45 metres and the seabed around 65 metres.
There is evidence of blast damage, but the wreck is essentially intact, with the rudder and propeller still in place. Three mines, which the ship was carrying as cargo, remain on the seabed around midships.
The main purpose of this dive was to locate the mines before ascending towards the bridge section.
Day 3 – Tuesday
Morning – MV Welheim
The MV Welheim was a 135-metre German cargo vessel built in Flensburg and powered by two diesel engines. She had an anti-aircraft gun on the starboard side of the bridge.
During the Second World War, she was used as a supply vessel for German forces and was loaded with coal when she was torpedoed on 28 November 1944 south of Tansøy in Brufjorden by the Norwegian MTB 717.
The crew attempted to reach Tansøy, but the ship floundered and sank.
Today, the wreck remains in good condition, lying on her port side. The top of the bow is only 13 metres deep, while the stern reaches 70 metres. The only obvious damage is around the starboard side of the hull where the torpedo struck.
On this dive we swam down to the propeller at 67 metres, which still has a lifting eye welded to it from an abandoned salvage attempt. From there, we followed the side of the deck while slowly ascending.
Shortly after leaving the propeller, we found two of the ship’s anti-aircraft guns. There was also a large debris field on the seabed alongside the wreck, where we even discovered an intact glass lampshade.
The blast hole provided good access into the enormous hull, which was still lined with wooden planks.
Afternoon – SS Svanholm
The SS Svanholm was a 77-metre Danish cargo vessel built in Newcastle and powered by a triple-expansion steam engine.
She was torpedoed on 16 August 1917 while travelling from Göteborg to Newcastle with a cargo of pit props. The attack was carried out by the German submarine U-94 and there were no casualties.
The wreck lies upright and relatively intact on a gently sloping seabed, with the top of the wreck at around 35 metres. We reached a maximum depth of 46 metres.
The masts and funnels have collapsed, but we were able to swim across the deck and see that the entire stern section has been ripped away, revealing the timber cargo which remains stacked and in place.
The rudder and propeller could still be found on the seabed. Behind the bridge we discovered wooden door frames complete with functioning brass hinges, along with a sink whose plug chain was still attached.
There was also a decorated toilet and some crockery bearing a painted flag. After a discussion with a local technical diver who joined Clasina for a couple of days with a buddy, it was suggested that the flag may have been the insignia of the shipping company.
The ship’s spare propeller and rudder also remain.
Day 4 – Wednesday
Morning – MV Welheim
We returned to the MV Welheim, this time remaining around midships at approximately 44 metres.
There was plenty to see while exploring the exposed layers of the ship, including chequered lino flooring, light fittings and even lightbulbs that were still in place.
We also found cooking equipment, flower pots and beer bottles. In the bridge there was a wooden frame on the floor complete with brass fittings.
At the back of the bridge was a cupboard containing various items, including an object which may have been used to measure seabed composition.
Afternoon – SS Ilse Fritzen
On our second dive on the SS Ilse Fritzen, we concentrated on the structure around the stern.
The engine-room “cloches” were particularly interesting, with the reinforced glass still in place. As the cloches were open, they could potentially provide easy access to the engine room. However, visibility inside was poor, so on this occasion we remained outside.
The base of the funnel was also still present and was large enough for a diver to swim into.
Day 5 – Thursday
Morning – SS Tyrifjord
The SS Tyrifjord was a 101-metre Norwegian cargo vessel built in Newcastle and powered by a triple-expansion steam engine.
She was damaged during an air raid on 19 September 1944 and was subsequently beached. She later sank while being towed.
Today, the stern remains intact, while the bow and midships sections have been broken up by salvage operations. A single mast is still standing and was used as the shotline attachment point.
Two vehicles were still present on the wreck, presumably part of the original cargo. The wooden door and fittings could also still be seen.
A wolfish was spotted sheltering underneath a plate, adding a little life to the wreck.
Afternoon – SS Ferndale and SS Parat
The SS Ferndale was a 116-metre Norwegian cargo ship built in Hamburg and powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine. During the Second World War, she was taken by the Germans and used for transport.
On 15 December 1944, while travelling in convoy, the Ferndale ran aground on Seglsteinen Reef. The tug SS Parat, a 33-metre Norwegian vessel powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, came to assist on 16 December. Both ships were subsequently bombed and sunk by British Mosquito aircraft.
The SS Ferndale is a popular Norwegian dive site, with depths ranging from 8 to 45 metres. The SS Parat lies just off the stern of the Ferndale at around 45 metres.
As this was our second dive of the day, we concentrated on the deck of the Ferndale and left the deeper sections for the following morning.
The deeper stern section was largely intact, but above around 21 metres the deck becomes broken up and covered in kelp. The hull remains intact, creating an interesting swim-through leading towards a reef at around 9–6 metres.
Day 6 – Friday
Morning – SS Ferndale and SS Parat
For our final dive, we explored the SS Parat, spending most of the dive slowly swimming across the wreck before heading to the rudder and propeller shaft of the SS Ferndale.
From the stern of the Ferndale, we could clearly see the entire wreck of the Parat approximately 15 metres below us.
Once at the stern of the Parat, we found the steering quadrant before moving towards the superstructure. Here we discovered gas cylinders, toilets and a galley complete with ovens.
Inside the hold was a large water pump, firefighting hoses and boots.
Our ascent was made across the Ferndale, with the final stops taking place on the reef between 9 and 6 metres. This shallower section was a haven for marine life, including pollock and wrasse.
Conclusion
Norway is a fantastic diving destination and one that we definitely intend to return to.
Clasina provides an excellent diving platform, complemented by first-class food onboard. Across the trip, our maximum depth was 67 metres, with the longest dive lasting 77 minutes.
Although there was plenty to see at shallower depths, a 50-metre qualification is ideal for this type of trip, with much of the decompression able to be completed on the shallower portions of the wrecks.
For anyone who enjoys historic shipwrecks, clear water, deep diving and spectacular scenery, the Norwegian fjords offer a fantastic combination – and are well worth putting on the diving wish list.