Denoting it as a highland is a bit of an embellishment, causing some Scandinavian brethren in Norway and Sweden, who have real mountains in their outback, to scoff. Afterall, the highest “peaks” are only about 150m above sea level. However, in Denmark, which is otherwise largely flat and predominately farmland, it stands out—and for good reason. It is picturesque!

Generously scattered among rolling hills, which are draped in forest or heath, are plenty of freshwater lakes and they are among the cleanest and clearest in the country.  

As one of my good friends and diving partners usually says: We are lucky with a lot of things living here in Denmark, but if you like cycling in the mountains, skiing or diving in warm waters... then you are not super well-placed as a Dane. I myself usually see my dives in Denmark as training, understood in terms that if you can complete a wreck dive in Øresund and come up with a useful picture or two and a big smile on your face, then you are as well prepared as you can be to dive the rest of the world.

The value is not measured in money, but in knowledge. Due to extremely favorable conditions, the wrecks and the remains found are virtual time capsules, waiting to tell their stories about people and their way of living in the past, about the countries and the cultures of Europe.

 

The late summer sun was warm, and the easterly breeze promised a comfortable boat ride. We were in Søgne, on the coast of southern Norway, and the owner of One Ocean Dive Resort, the pasta king Carlo Golfetto, welcomed us to his aptly-named Culinary Adventure. It promised to be a tasty weekend, with interesting dives and delicious meals.

After getting some interesting offers in March 2014, I met a rebreather diver from Gran Canaria at the Dive and Travel Show in Madrid. He suggested that I come to Gran Canaria for wreck diving. At first, I was not particularly interested, because I really wanted to do some nice wreck dives, and the Canary Islands were not necessarily known for their wealth of wrecks. I had been to Lanzarote a few times, but I had never seen any interesting wrecks there. On the contrary, I was told again and again that there were no wrecks anywhere on the Canary Islands.

The dive equipment was packed, and I would soon head to Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport to catch my flight to Helsinki in Finland. It was time for another wonderful weekend of diving in the spirit of history, under the leadership of Project Baltacar.

Arriving in Helsinki, I picked up my fully packed dive bag. It weighed 22.5kg, and the maximum weight allowed by Finnair was 23kg. At the car rental company, I met my dive friends from Stockholm and England. The plan for the afternoon was to drive from Helsinki to Hanko, which takes about two hours.

Most divers, and especially underwater photographers, seem to think it is necessary to fly halfway around the globe to get a good dive or some great underwater images. Not so! Great diving is much closer to home, at least if you are based in Europe, or plan a stop-over in Madrid. The Canary Islands is a well-known holiday destination, but it seems most people are unaware of the great diving opportunities. Gran Canaria is located bang in the middle of the offshore island group, and offers perhaps the best combination of accessibility, value for money and great diving.