World class macro life

The local currents and underwater topography of our house reef come together in a very special way, creating many different habitats and a world class macro life.

World-class macro life and Spectacular nudibranch

The house reef at Gulen Dive Resort is home to a staggering 73 species of nudibranchs – all found in the same place. No other site in Norway has more nudibranchs than we do! And who said it was better in the tropics? The number of species has been confirmed by the scientists who take part in the annual Nudibranch Safari, which is held every year. Nudibranchs can be found sometimes in the thousands.

Our fishlife

The sandy areas of the house reef are home to several rare goby species, and clingfish and snailfish hide under rocks and seashells.
Larger predators like cod, hake and pollock are prevalent, and wolffish and monkfish may be seen at certain times of the year.

Gladiators of the Sea

The crustaceans are the most significant animal group found in the oceans. From microscopic plankton to colossal lobster and spider crabs, they can be found in almost any habitat. The house reef has an exceptional diversity of crustaceans –, especially in the autumn. You can expect to see lobster, stone crabs, swimming crabs, camouflage shrimp, cleaner shrimp, sea spiders, barnacles, decorator crabs, squat lobsters and many other varieties. Many crustaceans are active at night, so donning your gear a little later in the evening leaves you the best chance to observe them up close and personal. This site is for world-class macro life and photography, so bring your camera.

Grumpy

Small swimming crabs are very common at the house reef of Gulen Dive Resort. They typically hide between small rocks and underneath empty seashells. If you have a keen eye and take your time, you are bound to find lots of these cute little fellows.

Echinoderm heaven

For some reason, echinoderms seem to love Gulen. There is an abundance of different sea urchins, starfish
, brittle stars, and even some sea cucumbers. We’re incredibly proud of all the beautiful feather stars on the house reef. These graceful filter feeders are usually found at 40+ meters, but at the house reef, we have plenty of them in just 15-25 meters depth. Sometimes, they perch camera-friendly on the kelp stalks, and they may even have small squat lobsters or other crustaceans hiding at the base.

Anemone bonanza

Anemones come in many shapes and sizes. They often have brilliant colours and come in a wide variety of patterns. We find anemones from the surface to the bottom of our deepest dives. Some of them are petite and wax-white in colour, others huge and bright pink – or anything in between. Beneath some anemones, you can be lucky and find whole families of tiny, bright red shrimp. Others may offer its stinging protection to a stone crab that has just moulted.

Read more about world-class macro life that is the host for our Nudibranch Safari every year

Attending the Nudibranch safari gives you a whole new perspective on finding and taking pictures of these sea slugs we love. This event is going on one time of the year. Read more here:
Nudibranch Safari

Download the book of GULEN and our world-class macro life as a PDF

The book will give you tons of information about our world-class macro life, our resort, what you can find, and more. Share it with your dive buddies as well. We hope it will give you inspiration for a trip to Gulen. Gulen Book PDF

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience incredible fun.  Book your stay

Read more on these pages

Supplementary information on the topic

• Articles about Gulen
• Wonderful marine life
• Our magic house reef
• Spectacular wrecks

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