HISTORY

DURING GERMANYS SEPARATION UNDER THE RULE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY DIVING IN EAST GERMANY WAS FORBIDDEN AND ONLY SELECTED AUTHORITY FORCES WERE ALLOWED TO DO SO.

WATER HABITATS

BESIDES RIVERS EAST GERMANY HAS MANY DIVERSE NATURAL LAND-LOCKED WATER HABITATS OF ALL SIZES MANY OF WHICH WERE FORMED DURING THE ICE AGE. 

EXPEDITION FEATURES

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REUNIFICATION AN EXPEDITION WAS LAUNCHED TO EXPLORE MOST OF THE LAKES NO ONE HAS SEEN FROM UNDER BEFORE.

GREATEST DIFFICULTY AT THE TIME WAS TO OBTAIN PRELIMINARY SITE INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE WAS LITTLE TO NON KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF THESE LAKES.

BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION WERE LOCALS LIVING AT SITE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES.

LOGISTICS AT LOCATION WERE OFTEN DIFFICULT DUE TO THE UNDEVELOPED INFRASTRUCTURE.

BECAUSE UNDERWATER FEATURES AND TERRAIN WERE UNKNOWN THE DIVES HAD TO BE CONDUCTED VERY CAREFUL ESPECIALLY AS VISIBILITY WAS ON AVERAGE 1 - 3 METERS.

IN THE LAKES

DURING THE EXPLORATION A GREAT DIVERSITY OF THE LAKES WAS REVEALED.

THE MAJORITY OF BOTTOMS CONSISTED OF DEEP MUD WITH THICK MARINE GROWTH IN THE SHALLOW LEVELS NEAR THE SHORE FROM WHERE AN EASY SLOPE INCREASED TO DEPTH. IN CONTRAST SOME LAKES HAD ROCKY SHORES WITH FAST OR IMMEDIATE WALL DROP-OFFS.

IN MOST CASES IN THE UPPER DEPTHS MARINE LIVE WAS SOMEHOW ABUNDANT CONSISTING OF ALGAE, SNAILS, FROGS, CRABS, EELS, PIKES, TROUT, SALMON AND PERCHES.

DEPENDING ON LOCATION (FOREST / OPEN FIELD), GEOLOGY (ROCK / SAND) AND SEASON THE LAKES HAVE GREAT DIFFERENCES IN UNDERWATER VISIBILITY EVEN WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER.

MANY HAD SUBMERGED BUSH OR TREE FORMATIONS, WHICH AT DEEPER DEPTHS COMBINED WITH ABSOLUTE DARKNESS, LOW VISIBILITY AND GENERAL TEMPERATURE OF 4C ADDED TO THE SPOOKY FEELING OF EERINESS. 

SOMETIMES OLD AGE HISTORY IN FORM OF REMAINS OF SUNKEN SETTLEMENTS WAS EVIDENT BUT MANY WERE OF NEWER AGE MOSTLY FROM WWII INCLUDING WAR PLANES, WEAPONS AND AMMUNITIONS.

UNFORTUNATELY  IT WAS QUITE COMMON TO FIND A GREAT DEAL OF VISIBLE POLLUTION. THE MAJORITY BEING  CARS, BIKES, CONSTRUCTION RUBBLE, GENERAL GARBAGE AND EVEN DRUMS WITH UNKNOWN CONTENTS. BEFORE REUNIFICATION IN SOME AREAS DYNAMITE FISHING WAS PRACTICED.

THE 1ST PART OF THIS EXPEDITION TOOK PLACE IN THE SUMMER AND AUTUMN SEASONS. THE 2ND PART WAS CONDUCTED IN LATE WINTER WITH IMPROVED VISIBILITY INCLUDING SEVERAL ICE DIVES.

TODAY NEARLY ALL LAKES ARE UNDER STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEFINED AS PARK WHICH INCLUDES A NON DIVING ENFORCEMENT EXCEPT FOR A FEW SITES OR WITH SPECIAL PERMIT FROM AUTHORITIES.