Diving Bluntautal (Torrener Seen)

Site Overview

Bluntautal (Torrener Seen) is a mountain lake dive site in Salzburg, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. The Bluntautal holds a string of small, clear, cold mountain lakes (the Torrener Seen) beneath the Loferer Steinberge. They are used for snorkelling and scuba training by mountain-rescue teams because of the cold, controlled environment. The water is clear and the setting spectacular, with steep grassy flanks rising straight from the shore. Cold and altitude mean a drysuit and conservative planning, and the sites are best dived with a guide or centre. They are small and intimate compared with the big lakes, offering a quiet, high-alpine experience. It is a good place to practise cold-water skills in a striking mountain cirque. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 8 to 18 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 3 and 16 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on lake trout (brown trout), arctic char, european minnow, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its intermediate rating and the need for Advanced Open Water certification, Bluntautal (Torrener Seen) is best approached with the right thermal protection and, where relevant, altitude or overhead training. It is a representative example of why Austrian lake diving, with its cold clarity, submerged forests and wrecks, attracts divers who want something different from tropical reefs.