Arctic/Antarctic
A trip to the Arctic or the Antarctic is more than just a diving holiday: it’s an expedition quite literally to the ends of the Earth. These are regions where, given the extremes of the climate and the vast distances between settlements, everyday life is an adventure in itself. It’s a place still almost untouched by human presence. Experienced divers will find much in these waters to excite and please them, but a trip to the Arctic or the Antarctic is not just about diving. You will have the opportunity to participate in many land and sea based adventures during the course of your visit – kayaking, ice hikes, viewing nature in its magnificent raw. Diving is in its infancy here – as is tourism. Particularly in the Antarctic there are only a few expeditionary companies offering trips, generally based on Russian ice breakers.
Diving in the polar regions varies from shallow ice diving, whereby the diving is near or under the ice floes (approx. 30 feet) to shore diving to approximately 30 to 60 feet. This is diving that you will never forget: the combination of sunlight, sea water and the often extraordinary formations of ice makes an overwhelming and ever-changing spectacle of colours, with a fantastic variety of shades and brilliance.
The marine life is much more varied than you would imagine. You will experience dives on kelp walls and see sea snails, crabs, sea butterflies, various Arctic and Antarctic fish, shrubby horsetails, jelly fish, sea hedgehogs and starfish. In Spitsbergen and the Antarctica you can dive with seals. Spitsbergen in Norway is without any doubt the most accessible place for interacting with Arctic wildlife. This is a landscape surrounded by high snowy mountains, with thousands of sea birds nestling in the cliffs. You will see the Svalbard reindeer grazing in small herds, fascinating birds like such as little auks, puffins and various gulls. As you travel further north, you may have the opportunity to see polar bears.. Near Moffen Island in the Arctic you will find your boat approached by curious packs of walruses which you can snorkel with.
During Antarctic dive expeditions you may dive with penguins as well as sea lions and perhaps even leopard seals. The Falkland Islands waters are rich in krill, which is consumed by many species, and therefore acts as a natural bait for many forms of marine life.
Trips in the Antarctic region start in Ushuaia at Terra del Fuego. Many kinds of penguins, see lions, minke, humpback and orcas are observed regularly; and exciting land excursions are possible. You will see deserted whaling stations, spectacular icebergs and ice walls, many types of seal and sea birds, whales, orcas, ancient volcanoes, polar bears. You will have been privileged to visit one of the last remaining true wilderness regions visited by the very few.
Worldwise.
These expeditions – particularly to the Antarctic – are not cheap but they do offer excellent value for money considering the remote nature of the area and the huge variety of wildlife experiences on offer. They are not for the beginner diver – you should be an experienced dry suit diver at the very least. Crossings to the Antarctic can be rough but the ships are built for the area and once in the diving areas you will find shelter. There are no decompression chambers in these areas. The exact time schedules of the expeditions largely depend on weather and ice conditions and might have to be amended accordingly. As the ice is constantly in motion, the situation under water can change at any time.
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Greenland
Norway
Antarctic Information
Diver Special Supplement on Diving Antarctica
Ice Break: Spitsbergen
The Happy Captain’s Shipwreck: Greenland
Eerie Ikaite: Greenland
Respect for the 'Bergs
Warming up for a Cold Water Trip
Touchdown on a Distant Planet
Tourism in the New Antarctica
Lair of the Leopards
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