Dive & Snorkel Antarctica

25/10/2024

What's your favorite penguin? King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Chinstrap, Adelie, Emperor or ?

17/09/2024

Diving an Iceberg is one of the most unique kinds of scuba diving! Descending into the blue, clear and icy waters seems scary at first but seeing the white wall of ice that sparkles like diamonds and shimmers in the light is very surreal. Sometimes the ice is translucent and we see glacial till or rock embedded inside it sometimes. Ice is dynamic and always changing so you can't dive the same iceberg twice. We see small bubbles fizzing from them and they can flip and pieces can break off creating a whole different look. You'll notice some of the icebergs in the video have huge ripples and others look like golf ball divots and there can be arches, holes and cracks. You may even have a curious leopard seal show up and check you out! I always look forward to diving icebergs and even though it water color looks tropical blue its a balmy 29f to 32f degrees. Enjoy the sounds of our breathing and relax in the icy depths. If you'd like to join us on an Antarctica trip someday we go every year and it's one of the most amazing experiences!

This is a mix of icebergs from the past 4 Antarctica trips I've been on. Sorry it took so long to edit and please share with anyone from our Feb & March 2023 trip and Jan & Feb 2024 trips! Faith Ortins Kitrina Godding Rick Witter Lee Rosenberg Laurie Thompson Richard Kelch Rachel Voeltzel Trisha Stovel John Humphreys Mike Will Carol Strachan Marc Steurer

Diving an Iceberg is one of the most unique kinds of scuba diving! Descending into the blue, clear and icy waters seems scary at first but seeing the white w...

01/09/2024

NEW VIDEO: This was an exploratory dive near Vega in Antarctica. This part of the Weddell Sea hasn't seen many divers. We found a sloping bottom with no idea what to expect. The water was very clear, 30f degrees and there were icebergs in the area . At first the bottom looked muddy and absent of life. As we descended slowly done the slope we saw big gouges in the bottom from grounded icebergs at one time. There were so many Giant Isopods and Nematine, or giant sea worm that can grow to several metres long. These were all over the bottom along with seas stars and some other life. These Giant Isopods and sea worms are a good example of “polar gigantism”. This happens because the near-freezing waters hold more dissolved oxygen when compared to warmer waters, allowing organisms to grow to larger sizes. This is probably my favorite dive I've ever done in Antarctica out of the 56 dives i've currently done there. I really enjoyed seeing these Giant Isopods so active and what I thought was a muck bottom had so much life. Antarctica is a pretty incredible place with many diverse environments from walls to icebergs, rocky areas and muck bottoms. Enjoy the video, it's pretty raw video but I liked that! This was shot in February 2023.

Faith Ortins Rick Witter Kitrina Godding Oceanwide Expeditions Amy Moran Carol Strachan

This was an exploratory dive near Vega in Antarctica. This part of the Weddell Sea hasn't seen many divers. We found a sloping bottom with no idea what to expect.…

31/08/2024

Determination....

19/08/2024

Hi, I wanted to welcome all of our new members! Thanks for following our page on diving and snorkeling Antarctica! We hope this will be a place you can meet other adventurous people, ask questions about how to dive or snorkel in Antarctica and more! Welcome and feel free to make posts!

Until then enjoy some photos from our past dives and snorkeling fun in Antarctica!

16/08/2024

We could hear the sounds Belugas were making even when we weren't underwater. We'd submerge our faces into the cold water they'd appear around us. It was exciting to hear them before seeing them. I hope you watch the video I posted yesterday. There's nothing like hearing the incredible sounds they produce and seeing their curiosity. This is one of the last images I took capturing our two worlds colliding.

Joan Kagan Sara Jenner Rick Witter Eli Martinez
Fourth Element Nikon

15/08/2024

Have you ever wondered what it's like to come face to face with a Beluga Whale? The water may have been murky and challenging with haloclines creating a blur at times but being able to hear the pod coming before I could see them was exhilarating. They'd come right up to investigate us and their curiosity is beyond words. These are intelligent animals that are social and extremely vocal. Make sure your sound is on to hear the sounds they make.

Adult Belugas are white but they're born gray. Some of the females would bring their calves around to us over and over again. A few decided to put their melon head up against the camera and others zipped by and playfully opened their mouths.

I was amazed when they'd swim by and turn their heads to look us right in the eye. We were surrounded by dozens of belugas at times and they seemed just as interested in us as we are in them. I hope you enjoy the video. Make sure your sound is on!

Rick Witter Joan Kagan Sara Jenner Eli Martinez
Seiko Luxe USA SANTI Diving Aquatica Digital

Beluga Whales are some of the most vocal animals in the oceans which is why they are known as Canaries of the Sea. Make sure you have the sound on while you watch…

14/08/2024

There are those who Dream of Exploration
There are those who Explore the Dream

Photo
Becky Kagan Schott- Underwater Photographer

06/08/2024

What an indescribable day with Beluga Whales. We had so many playful and curious juveniles that were so fascinated with the camera and the zodiac. This one gave me some lip! I can't really describe how it feels to see Belugas face to face. They might be one of my favorite marine mammals now. The way they move, the way a calf holds onto its mother and their curiosity is very special.

Rick Witter
Sara Jenner
Eli Martinez

31/07/2024

We have a few spaces left for our November 19-30th Antarctica Adventure to Snow Hill. This trip includes helicopters out to Snow Hill where we'll be searching for Emperor Penguins and their photogenic chicks! This isn't offered on any other trips we do so it's very special and has to be done in November! We'll travel into the Weddell sea past amazing icebergs and other wildlife including whales, seals and a large variety of seabirds and other penguin species. Emperor Penguins are the largest species of penguin and this colony is the furtherest north to find them. Join me on this really exciting and memorable Antarctica trip. For more info and pricing email me [email protected]

Photo by Sara Jenner our Expedition Leader.

13/07/2024

A few Arctic spots still open for 2025! The curious walrus are waiting!
Email me for details [email protected]

Welcome to the world of the Walrus. They are found across the Arctic and in the summer time colonies of them lounge on rocky beaches. They are extremely soci...

10/07/2024

It's about 90f degrees today and I'm thinking about the cool iceberg dives we did back in February in Antarctica. I was diving with Lee Rosenberg on his first iceberg and decided to make that 29f degree water feel a little more "tropical" by pulling out a lei. He wore it well don't you think? There's not fun in cold water diving! WHAT! That's not true!

16/04/2024

Antarctica and South Georgia are beyond amazing to see with your own eyes.

06/04/2024

Did you know penguin dads are some of the most devoted dads in the Animal kingdom. Females will lay eggs then go out to sea to hunt. Female penguins like to choose chubbier mates so they have more incubating area. These are King Penguins and they do not build nests, instead they stand upright and incubate a single egg on the tops of their feet. A loose abdominal fold can cover the egg to keep it warm. In these photos behind the cute fluffy chick you can see an egg being tended. Penguins are amazing birds.

29/03/2024

Dive gear set up for Dive & Snorkel Antarctica You must be scuba certified, drysuit certified and have over 30 drysuit dives to dive on a trip. This is the rule and also it's to set you up for success in having the best trip possible! You have to own your own drysuit and dive gear. The ship will provide the tanks and weights. This is the set up we use. We can help you with this! If you're a diver but don't own a drysuit or can't get the time dives in then we do offer snorkeling. We will also provide the drysuit and undergarments for you as part of the trip! No experience is needed. I've gotten some of my best experiences in the snorkel zone with seals, penguins and playing around icebergs. Contact us for more info and check out the video below. (Becky)

Polar diving gear configuration for Antarctica and Arctic scuba diving Using a H Valve thats DIN on a single steel tank you want your regulators set up as be...

29/03/2024

Hi everyone! I created this group because there are a lot of Antarctica Travel groups on facebook but they don't specialize in Diving and Snorkeling on those expeditions. I've been working with Faith Ortins and Blue Green Expeditions for a long time now and we've partnered up to create amazing trips of a lifetime to Antarctica. I want this to be a place to ask questions, learn, grow and hopefully plan your future trip to Antarctica. Oh yeah, we do take non divers too! Everyone with a good attitude and sense of adventure is welcome! One of my best friends Kitrina Godding also comes along and co-leads on a lot of expeditions and i'm sure you'll see her chime in!

Here are some underwater images of ice, wildlife and things you might see underwater in Antarctica. I personally love snorkeling because that's where i've seen penguins, seals and jumped off icebergs!

29/03/2024

NEW TRIP ADDED! ANTARCTICA : EMPEROR PENGUINS
NOVEMBER 19-30TH 2024

During this Antarctica Adventure we will go in search of the Emperors! Join Becky Schott in partnership with Blue Green Expeditions to one of our favorite places on earth, Antarctica. There are only 2 trips a season that take a trip to Snow Hill Island where there are estimated 4000 breeding pairs of Emperor Penguins. At this time of year, the chicks will be active and extremely photogenic! We don’t typically see Emperor Penguins on our other Antarctica expeditions, so this is truly a unique adventure. Experience the bird’s-eye-view of Antarctica! Our helicopter capability on m/v Ortelius gives you the rare chance to see the famed emperor penguin rookery south of Snow Hill Island. Heavy ice may prevent entrance to this area from the Weddell Sea, and ice at the rookery itself might break up and start to melt earlier than expected. With this in mind, the aim is to stop the vessel between the Antarctic Sound and James Clark Ross Island, close to the ice edge, and find emperor penguins on their way to open water. The thrilling helicopter flights make this search possible, enabling you to land in locations otherwise inaccessible this early in the season.

Trip Includes
• 1 night hotel in Ushuaia Nov. 19th 2024
• 10 nights aboard Ortelius
• All meals aboard Ortelius
• All shore excursions, program lectures, and experienced
• expedition staff
• Snorkeling, for those who are interested
• Use of rubber boots & snowshoes
• Ship-to-shore helicopter transfers
• Pre-scheduled group transfer from ship to USU airport (directly after disembarkation)

Not Included

• Flights to and from Ushuaia Argentina
• Land arrangements, meals ashore
• Gratuities
• Recommended travel insurance

Pricing
Quad Porthole - $11,900
Twin Porthole - $14,600
Twin Window - $15,250
Superior - $17,300
All prices shown in US dollars, per person.

Deposit $7000
Final payment due July 1, 2024

Contact :
Becky Kagan Schott
[email protected]
Office – 610-364-7850

Photos by Sara Jenner