Snorkelling in Antarctica
Witness the White Continent from an entirely different perspective while snorkelling in Antarctica.
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Sink below the pristine waters of the Southern Ocean for an exhilarating experience. Immerse yourself in an otherworldly combination of light and ice, and discover marine life found nowhere else on Earth. Whether spotting swarms of krill or porpoising Adelie penguins, true enthusiasts with the right skills and experience will relish the opportunity to go scuba diving in Antarctica.
You don’t need to be a qualified ice diver to scuba dive in Antarctica, but you need to prove you have extensive cold-water dive experience (10°C / 50°F or below), including in a dry suit.
Specifically, you must have logged at least 30 dry suit dives. Within the year leading up to your trip, you should have completed 10 dives total, regardless of water temperature. At least five of those 10 dives must have been in a dry suit.
Divers are expected to be knowledgeable enough to read their compass and depth gauges, as well as look after each other while underwater. You’ll need to be able to prepare your equipment before each excursion and strong enough to carry it in and out of the zodiac or up and down the gangway.
If you're not qualified to dive but love the idea of seeing the White Continent from a unique perspective, consider polar snorkelling. It's less technical, but you'll still experience Antarctica under the water.
Before departure, you’ll need to show proof of:
This may seem excessive, but so far from a proper hospital and medical care, safety is the top priority.
Your voyage will start with a check dive, so everyone taking part can get used to the cold water – temperatures can be as chilly as -1˚C/30˚F – and try out their equipment and the number of weights they need.
Your guides will aim to take you out in the water between one to two times a day, typically once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Before each dive, you'll have a briefing about the site location, weather and ice conditions, and the procedure.
Excursions never go beyond a depth of 20 metres (65ft) and most last roughly one to two hours.
The dives will be done on a 'buddy system' basis. For safety, your guide will stay on the surface and they’ll check you “out” and "in" after each session.
While you're diving, other ship passengers will be out on landings and zodiac excursions. If you’d like to skip any dives and take part in these instead, that’s no problem. This will give you time to explore above the water as well as under it for a more balanced overall experience.
Antarctic dive sites range from shallow ice diving to deep water. Generally speaking, you’ll board a zodiac with all your equipment and journey 10 to 15 minutes to a location chosen by your guides. Occasionally, you’ll dive directly from the beach.
Ice conditions and visibility change daily, so what you experience can be a lottery. You might get clear water or haziness – nothing is guaranteed – but that just adds to the excitement. When it comes to Antarctic marine life, you may see spider crabs, sea butterflies, dogfish, giant kelp walls and more.
As with all excursions and activities on the White Continent, the mercurial weather means it's better to embrace an expedition mindset and go with the flow leads to have a fantastic time.
Special Offers:Swoop has access to the widest range of offers and can help you find the right trip, cabin, & price.
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Diving is generally offered from the end of November to mid-February because this is when temperatures are at their warmest. Early season trips, when the ice hasn't melted as much, boosts the chances of better visibility.
Expect to pay between USD $600 and $1,500 to scuba dive in Antarctica, depending on your choice of ship and voyage length.
This immersive activity costs extra as it involves experienced dive guides and specialist equipment.
“ Be prepared to dive in very cold water. I suggest dry gloves or mitts (not five-fingered gloves). Practice diving in full Antarctic dive kit before going – allowing for weight, being able to undo clips with thick gloves – and be fit. ”
Erika, Australia Customer
You’ll receive a full kit list after you book, but you'll usually need to bring:
You'll also be expected to pack spare parts for your regulators and dry suit in case of leakage or damage. A compressor, scuba tanks and weights will be available for you on board.
If you’d rather not pay for excess baggage on your flight, you may be able to rent equipment. To talk this through, get in touch.
Diving is offered on just a handful of ships and numbers are strictly capped at between 15 and 24 participants for each voyage. As it’s such a popular activity with limited capacity, we recommend booking at least a year to 18 months in advance. Getting your Antarctic scuba diving trip locked in far enough ahead of travel means you'll have time to plan the required dry suit dives and complete all the other necessary admin.
To go scuba diving in Antarctica, you'll need to book this activity in advance with one of our polar experts at Swoop when you secure a cabin on the vessel of your choice. Feel free to get in touch with us to talk this through.
There’s a chance of seeing wildlife every time you enter the water, but as ever with animal encounters, they can’t be guaranteed. Sightings of penguins and seals are far from uncommon.
Unless you can demonstrate that you have the minimum number of cold water and dry suit dives, you won’t be allowed to scuba dive in Antarctica.
If you would like to, yes. Typically you can dive up to twice a day, but many divers often choose to dive only once a day. This gives you time to explore above the water as well as under it, for a more balanced overall experience.
Your guides will aim to offer diving experiences twice a day. The first will be in the morning and the second will be in the afternoon. It’s worth noting that this can change frequently depending on weather and ice warnings.
Dive excursions never go beyond a maximum of 20 metres (65ft) in depth. Most last roughly one to two hours.
The polar seas can be as cold as -1˚C/30˚F. This is why you need plenty of scuba diving experience and a good dry suit.
Groups are limited to six divers per dive guide. For the scuba diving programmes to operate in Antarctica, at least six to eight participants must have signed up.
It depends on the operator, but generally you need to be at least 14 years of age to go scuba diving in Antarctica.
Witness the White Continent from an entirely different perspective while snorkelling in Antarctica.
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Discover MoreWe'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
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