‘Getting out amongst it’ is our philosophy, and that is exactly what we do. Weather permitting, you will dive while other expeditioners are doing their activities – kayaking, snorkelling, or exploring ashore. Our experienced dive guides are skilled at finding the best opportunities to dive, while taking into account the ever-changing weather and sea ice conditions. We aim to offer you the best quality dive experience while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Antarctic and Arctic diving reveals a world of ice, where you will see glaciers, gigantic icebergs and a unique blend of marine, making for a very special experience. With numerous diving opportunities along your voyage, no two days will be alike – a truly inspiring and unforgettable experience awaits.

We try to get you off the ship to dive up to two times per day (except for sea days). However, we are always at the mercy of the weather and changes to the voyage itinerary to take advantage of unique opportunities like wildlife sightings. Embracing the unexpected is part of the excitement of expedition-style travel!

Polar regions

Scuba diving in Antarctica and the Arctic reveals worlds of hidden ice, where you will observe glaciers, gigantic icebergs and fascinating marine life underwater, making for a very special experience.

In polar regions, the dive sites vary from shallow ice diving, diving along a wall or around a grounded iceberg. The maximum depth is 20 metres / 65 feet. The combination of sunlight and the extraordinary formations of ice cause an overwhelming, ever-changing spectre of colours, with a fantastic variety of shades and brilliance. Diving in polar areas offers opportunities to witness spectacular ice formations in addition to interesting marine life.

Temperate regions

In a wetsuit or perhaps even a drysuit, you can explore remarkable kelp forests, swim among sonorous whales, uncover historic ship-wrecks and even swim between two continents!

While Iceland is renowned for its dramatic terrestrial landscape, many people don’t know that it offers excellent scuba diving opportunities for those with drysuit diving experience. Here you can dive between tectonic plates, experience hydrogen sulfide bubbles within a geothermal spring, and see a huge variety of marine life in the fjords and ocean.

The United Kingdom is full of diving hotspots and hundreds of shipwrecks that divers come from all over the world to explore. 

Tropical regions

Embark on a wreck dive, encounter majestic marine wildlife including dugong, sea turtles and whale shark, or marvel at brightly-coloured coral. Discover some of Earth’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, many of which have been designated as ‘Hope Spots’ by Mission Blue.

When diving in tropical destinations such as Costa Rica and Panama, you will see an incredible array of marine life. Caño Island Biological Reserve boasts some of the best diving spots in the country. Because of the clear see, divers will have visibility of between 10-30 metres / 30-100 feet. In addition to colourful coral gardens, you may find bull and nurse sharks, manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles, and the occasional humpback whale. As for fish, get ready to see damselfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, porcupine fish, goatfish, goby, and perhaps an octopus.

Our diving activity is not for beginners. Requirements vary slightly depending on the region you are diving in. For polar destinations, you must be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver and Drysuit Specialty certified diver with at least 30 drysuit dives. You are also required to complete a minimum of 10 dives in the 12 months before your trip, with a minimum of 5 of those dives in a drysuit. For temperate and tropical regions, you must be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver with a minimum of 30 logged dives. You are also required to complete a minimum of 6 of those dives within 12 months of your trip.

Before departure you must show an internationally accepted diving certificate, diver’s logbook and a current diving medical (no more than 6 months old) from your doctor confirming that you are in suitable physical health to participate in our diving activity. A divemaster will review your form for suitability and experience before approving your diving spot.

The initial dive will be a ‘check-out’ dive so each diver can check and adjust their weights and equipment. If our divemaster feels that you do not meet the necessary experience, they have the right to exclude you from participating in the dive program. This decision will be made for your own safety and for the safety of the other divers.

Why is so much experience required?

A higher level of diving experience is required for the polar regions because of the remoteness of the location. Diving is no fun if you are cold and uncomfortable. When you are diving in cold water, you consume more air, expend more energy, and can become more fatigued. You may also find it more difficult to perform complex tasks that require manual dexterity in cold water.

We pride ourselves on taking adventurous souls to some of the most wild and remote destinations on earth, which offer endless opportunities for adventure activities like scuba diving. However, at all times safety is our highest priority.

Diving in remote polar areas is not more dangerous than normal scuba diving, but it is more equipment and labour intensive. We don’t have a decompression chamber and offer only basic medical services on board, so cannot accept risky ventures from any of the divers in this activity program.

All dives are conducted using a buddy system of two or three divers. If you are not travelling with a buddy who is diving, we will pair you up with other divers on your expedition. All divers are expected to have enough experience to read their compass, depth gauges and look out for each other in order to have a safe dive.

Before each dive, your Divemaster will brief you about the location, the weather, sea or ice conditions and the procedure of the dive. All divers are required to follow the instructions of the Divemaster and guides at all times. All participants are expected to fully understand and accept the risks involved in polar diving and participate at their own choice.