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Liveaboard diving in Antarctica

Ice walls, icebergs and leopard seals — polar diving along the Antarctic Peninsula

Diving in Antarctica — ice walls, icebergs, leopard seals and penguins underwater. Season, requirements and expedition schedules.

Why divers come here

Diving ice walls and the submerged flanks of icebergs in the Gerlache Strait
Leopard seals and crabeater seals approaching divers at close range
Gentoo and chinstrap penguins hunting krill underwater
The whaling ship Governoren in Foyn Harbour — a shallow wreck aground since 1915
Sailing into the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island through Neptune's Bellows
The Drake Passage crossing with albatrosses and humpback whale watching

What you'll meet underwater

Leopard seal Crabeater seal Weddell seal Gentoo and chinstrap penguins Humpback and minke whales Antarctic krill Sea stars and brittle stars Ribbon worms and giant isopods

Practical information

Best season: November–March (Antarctic summer); December–January for penguin colonies, February–March for whales and the best visibility
Water temperature: -2–2 °C
Visibility: 6–30 m
Wetsuit: Drysuit only, with warm undergarments, dry gloves and a 7–10 mm hood; a wetsuit is not acceptable
Experience level: Advanced — drysuit certification and cold-water experience are mandatory, 30+ logged dives
Getting there: Fly to Buenos Aires, then take a domestic flight to Ushuaia (USH), where the expedition vessels depart. The alternative gateway port is Punta Arenas (PUQ) in Chile.
Airports: Ushuaia (USH), Punta Arenas (PUQ)
Visa: No visa is required for Antarctica itself — the territory belongs to no state. You need a visa for the gateway country: Argentina is visa-free for Russian citizens for up to 90 days, Chile for up to 90 days.
Climate: Polar maritime, −5 to +5°C on the peninsula coast in summer, gale-force winds in the Drake Passage
Currency: No local currency; onboard payments in US dollars (USD) or euros (EUR), Argentine peso (ARS) in Ushuaia
Language: No permanent population; English on board, Spanish in the gateway ports
Time zone: UTC−3 (Ushuaia time, kept on board for the whole voyage)