While it is approaching summer here in the northern hemisphere, down in Antarctica it is close to winter, where temperatures plummet to -50 degrees and darkness prevails for months. Scientists rarely dive under these conditions, but it has occurred in the past.
John Heine, author of Cold Water Diving: A Guide to Ice Diving, regularly travels to Antarctica as part of his job duties for the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. In the photos below John has just exited from an outdoor dive under the ice. Most dives are staged from a heated hut, which makes it much more comfortable for the divers and the dive tenders.
By regularly engaging in ice diving and scientific diving, John stays up to date on the latest equipment and techniques, which he passes along to the public through his publications.
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Below: Lowering sample collection bags and jars through the ice hole prior to a dive from a heated hut. |
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