A Song of Ice and Inspire

Fully geared up, I twist and drop into the dive hole at the McMurdo Jetty. I see nothing but bubbles and white, but I open my drysuit valve, and begin my descent. The column of ice passes in an instant and a world of darkness opens up around me with a ceiling of icy blue covered in thin spiky sheets of platelet ice.

After two years of intensive SCUBA training, and a journey across the world, I begin my first dive into the waters of Antarctica. It's cold, there's no doubt about it, but the clarity is unrivaled. Each direction I turn I can see for hundreds of feet, watching trails of ice cracks above and anemone fields below.

Everywhere I turn are animals that are familiar, yet larger and more abundant. Sponges and tubeworms reach from the rocks, sea stars and Trematomus fish fill the crevices.

I follow my dive buddy for this checkout dive, Alex Brett, as he guides me through this unfamiliar plane, showing me the wonders within. A rock encrusted with eggs, he points underneath, the mother dragonfish lies below, guarding her clutch. We swim further, a large pycnogonid sea spider stares at me, menacingly. It moves slowly, but I know it's waiting to pounce and exsanguinate me.

As we swim through this ice-capped landscape, surprisingly not feeling claustrophobic, echoes of seals can be heard. A low thumping, an eerie trilling, the sounds are directionless, yet all around. This area does not belong to me. I am merely a visitor. As such I try not to disturb any creature, stir up any sediment, or turn over any rock. Taking only memories and adjusting to the waters I'll spend the season diving in.

There were so many incredible parts of this dive. My favorite part - seeing Clione sea angels and comb jellies lit up with our dive lights, dancing in the beams and reflecting rainbow lights.

The dive support team of Alex Brett, Steve Rupp, and Rob Robbins, in tandem with my dive team - Paola, Andrew, and Lily, and divers of additional projects, I know it's going to be a great season. I can't wait to keep diving here, at the end of the world.

I feel so privileged to be here. I know that I worked hard to get here. I'm excited to conduct science and share these experiences with you all.