The dive season here is almost at its end. It's been an amazing experience. I had 2 guys down here to work with. The first, my boss, who worked in the Gulf back in the day and the other an ex-North Sea sat diver. He was a little gruff, but overall had some amazing stories and a good teacher in his own surly way. I got in about 30 dives, the first diving on the outfall system here. It's only been about 4 years since they've had a treatment plant so at the bottom of the pipe is literally a pile of shit. There are sea urchins with panty liners and toilet paper stuck to their spines! It wasn't too glamorous but it was a good job to start with. We worked on the stanchions holding the pipe up and a few times I found myself knee deep in shit. I also worked with some of the scientists on their projects and a couple of other inspection projects. It's cold and dark, but the viz was perfect until the algae started blooming about a week ago. It's still about 60' but that won't last once the ice starts breaking up. The ice in some areas is about 12 to 13' thick at the dive sites and it's a little disconcerting going down through them in the complete dark, but once you're out of the hole your eyes adjust and if there are cracks in the ice, some light gets in.
-A Coyac-

Another Antarctic Diver

Pics from Norm Bracken

Bracken dives for the Australian government as diver and dive supervisor. So far made two trips to Antarctica collecting samples and doing other scientific stuff down to about 27 meters.

Winter 2005/06 & 2006/07