TRAVEL
Exploring the Top and Bottom of the World by Marty Snyderman , MartySnyderman.com
I HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY EXPLORING the underwater world for longer than five decades. With more than 15,000 dives under my proverbial weight belt, I have enjoyed dive
comments can help you and your clients get the most out of similar opportunities. Why Explore Polar Seas
sites from Alaska to Argentina, from California to Curacao, and from Hawaii to Raja Ampat. I have witnessed the wonders of salt- water and freshwater ecosystems, reef communities, kelp forests, mangrove forests, the open sea, etc. My logbook includes dives made during the day and the mid- dle of the night in the proverbial middle of nowhere. Most of my dives have been made on open circuit systems, but I have more than 200 underwater hours using semi-closed and closed-circuit re- breathers. I don’t want to come off as a diver who thinks he has done or knows it all. Instead, I want to tell you what it was like for a diver with my background to pre- pare for and make my first trips to the Arctic and Antarctica. Lucky me, I was part of the Imaging Team on two trips run by Faith Ortins of Blue Green Expeditions (bluegreenexpeditions.com). Faith has led more than 25 trips to polar regions in recent years. Shar- ing these adventures is her passion in life. Ten or fifteen years ago, when I mentioned my desire to explore
From the United States, Arctic and Antarctic exploration requires long flights and boat rides. But those in- conveniences fade into the background of one’s memories compared to the re- wards of visiting polar regions. Carved by the movement of ancient ice and great expanses of ocean, the scenes are vast, stunning, alluring, and intimidating all at the same time. Being there, not just looking at what is in front of you, but truly being present in the moment is magical, awesome, and humbling, truly humbling. Trying to describe the landscapes, seascapes, and ice formations with their seemingly unending variety of textures, colors, and sounds is incredibly chal- lenging. When weather and water con- ditions are favorable, there is no more inviting place on Earth. But throw in some fog, wind, rain, sleet, snow, and bumpy seas and you will feel the re- moteness of your location deep inside of you. Every day my respect for early explorers who came on lesser vessels to unmapped areas filled with myths and half-truths grew exponentially. Those times were truly the days of wooden ships and iron men. If you are at all like me, you will get lost in introspective thought with so many feelings and facts colliding in
Ice packs at the top of the world.
Joyful snorkelers leaping into Arctic water.
An Antarctic landscape.
polar waters, my comments were almost always met with a reaction that varied from “not me, not ever” to “that’s insane.” Fast forward to 2026 and you’ll soon learn that in some sport diving circles, polar diving has become one of the hottest trends in our sport. Hopefully, my experience and PAGE THIRTY-FOUR | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
your head. And you will ask yourself, “how did my life unfold in such a way that I am here and what can I do to get the most out of this incredible opportunity?” The sun only set for a very short period of time and I didn’t want to sleep. There were times in the Arctic when the water was filled
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