These Cruise Lines Are the Only Ones to Let You Snorkel and Dive in Antarctica

Photo: Oceanwide Expeditions / Andrew Peacock

Oceanwide Expeditions is a Dutch, adventure-focused operator that sails in several locations in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. During its voyages to Antarctica, Oceanwide Expeditions offers polar diving excursions from three of its ships: the M/V Hondius, the M/V Ortelius, and the M/V Plancius. Oceanwide Expeditions is working on adding snorkeling to their Antarctica sailings, but this activity is not currently available.

Polar diving in Antarctica is only available to travelers with at least 30 dry-suit dives under their belts. To prove their experience, the divers are required to show and provide copies of an internationally accepted diving certificate and their logbook. The first dive of each trip is a test that allows the dive leader to gauge the level of experience of each guest, and travelers to test out their equipment and get used to the temperature of the water. Guests who do not meet the necessary requirements during the test dive will not be allowed to dive again.

Guests dive from Zodiac at safe locations twice per day if the weather and sea conditions allow. All the diving expeditions are led in English by certified and experienced instructors, including one dive leader and one or two guides. Oceanwide Expeditions has a dive guide-to-diver ratio of one to six.

Travelers can expect to dive at a maximum depth of 65 feet and explore shipwrecks and ice walls, and observe marine creatures, including penguins, several species of starfish, sea butterflies, fur seals, soft corals, and many more — possibly even leopard seals.

While Oceanwide Expeditions provides tanks and weights, divers need to bring their own equipment, including dry suit, face mask, and all other accessories.

Ocean Expeditions’ 10-day Antarctica — Whale Watching Discovery and Learning Voyage, scheduled to take place between March 10 and March 20, 2026, starts at $7102 for a berth in a four-person cabin. Other more costly options are available for booking in both 2025 and 2026.

Photo: Scott Portelli / Aurora Expeditions

Aurora Expeditions, is a Australian, B Corp-certified expedition cruise line that has been operating for over 30 years. In fact, Aurora Expeditions was the first expedition cruise operator in the world to offer polar diving, and has been offering polar snorkeling since 2014. While Aurora Expeditions’ focus is small-ship voyages in the Arctic and the Antarctic, the cruise line also sails in Asia, Oceania, latin America, and around Europe. Two of Aurora Expeditions’ ships, the Greg Mortimer and the Sylvia Earle, both of which have a maximum capacity of 130 passengers, sail to Antarctica every year.

Aurora Expeditions’ voyages to Antarctica are meant for the adventurous travelers as the operator offers a multitude of outdoors activities, including skiing, sea kayaking, alpine trekking and climbing, and scuba diving and snorkeling in water as cold as 30˚F.

Only Advanced Open Water divers and Drysuit Specialty certified divers are allowed to scuba dive in Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions. Not only that but they need to have logged at least 30 dry-suit dives, with a minimum of 10 dives in the 12 months before the trip, five of which must be in a dry suit. All travelers planning to scuba dive during their trip need to present an internationally accepted diving certificate, logbook, and recent diving medical so they can be approved prior to departure.

The first dive of the trip will be a test for all the divers to check and adjust their equipment, and for the dive master to evaluate everyone’s competence. Anyone not meeting the needed requirements will be excluded from this activity. After the test dive, travelers can expect to dive twice per day, but this activity is dependent on weather and sea conditions.

All the dives organized during Antarctica sailings with Aurora Expeditions are led by highly experienced guides and are done in groups of six divers maximum.

Divers can expect to dive at a maximum depth of 65 feet and encounter marine life such as giant isopods, spider crabs, jellyfish, penguins, whales, seals, and many more.

The scuba diving activity is available for a fee of $940 on top of the price of the voyage.

Travelers can participate in scuba diving on the following Aurora Expeditions voyages:

• Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea
• Spirit of Antarctica
• Antarctic Explorer
• Spirit of Antarctica featuring the Chilean Fjords
• Antarctic Explorer featuring the Chilean Fjords

Unlike scuba diving, snorkeling in Antarctica does not require any previous experience. All necessary training will be provided on board.

Expect to snorkel at least once per day, depending on the conditions, and see icebergs below the water, penguins, crustaceans, nudibranchs, and more.

All the snorkeling is led by expert guides with many years of experience, and is done in safe locations, including sheltered bays, off-shore islands, and secluded ship wrecks.

Unlike with diving, all the equipment is provided on board the ship for those who wish to partake, including specially designed Waterproof Snorkel-Drysuits, gloves, hood, fins, mask and snorkel.

Snorkeling is available for an additional fee of $835.

Note that at least six guests must sign up for the snorkeling activity for it to proceed.

Travelers can snorkel on the following Aurora Expeditions voyages:

• Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea
• Spirit of Antarctica
• South Georgia, Falklands, and Antarctic Odyssey
• Across the Antarctic Circle
• Antarctica Complete
• Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula