Berkley White and Erin Quigley will join Faith Ortins, from Blue Green Expeditions, and other polar diving specialists, image makers, and scientists, on an amazing citizen science expedition to Antarctica!

ANTARCTICA CITIZEN SCIENCE EXPEDITION - FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 4, 2024

February 2024 represents the 150th anniversary of the Challenger’s crossing of the southern polar circle. This expedition is to honor their contribution to our understanding of the world’s oceans while simultaneously exploring Antarctica.

This expedition is more than just a dive trip. Here we will pool our resources and time to assist scientists and image makers in adding to our understanding of the Antarctic region…as well as getting a little “fun” time in Antarctica!

The goals of this expedition are to:

Raise $100,000-$150,000 in donations for organizations dedicated to developing interest in marine careers.
Contribute $22,000 to carbon offsets to minimize the environmental impact of the expedition’s carbon footprint
Use the images, videos, and data collected by the image professionals and citizen scientists to develop multimedia educational tools across platforms, including live streaming to classrooms.
Bring image makers to Antarctica whose efforts will contribute to a greater appreciation of the delicate Antarctic ecosystem.
Use the expertise of scientists, with the assistance of citizen scientists, to explore new areas. Projects include plankton tows, reef surveys of key indicator species, sample collections, and marine mammal ID.

We have the entire Oceanwide Expeditions ship m/v Ortelius for this expedition – this will be an amazing adventure so reserve your spot now!!!

Itinerary

This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula Expedition will take you south of Antarctica, crossing the Polar Circe. We will pass through waters traveled by whales, anchoring in various spots around the region, the expedition offers the chance to hike and dive in the iceberg-heavy waters.

Day 1 ~ End of the World, Start of a Journey

Embarking from Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina, located on the far southern tip of South America and nicknamed, “The End of the World.”

Day 2-3 ~ Path of the Polar Explorers

Over two-days on the Drake Passage you will enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions.

Day 4-7 ~ Entering Antarctica

The intended route for your Antarctic adventure includes:

Cuverville Island – Nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island housing a large colony of Gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas.
Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow offering opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing.
Paradise Bay – A potential Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters before sailing to the Lemaire Channel.
Pourquoi Pas Island – Known for its tight fjords and lofty, glacier-crowded mountains. Horseshoe Island- The location of the former British Base Y that is still equipped with almost all the technology it had originally.

Day 8-10 ~ Through the Gullet

Possibilities include:

Stonington Island – home to the former US East Base and British Base E, occupied until 1975, and the southernmost landing site of the trip – 68° south.
Hanusse Bay – a chance of spotting whales through the icebergs in this scenic bay.
The Whales of Crystal Sound
Humpback whales, unimaginable views, birdlife, Adélie penguins congregating among the icebergs, possible Zodiac cruise, and a potential landing.

Day 11-12 ~ Familiar Seas, Familiar Friends crossing the Drake

Day 13 ~ There and Back Again

Arrival back at Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina with the memories of a lifetime!

Package Pricing

Notes

There are a variety of cabins on the m/v Ortelius, part of the Oceanwide Expeditions polar ﬂeet, and the trip price is dependent on the cabin selected.
The hotel in Ushuaia is based upon double occupancy
All pricing is quoted in US Dollars, is per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise noted
Pricing is per person, is based on the class of cabin selected, is based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted, and in US Dollars

The cabin based pricing is per person, based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted

Quad – $11,600 USD, based on quad occupancy
Twin Porthole – $13,400 USD
Twin Window – $14,300 USD
Twin Deluxe – $15,000 USD
Superior – $16,700 USD

This unique adventure will sell out quickly so please reserve your spot soon!

Payment Schedule

A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 USD per person is due upon booking.
At the time of booking you will be asked to select a cabin type.
A 2nd payment of $2,000 USD per person is due August 1, 2022
A 3rd payment of $3,000 USD per person is due June 1, 2023
The remaining balance is due October 15, 2023

Your All Inclusive Trip Includes

Accommodations aboard the m/v Ortelius, part of the Oceanwide Expeditions polar ﬂeet.
All meals aboard the ship
Diving, 1-2 dives a day including tanks and weights.
As this will be a citizens science oriented trip, the ship will have extra staﬀ on board to ensure a great experience.
The Expedition will be lead by Faith Ortins and other polar diving experts.
Photography, historical, ecological, and scientific presentations
Hotel stay in Ushuaia, Argentina on February 20, 2022 – the night before the ship leaves. It is important to get there early in case luggage gets delayed.

Diving Details

Water temperature: ~32F
Air temperature: 30-45F
Depths to 80 feet
Cold water with good to great visibility
Icebergs

Other Activities

Hiking
Wildlife interactions
Zodiac tours

Restrictions – Approval Process Required

Given the advanced nature of this expedition all divers must be approved by Blue Green Expeditions before a reservation for this expedition will be confirmed. Once a diver submits a booking request for this expedition the request will be reviewed by Blue Green Expedition staff. If approved an email will be sent informing that a deposit payment is now due with a link to the payment site. The deposit must be paid within 30 calendar days or the reservation will be subject to cancellation. The approval email will contain a button which permits future incremental payments.

Requirements

Your dive certification cards
Proof of dive insurance
If diving you must be a certified drysuit diver
A drysuit is required
Cold water exposure protection
Cold water diving experience
You must have a minimum of 50 drysuit dives, 20 in cold water.
All your own diving gear. Tanks and weights will be provided.
The diving configuration requires 2 DIN first stages, each with a cold-water second stage.
A spirit of adventure

Restrictions

Aerial and submersible drones are not approved for this expedition
Rebreathers are not approved for this expedition
Nitrox and argon are not available for this expedition

Not Included

Airfare
Fuel surcharges
Alcohol and on board any beverage other than coffee and tea
Transfer from the airport in Ushuaia to the host hotel
Gratuities
Dive and travel insurance are required
Trip insurance is highly recommended

Logistics

ARRIVAL LOCAL DATE (yyyy-mm-dd): 2024-02-20
REQUIRED LOCAL ARRIVAL TIME: 4 PM (No combined arrival, customs clearance, and baggage retrieval time later than this)
ARRIVAL AIRPORT: USH – Ushuaia, Argentina
DEPARTURE LOCAL DATE (yyyy-mm-dd): 2024-03-04
DEPARTURE LOCAL TIME: 12PM (No flight check-in time earlier than this)
DEPARTURE AIRPORT: USH – Ushuaia, Argentina
SPECIFIC FLIGHT REQUIREMENT / GROUP FLIGHTS / GROUP TRANSPORT: TBD
HOST HOTEL: TBD
MEET-UP LOCATION: Host hotel at 630pm on 2024-02-20
VISA REQUIREMENTS (www.travisa.com): None needed for USA citizens
SURCHARGES / FEES / EXTRA PACKAGE: TBD

The History

On the 7th of December 1872, an expedition to collect data on all the world’s oceans put to sea aboard the H.M.S. Challenger. The expedition was organized by the Royal Society of London, and they planned to use the ship’s early steam engine for more precise maneuvering to collect scientific samples. A repurposed warship, her heavy guns were replaced with scientific labs, workrooms and storage space for equipment and multiple years’ worth dredges was also necessary, together with space for the anticipated sample collection. A crew of 200 and 20 naval officers supported six scientists from varying disciplines – naturalists, chemists, physicists and even an artist to chronicle the voyage and its discoveries.

Between her departure in December 1872 and her return to Spithead on 24 May 1876, H.M.S. Challenger traversed 68,890 nautical miles, in the course of which she sampled in the North and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and travelled north of the limits of drift ice in the North Atlantic polar seas and south of the Antarctic Circle.

Wyville Thomson, leader of the expedition, insisted on consistency in sampling and attempted to make the sample at consistent intervals and always to measure the same parameters:

Depth
Bottom composition sample
Bottom Water sample
Bottom fauna sample using a dredge or trawl
Surface fauna sample using tow nets
Water samples at varying depths
Water temperature at varying depths
Measurement of local atmospheric meteorological conditions in addition to the direction and speed of surface currents

The analysis of the data took years and resulted in the publication of “The Report of the Scientific Results of the Exploring Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger.” It spanned 50 massive volumes.

At its completion, The Report discussed with full detail of text and illustrations the currents, temperatures, depths and constituents of the oceans, the topography of the sea bottom, the geology and biology of its covering, and the animal life of the abyssal waters. The Challenger expedition laid the foundation of scientific oceanography and begun its introduction to the wider scientific community. A specially minted medal, the original Challenger Medal, was awarded to the scientists involved with collecting and publishing the data.

While they never explored Antarctica itself, their research is the foundation upon which much of today’s climate science is based on. In 2024, we will honor their achievements by continuing their efforts to expand our understanding for and appreciation of the world’s oceans.

The Scientists and Image Makers:

This expedition will bring a combined effort with the citizens and the invited experts. These experts specialize in the areas of polar science and polar diving, underwater photography and videography, STEM education, and film making. to join and work with our citizen guests.

These experts will share their expertise with the group providing specialized advance materials, on board presentations, and sharing of imagery taken during the expedition.

Berkley White is the owner and founder of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo. Berkley is one of the leading underwater imaging professionals, who’s passion for underwater imaging is equaled by his passion for educating others. His images and articles are regularly seen in national and international scuba diving publications, and he leads several educational underwater imaging expeditions each year, such as The Digital Shootout. To view his online portfolio, please visit berkleywhite.com.

Erin Quigley is a Adobe ACE certified digital imaging consultant specializing in customized workflows and editing strategies using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. She is an award-winning underwater photographer and video editor, and creator of GoAskErin.com, which provides one-on-one instruction, custom video tutorials, and Photoshop and Lightroom resources specifically developed for underwater shooters.

Allison Cusick is from Seattle, WA (USA), and now lives in California pursuing her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her research focuses on understanding phytoplankton within polar fjords and how melting glaciers influence the ecosystem. As lead scientist to the citizen science project FjordPhyto she hopes to engage travelers in her research. She first travelled to Antarctica in 2013 on an icebreaker in the Ross Sea and since 2017 spent the Austral summers on the Antarctic Peninsula and will return for another season as Lecturer & Scientist.

Dr. Amy Moran studies the physiological ecology and evolutionary ecology of marine invertebrates, with a particular focus on early life history stages – embryos and larvae. One major area of emphasis is the effects of temperature on the energy dynamics of growth and development, and in recent years she has studied polar gigantism in both sea slugs and sea spiders with repeated trips from Hawaii to the waters under the ice in Antarctica.

Amy is an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Andrea Stockert is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer and Television Producer, Andrea “Drey” Stockert, began working as a safety diver and dive master on films and commercials including blockbusters, The Perfect Storm and Pirates of the Caribbean. In 1998, Stockert led a small television crew through Central America and the Middle East to shoot an ocean-based television series for Animal Planet. Since then, she has amassed Producer, Director, and Writer credits on The Travel Channel, Discovery HD, Showtime, The Food Network, The Speed Channel & TLC. She was inducted into Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2001.

Stockert is Founder & Executive Producer of One Giant Leap Media, which specializes in fusing documentary film with groundbreaking video technologies. She is also the co-founder of The Ocean Lab – a non-profit 501(c)3 bringing live-streaming ocean science expeditions into classrooms all over the world.

Becky Kagan Schott Becky is a five-time Emmy-Award winning underwater cameraman, photographer, and technical diving Instructor whose work can be seen on major networks including, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and The Travel Channel. She specializes in bringing imagery from challenging aquatic environments, such as filming in caves, under ice, and deep shipwrecks.

Becky has over 23 years of diving experience, is a Women Divers Hall of Fame member, and has enjoyed traveling and diving from the Arctic to Antarctica.

Cristian Dimitrius is a cinematographer, photographer and television presenter specializing in wildlife and natural history. On land or underwater, from ants to whales, Cristian’s innovative cinematography and unorthodox camera techniques are helping to revolutionize the way people see and perceive wildlife.

In addition to several film credits, Cristian has shot and produce for the world’s top television networks including the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Globo TV, History Channel and Animal Planet. Cristian Demetrius’s long-life mission is to inspire people to fall in love with our planet through his images, arousing the desire for knowledge and conservation of the place we all can call home.

Christian McDonald is the Scientific Diving Safety Officer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Christian McDonald, manages the oldest and one of the largest and most active scientific diving programs in the United States. Upon graduation from UCSC with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, Christian spent 5 years working in and around Antarctica as a scientific diver, natural history cinematographer, commercial diver, and senior marine technician aboard National Science Foundation (NSF) supported polar classed research vessels. Christian has recently served as chair of NSF’s Office of Polar Programs Diving Control Board and is a Past-President of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences.

Dan Orr is a diving safety export and retired President of the Divers Alert Network. Dan was a US Navy diver and tested diving equipment for military contractors. He has published and co-authored over 200 articles and a dozen books and manuals, and has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors including the NOGI Award in Sports/Education, the Leonard Greenstone Award for Diving Safety, the Our World-Underwater Award, Beneath the Sea’s Diver of the Year, the Wyland Foundation Award for Lifetime Achievement, the NAUI Lifetime Achievement Award and the DEMA Reaching Out Award. He is a member of the Hall of Fame for Disabled Divers, the NAUI Hall of Honor, the Diving Industry Hall of Fame, and the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.

Florian Fischer is a German director who discovered diving at the age of 18 while on a trip in Egypt. Today, he describes diving as his favorite creative playground. Florian evolved from graphic design working in the advertising world to a documentary filmmaker, documenting the civil war in Burma, to an independent filmmaker.

Guided by his creative instincts, Florian co-founded Behind the Mask six years ago to shine a light on the beauty of nature and the ocean.

Nancy McGee is an explorer and filmmaker Nancy McGee has lived a life of adventure and diversity. The Explorers Club recognized her with a Fellowship for her explorations, which include filming in locations so remote that local natives have never seen Western people. Explorers Club Fellowship is the highest tier of explorers and reserved for those who have distinguished themselves by directly contributing to scientific knowledge in the field of geographical exploration or allied sciences.

Please note that Divers Alert Network (DAN) or equivalent evacuation insurance is mandatory on all trips. Additionally, comprehensive Cancellation, Accident, Medical and Baggage insurance such as Dive Assure, Generali Global Assistance or Travel Guard is highly recommended.

Antarctica Citizen Science Expedition – February 20 – March 4, 2024