An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/54063
30 | BY COMDT MARK BROWNEN Dive in Antarctica Part 1 Following a successful diving trip in the Arctic, at 780 north, by two mem- bers of the Army Diving Group (ADG) and two members of the Garda Dive Unit, the four divers decided to try to dive in Antarctica. Two years of research followed, including a search for ships that take divers to Antarctica. We eventually found an Australian company running a former Finnish research ship, the MV Polar Pioneer, registered in Russia and crewed by Ukrainians working out of Ushuaia in southern Patagonia, who were taking divers to Antarctica; they were also af- fordable - it sounded perfect! They ran two trips per season with 12 divers each trip so places were limited but as our budget wasn't that of a TV documentary crew this ship was the one for us. Unfortunately, as payment day loomed a ca- reer course, a wedding and an overseas trip ruled the other three out, so I was now going on my own. The MV Polar Pioneer was 235ft long (roughly 15ft longer than LÉ Aisling) with an ice-strengthened hull - not an ice breaker - but with a hull capable of operating amongst the ice floes and in thicker ice than normal ships. The total passenger and crew numbered 56. Facilities on board were basic but comfortable and most importantly it had a good diver support container, which was used by both scientist and tourists, depending on who was chartering the ship. While the ship ran expeditions it also supplied and sup- ported some of the Antarctic research stations. These operations included the transfer of scientists and their equipment and a resupply. As it was late February and nearing the end of the Ant- arctic summer the weather for the two-day crossing of the Drake Passage, the infamous strait separating South America and Antarctica, was expected to be good. How- ever, I quickly learned that 'good' for a Russian sailor and 'good' for me were two very different things. After I spent the first day falling out of my bunk and crawling to the toilet during the 'good' weather, I was not looking forward to the bad weather! We finally arrived at the tip of the Antarctica Peninsula after passing left of Elephant Island made famous by Tom Crean and Ernest Shakleton. Our route was to take us down An Cosantóir February 2012