For many, diving in Antarctica sounds like something out of a dream. For Catherine Buckland, it’s just another day at work. A commercial diving instructor and diver medic based in Plymouth, England, Catherine has spent her career training elite divers, including teams from the British Antarctic Survey and the UK military, and leading scientific and expedition projects worldwide. With EYOS, she takes her expertise to the ice-covered waters of the polar regions, supervising dives in some of the most remote and demanding environments on the planet. We sat down with Catherine to talk about what it takes to dive in these extreme conditions, her most memorable underwater encounters, and why the icy depths of Antarctica continue to inspire her.
- You grew up inland in the UK, yet you found your way to the sea early on through sailing. How did that passion evolve into a career in diving, and what drew you to the polar regions in particular?
My Mum always called me a ‘water baby’, never happier than if I could go swimming in the sea or a lake. That love of water developed into a sailing hobby, and later a fascination for what was under the water. Learning to dive in the UK means that you are already well prepared for cold water. The polar regions hold this fascination for me as it does for many people, as one of the last remote places on earth. Going for a dive in Antarctica in an unknown place, often means you could be the first person to have ever dived there – and you can’t say that that is not a bit exciting.
- You’ve trained commercial divers year-round, including teams from the British Antarctic Survey and the UK military. How has that experience prepared you for supervising dives in the harsh conditions of Antarctica?
There is nothing like newbie divers to keep you on your toes! Seriously though, a background of instruction gives you a great groundwork of experience in managing situations. Supervising dives in Antarctica means you have to be constantly alert and processing variables, for example, how quickly is that ice moving? And how do I get the divers out if this happens? I absolutely thrive on managing challenging situations and giving great experiences to divers.
- In your role as Dive Master with EYOS, you’re responsible for ensuring safe and successful dives in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. The polar environment presents unique challenges for divers, from freezing temperatures to shifting ice—how do you prepare for a dive in such extreme conditions?
It’s all in the preparation. Scuba diving is like running a marathon, you wouldn’t just decide to get up from the sofa and run a marathon one day having never run before. You have to build up to that level of skill, and that takes time. It’s also important for me that I keep those skills sharp. Despite having worked in these environments for many years, prior to any dive trip I am either in the sea near to my home or a local quarry, testing my kit and refreshing skills. This is standard practice for a dive professional, you have to keep yourself in the game.
- Many people picture polar regions as vast, empty ice fields, but beneath the surface, it’s a different world. Can you describe what it’s like to descend into those waters?
There is a moment, on every dive, when you start to descend and the noise from the penguin colony stops, and the wall or sea bed comes into view and there you find an array of colors in the marine life which are starkly juxtaposed with the black and white panorama topside – not to mention the Penguin fly-by’s and Seal interactions. Yes, it is hard to dive in Antarctica, the sheer amount of kit and weight, training, and managing yourself in that water is more difficult than tropical diving, but it truly is special.
- For those who may never experience diving in Antarctica firsthand, what’s one thing you wish more people knew about these underwater ecosystems and why they matter?
How critical all of these ecosystems are to us as a whole planet, and how much we still have to learn about them.