“Leaning forward to escape the Arctic wind, I catch sight of my snow-filled fins and can’t stop laughing. The feeling in my face has long since disappeared, and the other guests are equally rigid, turning purple in the minus 4°F Norwegian wind chill. Snow is everywhere, and I long to throw myself into the 36°F water to warm up. I never knew snorkeling could be so extreme—frankly, it’s absurd.”

Read my latest article for Scuba Diving magazine Orcas Ahead to find out what it’s really like to come face-to-face with orcas in freezing cold Arctic waters.