“Go go go!” were the words I’d been waiting to hear. Gijs, our guide, shouted at us urgently, signalling it was time to drop into the dark Arctic waters below. Without hesitation, I threw myself into the ocean. With snow-covered mountains above and orca fins seemingly everywhere, the world ceased to exist.”
Read my latest Forest and Bird Magazine article: Arctic Adventures with Orcas.
“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.
Kathryn Curzon dive writer
