South Shetland Islands - Half Moon Dive Site — Antarctica
About South Shetland Islands - Half Moon
Half Moon Island is a crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the South Shetland Islands, ringed by dramatic basalt cliffs and home to a thriving chinstrap penguin colony. The diving here reveals the volcanic origins of the island — underwater, rugged lava formations create swimthroughs, overhangs, and crevices colonised by an astonishing diversity of cold-water organisms. Bright orange and yellow soft corals flourish in the current-swept channels, alongside massive barrel sponges and dense bryozoan colonies. Antarctic limpets the size of fists cling to the rock faces, and giant nemertean ribbon worms — some reaching 2 metres in length — snake across the substrate. The volcanic rock creates dramatic topography rarely seen in Antarctic diving, where most sites feature glacially smoothed terrain.
Site Information
- Depth: 3–18 m
- Difficulty: advanced
- Site type: Reef
- Current: Mild
- Best time: December–February
- Region: Antarctica
Highlights
- Volcanic Formations
- Chinstrap Penguins
- Cold-water Corals