Orne Harbour Dive Site — Antarctica
About Orne Harbour
Orne Harbour sits beneath a dramatic ridgeline where a large chinstrap penguin colony perches on the steep volcanic slopes above. Underwater, the harbour offers surprisingly rich diving on a gently sloping rocky bottom. Dense swarms of Antarctic krill — the tiny crustaceans that underpin the entire Southern Ocean food web — pulse through the water column in shimmering pink clouds, attracting feeding penguins that streak through the swarms at remarkable speed. Antarctic icefish, with their translucent bodies and antifreeze-laden blood, drift ghost-like among the rocks. The seabed is carpeted with colourful encrusting organisms — lemon-yellow sponges, scarlet bryozoans, and forests of delicate hydroids. On rare occasions, humpback whales enter the harbour to feed, and their booming vocalisations can be heard (and felt) from below.
Site Information
- Depth: 3–15 m
- Difficulty: advanced
- Site type: Reef
- Current: Mild
- Best time: Dec-Feb
- Region: Antarctica
Highlights
- Chinstrap Penguins
- Krill Swarms
- Ice Fish