a lone diver swimming under sea ice in rich blue water

Deepest Dive Under Antarctica Reveals a Shockingly Vibrant World

Our special report offers a rare look at life beneath the frozen continent—where penguins, seals, and exotic creatures thrive.

Tendrils of ice-covered brine, or brinicles, leak from sea ice near East Antarctica’s Dumont d’Urville Station. Ephemeral and seldom seen, they form when trapped, supercooled brine escapes from the ice and freezes less salty seawater.
This story appears in the July 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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