World’s first Point Wild divers – Elephant Island, Antarctica

World’s first Point Wild divers – Elephant Island, Antarctica

In February this year, a group of Antarctic explorers boarded the m/v Hondius in Usuhaia, Oceanwide’s newest and most advanced Expedition ship. They left a world completely in tact, a world that was very well functioning, a world where the Corona virus wasn’t a big deal yet. A world that now feels a life time ago.

The group was headed for an incredible epic adventure that started at the Falklands and continued past South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula.  Along on this road is where Elephant Island is located. An island famous for being the location where Ernest Shakleton and his crew survived for 4 cold months. Whilst Shackleton set out to get help, the crew held up at Point Wild. A place on the island named after Frank Wild. Frank Wild managed to keep the Shackleton crew alive whilst Ernest was getting the help they needed to be rescued. In which Shackleton succeeded.

Whilst the world was shutting down due the corona virus, an international group of 13 divers – including EWDR’s CEO Arjan Gunnink as well as famous underwater photographers Peter de Maagt and Theresa Guise – made their decent at Point Wild. Nobody had ever dove there before. Making this group of scuba divers the first ever to dive at Point Wild. A true worlds first! All made possible by the team of Oceanwide Expeditions; Michael Green, Tanja Bayer and Mike Pumm.

Such an epic achievement requires an epic Point Wild Dive Club badge – the dive club that was formed after the dive. Naturally only divers that dove at Point Wild can join. It’s a very exclusive club 🙂

Above group of divers, having a toast, at the grave of Ernest Shackleton in South Georgia. Ernest died in 1922 unexpectedly of a heart attack and his widow chose South Georgia as his final resting place.

 

 

Article written by; Rianne Poessé