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: Ordinary scuba diving is considered a fairly extreme sport in its own right. Even when the water is warm and calm divers must still deal with tidal pulls, limited visibility, the occasional shark, the dangers of decompression, and last but not least, all the potential problems that come with breathing 50 or 80ft under the surface. But even with all that, modern diving is pretty safe and it can be great fun for teens as well as adults. With the right equipment and the right training, any healthy person who can swim can learn to scuba dive.

For beginner divers warmer water makes life easier, and there is usually more to see- you just don’t get the bright colors of a tropical reef in cooler water. However, there are other things to experience on really chilly dives. The sport of ice diving is growing fast and with it the number of holiday packages and tours that include an ice diving option.

Iceland is one of the most popular ice diving destinations. Above the water it’s a land of extreme volcanic activity, sparkling glaciers, and spectacular mountain views. Below the water it’s much the same. The geysers are replaced by submarine geothermal vents but for the most part the stunning scenery continues below the water line in even stranger and more intriguing forms.

In the waters around Iceland and other ice diving spots like the coast of Ontario and Russia’s Lake Baikal, wildlife is also a drawcard. The swarms of neon fish are replaced by an abundance of bigger marine animals. Seals and whales can sometimes be spotted in warmer waters, but ice diving enthusiasts claim that there is nothing quite like seeing these magnificent animals in the habitat to which they are so perfectly adapted.

The ice itself is absolutely beautiful underwater, and it’s also dangerous. The translucent walls can shift and close in on divers or swallow up open breathing spaces very quickly. In places like Iceland visitors with basic Open Water dive certification can join tours and experience real cold-water diving, but other locations call for a little more preparation.

Seasoned ice divers dream of one destination above all others. Dive trips to the North Pole are now run commercially, and anyone willing to log the required underwater hours and go through a rigorous training program can explore right underneath the icy pole. It’s not easy but for some people that just adds to the attraction.

Because so little of the water under the high arctic has been penetrated so infrequently, there are animals down there that human eyes have rarely seen. There is always the tantalizing chance that a polar dive will bring a glimpse of a creature unknown to science, whether it’s a fish, a shrimp, or a jellyfish not yet studied and classified.

Ice diving is a far greater challenge than floating gently over a tropical reef but the potential reward matches the difficulty. While it may take months of training to dive the North Pole, the training itself is exciting, adventurous, and good fun. At the end, divers get to do something few have ever considered possible. For some, ice diving is the ultimate travel experience.