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Ends of the Earth: Diving in Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina (Watch Video)
Just occasionally you find yourself given the opportunity to do something you never thought you would get to do in your lifetime. For me, that was diving in the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia in the Tierra Del Fuego province of Argentina.
Ushuaia is the most southerly city in the world, El Fin del Mundo, the “End of the World”, flanked by mountains to the north and the Beagle Channel to the south. Mike and I had spent the last few months travelling South America, from backpacking Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, we had travelled by campervan down through Chile and into Argentina. We hadn’t originally planned on going so far south, but we had read about a dive center offering tours out of Ushuaia and couldn’t resist the draw of Tierra Del Fuego, where the Andes meet the ocean.
Leaving our trusty camper behind we boarded a flight to Ushuaia. It is an interesting city, with good accomodation, great restaurants and quite a lot of tourist shops. It also feels like the last stopping point before the wilds. Ushuaia is the stepping-off port for most of the commercial expeditions to Antarctica. There is a grittiness to it that I have experienced in other working port towns and this combined with the backdrop of snow capped mountains and ‘end of the earth’ feel really added to the experience. The nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park also offers some really nice hiking paths and wildlife viewing.
As near as we could find out there was really only one option for local dives: Ushuaia Divers. The day before our dives, we headed down to the harbour to meet with the dive shop owner/operator Carlos to sort out paperwork and finalise timings for the following day. It was a very small small operation (really just Carlos along with an occasional assistant or DM), but we could tell he really knew all of the dive sites in the Beagle Channel. As an added bonus, his rental drysuits were a stunning bright orange … great for photographs! Carlos was very pleasant and enthusiastic about the forecast for the next days diving. It gets very windy here, very often, so you take the dive days when they come!
After a good nights sleep, despite the excitement, we returned to the dive center the next day to get kitted up into our wonderfully Orange drysuits. Really very Orange and importantly very warm, due to the thick neoprene. Surrounded by that much neoprene, moving was less of a walk and more of a waddle after that, but I figured we were in penguin territory, so it was ok.
Boarding a fast RIB, we set off out of the harbour and into the Beagle Channel, with great views of the lighthouse as we whizzed by to our first dive site Iturrieta.
We descended into the cold (around 3ºC) water and found ourselves in a mini kelp forest. After a few moments acclimatising, we headed off exploring round the rocks and through the kelp. There were sea stars, urchins and nudibranchs everywhere. I have seldom seen so many nudibranchs in such a small area! It was a fabulous dive, but not a very long one, as we were both getting pretty chilled by the 45 minute mark and struggled to undo our gear with numbed fingers to pass it up onto the boat. The staff soon had us back on board and a hot drink in everyone’s hands.
After a fairly short surface interval (the dives were both shallow and the breeze does nothing to warm you up) we headed to our second site of the day, Islas Bridges. Thick kelp patches and huge king crabs were the star attractions. Plenty of smaller crab species, nudibranchs and other mollusks call the kelp home and we were amazed by the numbers of huge sea urchins. Our visit in November was in a shoulder season so the weather and sea conditions were not the best. Nonetheless we enjoyed our taste of southern hemisphere diving and could tell that the area had great potential. At other times of the year you can dive with fur seals, see whales, penguins and orcas from the boat, or even get a lucky glimpse of a cormorant hunting small fish underwater.
It was a short but very worthwhile trip for us and though Mike had to stop me trying to stowaway on an Antarctica trip, we can happily say we travelled as far as we could to explore the underwater world at the “End of the World”. If you are planning a trip along the Andes, the flight to Ushuaia is an affordable and really unique experience that we highly recommend. It is also possible to drive there, but it is a long drive on small roads and so a great deal more time and planning would be required.
Diving Talks, Portugal’s internationally acclaimed diving conference, has officially become the second most visible diving event online worldwide, according to aggregated performance data across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other digital platforms.
With a rapidly growing digital presence that includes over 365,000 YouTube views and more than 25,000 social media visitors, Diving Talks has solidified its position as a global reference in diving content, storytelling, and thought leadership.
“In just a few short years, we’ve built more than a conference — we’ve built a global conversation about the future of diving,” said Arlindo Serrão, spokesperson for Diving Talks. “From deep cave expeditions to marine conservation, our speakers are some of the most accomplished and inspiring figures in the underwater world — and now their stories are reaching a truly global audience.”
Global Ranking
Based on comparative visibility across digital media, the current ranking of the top five diving events by online visibility is as follows:
1. ADEX Asia Dive Expo – Long-established brand with multi-platform digital reach across Asia
2. Diving Talks – The fastest-growing platform in Europe, with unmatched video engagement and curated speaker content
3. DEMA Show – The largest trade-only show in the world, with strong B2B digital presence
4. boot Düsseldorf (Dive Segment) – Massive event footprint, with diving as a key but not exclusive focus
5. Salon de la Plongée (Paris Dive Show) – A dominant force in Francophone markets, growing steadily online
An Invitation to Brands
“For dive gear manufacturers, training agencies, destinations, and ocean-focused brands, this is your moment,” added [Spokesperson Name]. “Diving Talks has become one of the most powerful digital platforms in the diving world. If you want your message to be seen, heard, and respected globally — this is where you show up.”
Sponsorship and digital placement opportunities for the upcoming edition are now open, offering brands high-visibility integration into Diving Talks’ growing multimedia ecosystem.
An Expanding Digital Footprint
Diving Talks’ rise has been fueled by a video-first strategy, high-profile speaker interviews, and deep audience engagement through debates, lightning talks, and behind-the-scenes content.
Its YouTube channel is now the most-watched in the diving conference space, attracting both recreational divers and technical specialists from around the globe.
The conference continues to grow its presence across platforms and is investing in new digital initiatives to further expand its global community.
Looking Ahead
With the next edition already in the works and an ambitious content strategy in place, Diving Talks is poised to challenge for the top spot in online visibility — setting a new standard for how diving events connect with the world.
Contact:
Arlindo Serrao
arlindo.serrao@portugaldive.com
www.divingtalks.com
The DAN.PADI programme brings ocean knowledge to all through a free eLearning platform
The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project has been officially recognised as an Ocean Decade Action by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, joining the prestigious Ocean Literacy With All (OLWA) programme under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
This endorsement is a significant recognition of the scientific value and social relevance of the programme. It also plays a vital role in extending the project’s reach and impact, helping to spread marine culture across all ages, languages and nationalities – a goal at the heart of DAN Europe and PADI’s shared vision to achieve balance between humanity and ocean.
The DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project is an international educational initiative designed to raise awareness and empower younger generations to become stewards of the ocean. Through a dynamic e-learning experience, its mission is to make ocean knowledge accessible and engaging by combining science, sustainability and storytelling. The programme features high quality content developed by DAN Europe in collaboration with university professors and marine science researchers. Available in English and Italian, it is currently being used by DAN and PADI instructors in schools, dive centres and youth initiatives.
It consists of four core learning modules:
- Citizen Science – Encouraging students to take an active part in marine research.
- Plastic Pollution – highlighting the impact of human waste on marine ecosystems.
- Climate Change – Understanding the ocean’s role in the global climate crisis.
- Underwater Archaeology – exploring history through underwater cultural heritage.
The project is based on a successful initiative – Scuola D’Amare – launched in Italy in 2019 by a local PADI association, with the approval of MIUR (Italian Ministry of Education). 180 PADI instructors were trained to deliver the programme, which used diving as a gateway to environmental education and discovery. In just five years, Scuola D’Amare has introduced over 80,000 students in 17 regions to the wonders of the Mediterranean Sea.
From this successful start, the project evolved into the DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project – a scalable, international programme that embeds ocean literacy into diving education. The aim is not only to equip students with environmental knowledge, but also to instill a deep, personal sense of responsibility for ocean conservation.
Now, with UNESCO’s official endorsement, the programme is expanding its original scope to provide wider access to ocean education for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. With freely accessible content, the programme pushes the boundaries of traditional learning environments and aims to inspire curiosity and promote awareness of the ocean far beyond schools and into communities around the world.
This collaboration brings together DAN Europe’s expertise in dive safety and scientific outreach with PADI’s global reach, supported by a network of 128,000 dive instructors and more than 30 million certified divers in 186 countries over the last 50 years. Together, the two organisations aim to embed ocean literacy into the educational journeys of new generations and global communities, promoting sustainable ocean use, climate action and collective responsibility.
“UNESCO’s support is a powerful boost to our mission,” said Laura Marroni, Exec. Vice President of DAN Europe. “It strengthens our ability to spread marine culture on a global scale – reaching new audiences, in new places, and inspiring a deeper connection with the sea.”
“This recognition by UNESCO reinforces the critical role divers play as ambassadors for ocean protection,” said David Murray, Managing Director of PADI EMEA. “Through the DAN.PADI Ocean Literacy Project, we are making ocean education more inclusive, accessible, and impactful—empowering individuals of all ages to become true Ocean Torchbearers. Together, we’re creating positive ocean change in everyday life, not just for divers, but for the global community.”
Go to https://oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org/index to access the programme.
The platform is also accessible via the TalentLMS app, available for iOS and Android. When using the app for the first time, mobile users must enter the full domain https://oceanliteracy.edu.daneurope.org/ to log in and begin their learning journey. Whether learning on desktop or mobile, course progress is automatically synced across devices for a seamless experience.
About DAN Europe
DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network Europe) is an international non-profit medical and research organisation devoted to the health and safety of divers. Since 1983, it has provided medical assistance, scientific research, education and innovative safety initiatives to the global diving community. DAN Europe is also an advocate for environmental responsibility and the responsible practice of diving.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts, 128,000 professional members and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.
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