What it’s like under 9 ft of sea ice in Antarctica. What I’m gleefully smiling inside is known as the ObTube, short for observation tube. It’s a long metal tube that gets inserted into the sea ice, and at the bottom where I am is a tiny room where I sat suspended between the seafloor and the illuminated ceiling of ice above. In the ObTube, you can see the seafloor filled with colorful life - sea spiders, fish, starfish, crinoids, and so much more. You can also precisely hear the calls of Weddell seals that sound like lasers in sci-fi films. This photo was taken by @webgoalie, a longtime Antarctic diver who helped collect samples of ice and seafloor sediment for me to put under my microscope (spoiler: there were a lot of creepy worms in them!). I’m often asked what was the most incredible experience I’ve had in Antarctica and while it’s hard to pick just one, I think this was it. #antarctica #exploration #travel #underthesea #seaice #science #diving #explorer #ice #oceanexploration #underwaterphotography #underwaterworld #throughthelookingglass #deepsea Supported via @nsfgov @natgeo @insidenatgeo