Equipment: Nikon Z8, Nikkor 8-15mm lens, Aquatica housing, Light and Motion Sola video lights (split shot is available light)
Settings: 1/60 sec to 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 800-1250
Location: Antarctica
Antarctica doesn’t have many diveable wrecks, making the Guvernøren a unique dive.
The Guvernøren was one of the largest Norwegian whaling factory ships of its era. On Jan. 27, 1915, it met a fiery fate when the 85-man crew threw a celebratory party, and an oil lamp ignited the ship’s cargo of flammable whale oil. The flames spread uncontrollably, so the captain deliberately grounded the vessel in Foyn Harbor, with no lives lost.
The wreck’s rusty bow still juts dramatically from the water at a steep angle, often blanketed in snow and framed by glaciers and icebergs, making it very photogenic above the surface. The wreck lies partly submerged and upright, so divers drop straight onto the structure. Colorful invertebrates — including anemones, sponges, sea squirts, and brittle stars — encrust the hull. A graveyard of whale bones litters the seabed, and intact barrels of preserved blubber serve as eerie reminders of the ship’s past cargo.
The propeller and rudder are impressive, and the whole scene feels otherworldly with the snowy mountains and ice visible above you. The bow is perfect for dramatic over-under split shots after surfacing. The water is brutally cold, preserving this piece of Antarctic history and turning a ship that once processed whales into a vibrant artificial reef full of new life.
After the dive, I thought about the haunting remains of this whale graveyard when we saw a breaching humpback and other whales around us just outside the bay where the shipwreck sits. It was a beautiful moment.
© Alert Diver – Q4 2026