The sea beneath Arctic and Antarctic ice holds many secrets. These scientists are trying to find them

In this photo provided by Pata Degerman, a diver swims under the ice during a Polar Scientific Diving class in Kilpisjärvi, Finland, March 13, 2024. (Pata Degerman via AP) - (AP)

Diver Daan Jacobs recently surfaced from the frigid depths of a remote Finnish lake, emerging through a hole carved into the thick, crackling ice. His 8-metre (26-foot) descent revealed a hidden world where sunlight filtered through Arctic ice and fish navigated submerged rock formations. This extraordinary environment is rarely witnessed, especially in winter when snow blankets the ice and temperatures plummet to around minus 40 degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Jacobs, a biodiversity adviser from the Netherlands, is among a growing number of underwater explorers undertaking such feats. He participated in the Polar Scientific Diving class in northern Finland earlier this month, a programme by the Finnish Scientific Diving Academy. This initiative trains the next generation of scientists and researchers to dive beneath Arctic and Antarctic ice, studying the unique flora and fauna below.