His story, as compelling as it is, reads like a film script. His work takes him to unusual and remote places. His passion, combined with technical expertise, experience and research, has made him a renowned underwater explorer and documentarian. Andrea Murdock Alpini talks to Alessandra Squarta about his undersea discoveries and endeavours.
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Norway: two sides of the same coin. Tell us about winter diving beyond the Arctic Circle.
Last December, in the middle of winter, I organised a dive trip to the wrecks of Narvik in Norway. There, amidst snowstorms, ice, cold and the darkness of the polar night, my team and I dived to film what remains of the warships sunk during World War II.
Today, there are many wrecks in Narvik Bay—a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in great history. Initially, for me, Narvik should have been a stop on a much longer and more important solo trip that I had been planning for a few years. Norway, Murmansk and Russia (as far as Arkhangelsk) were the winter objectives I had set for myself. Unfortunately, the conflict with Ukraine has blocked developments, but I have not given up. It is only a matter of time.
Narvik was an opportunity to experiment and bring some of the new PHY Diving Equipment to the far north. It was also the first time I wore the Stella Polare wetsuit, which was specially made for the trip I had to postpone.
Why did you plan this solo trip in winter in a dark and hostile land?
I wanted to leave Norway and arrive in Russia, retracing the main stages that HRH Duke of Abruzzi travelled during his journey to the North Pole in 1900.
The idea came to me during a previous summer trip to the Baltic Sea. I was on the Åland Islands, between Finland and Sweden. On my birthday, I decided to continue exploring the Barents Sea. I also told the story of this adventure in my latest book, Nomade del Profondo – Storie di ordinaria follia subacquea (Nomad of the Deep – Stories of Ordinary Underwater Madness).
Of all the trips you have made or expeditions you have been on, has there been a place that you have really felt at home in?
There is never one place that I really call home, or rather, there are many places that I call home for varying periods of time. Home can be a pillow, the seat of my Selvàdec van, a tent, a hostel, a five-star hotel or a bunk bed on a boat. Everything changes. All those places where you can stay for more than a few hours, or a few days, become home.
For me, the concept of home is very much linked to travel. There are many places that I carry in my mind, but they are fragments of landscapes that I experienced at the time, and in that moment, they make me feel at home because I feel good and connected to that place.
Any plans related to the cold?
I have many travel ideas related to the cold. In the future, I would like to write a book about polar adventures and reach Lake Baikal in the middle of Russia in winter. I would like to return to the Orda Cave on the slopes of the Ural Mountains.
I also want to explore an alpine lake that is only accessible in summer. I would dive down and tell the story of a shipwreck that lies at the bottom of the lake. This would be an opportunity to carry out studies on human physiology with the CNR (National Research Council) and the University of Padua on extreme environments, cold and stress.
I have many other dreams: Alaska, the Inuit lands in Canada, the Yukon, Greenland, the Northeast and Northwest Passages, some lakes and peaks in the Andes and, finally, some places at the South Pole. It will take time, but I hope to do them all.
Do you have plans for 2025?
The first big project is to go back to Komati Springs in South Africa, to the large, submerged mine I mentioned in one of the chapters of my new book.
Then, I want to continue the year by identifying some shipwrecks in the Grecanica Area of Calabria. I have done a lot of historical research, and now I need to give a name to some of the points I have marked on the nautical chart.
In June, in a few months’ time, I will be returning to dive the wreck of HMHS Britannic (sister ship to RMS Titanic). In the meantime, I have started writing a book about this beautiful transatlantic liner. I am also waiting for government permission to dive on an icon of early 20th-century navigation.
So, you will be going back to the Andrea Doria then?
No, that is not the ship I am waiting for an answer on. Let’s just say that I have told its story in a nutshell in a chapter called “Andrea Doria: Un Lembo di Patria” (Andrea Doria: A Piece of Our Homeland). The ship I am interested in talking about is in Northern Europe.
In 2026, I want to return to America for the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the Andrea Doria. I want to organise a third and final expedition to the wreck. I have to film the inside of this masterpiece of a ship as far as I can, as far as it will let me.
After that, I have to draw a line. Otherwise, I run the risk of becoming a slave to my dreams. It is important to know when to stop.
Wrecks that are forbidden dreams?
For years, I have toyed with the idea of going to Lebanon to tell the story of HMS Victoria, which sank on 22 June 1893. The wreck lies at a depth of 140m.
Its peculiarity is that the bow is embedded in the seabed and the stern sticks out of the water. The wreck is almost vertical. It is a unique and fascinating dive.
Were there times when you were afraid underwater?
You plan everything so that nothing goes wrong, but things can change. The difference is in how you react.
I think the worst experience happened during a training period. I was close to home, at Lake Maggiore, for a dive to a depth of 130m. The oxygen had started to give me problems at depth. I could not ascend to the surface. I realised that the situation would get worse from then on. It was the worst three and a half hours of my life.
I thought a lot about the consequences of a possible accident. I thought about the techniques I could use to reduce the risks I would be taking. I was also very scared...
That experience taught me a lot. I struggled with conflicting thoughts and anxieties the whole time, but in the end, I made it through without suffering any significant injuries.
Looking back on that day, I can tell you that it took a huge mental effort, lasting hours. At times, I had to fight against my instincts.
I knew it would be a crazy choice, but at certain moments, my mind could not be controlled. At the same time, I forced myself to stay there and follow the plan, holding on to the rocks and saying to myself: “Stay here, don’t go. Be calm.”
It was a dive that taught me a lot but also left me with some psychological effects. Then, I recovered, and fifteen days later, I dived beyond 150m.
How do you feel when you return after a long solo experience?
I am certainly changed every time I return from a trip. I have new horizons and goals. When I return home, it is time to assimilate what I did during my trip.
My daily life changes a lot, and with it, the rhythms and the work I do during the day change. However, there are many points in common between travelling and staying at home because my job is a very dynamic one. The difference is more in the way of being than of doing. ■
Thank you, Andrea, for allowing us to dream of other seas, other latitudes and other stories and to discover the wonders they hide through your eyes.
