In just 19 days, Barrington Scott (USA) dove into the waters of all seven continents, and peered through his goggles at everything from underwater Ancient Egyptian ruins to seawater sloshing against icebergs in Antarctica.
Although the Marine veteran, entrepreneur, and photographer has seen a lot in his short life, surprisingly he hadn’t yet explored the oceans until he started SCUBA diving 10 years ago while in the Bahamas. But the freediver and SCUBA diver truly dove headfirst (pun intended) into his passions, and by 3 December, he broke the world record title for fastest time to SCUBA dive in all seven continents. He achieved this officially amazing feat after only 19 days, 19 hours, and 40 minutes.
“I view obstacles more as opportunities for growth,” Barrington said. “I just love embracing new experiences and broadening my horizons.”
His adventure started in Sydney, Australia, before making stops in Thailand, Egypt, Malta, the US, and Argentina, before ending in Antarctica. The worldwide trip was truly a whirlwind, as Barrington only stopped for 3-4 days in each continent – literally hopping off a flight, meeting up with his friend, strapping on his SCUBA gear, resting, then jetting off to do it again.
“When I finished my final dive, I called my sisters first to share the good news,” he told Essence. “I could feel the pride and excitement in their voices – it made the achievement feel even more real. Sharing that moment with them, knowing they’ve been with me through every high and low, was just as fulfilling as breaking the record itself.”
Barrington grew up in the Bronx, New York City, New York, where he spent some time in foster care. Spending adolescence in a world geographically so close – yet culturally, seemingly so far – from the ocean meant he didn’t grow up knowing that people that looked like him could have all these wonderful experiences diving. But he grew up obsessed with the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, and wanted to explore the world – so Barrington was never afraid of challenges, and he was never afraid of the water.
“I had no fear of open water, which might explain why I nearly drowned a few times growing up,” he joked with Essence. “I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the power of nature. It took some training, but eventually, I got better. I dove headfirst into SCUBA – pun intended – and never looked back.”
Barrington is therefore passionate about using his accomplishments as SCUBA diver to promote representation in aquatics, and to encourage more people – specifically Black and brown individuals – to step out of their comfort zones and explore the beauty of the water.
“Beyond the pursuit of a record, my mission is to raise awareness about the ocean and challenge stereotypes surrounding Black individuals’ participation in aquatic activities,” wrote Barrington to Guinness World Records before his attempt.
According to a study collected by Divers Alert Network (DAN), only 5-8% of certified divers are Black – a statistic he and others in the community are fighting to improve. Barrington hopes his story will inspire others to take to the water, especially at early ages – which is why he wrote the children’s book Trent’s Adventures: Deep Sea Discover about a young Black diver.
“Addressing the underrepresentation of Black divers necessitates deliberate efforts to amplify our voices and experiences, as well as creating inclusive pathways for them to engage and flourish within the SCUBA diving community,” he said.
“Representation matters deeply, as it fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion,” he continued. “By showcasing diversity within the SCUBA diving world, we can break down barriers and inspire individuals from all backgrounds to embrace and enjoy the wonders of the ocean.”
The underwater world
Planning a trip around the world in 19 days isn’t easy – let alone when you have to travel to remote SCUBA stops. Barrington says he scheduled his other trips around the booking of his final destination – Antarctica – because there was only a small window of time when he’d be able to dive.
“It was a logistical puzzle, to say the least,” he said. “I had to coordinate flights, dive for dive shops, make sure visas were in place, and of course create the most efficient route.
“I had to work backwards from Antarctica because Antarctica has the least flexible dive times. Because I was racing against the clock, I only had 3-4 days in each country. So I didn’t have any room for mishaps.”
Barrington had to make sure he gave himself adequate time to rest in between his dives and his flights, as the body struggles to adapt to such drastic changes in altitude. SCUBA divers can reach depths of 100 ft and have to ingest compressed nitrogen to breathe, so scientists recommend waiting 12-24 hours after diving before getting onto an aeroplane, to allow the body to adapt and prevent the risk of decompression sickness.
“My military background taught me to be fearless, adaptable, and flexible to changes – skills that were essential for handling the countless variables on this trip,” he said to Essence. “With such a tight timeline, every delay chipped away at my deadline, adding pressure I didn’t need. It was a reminder that no matter how much you plan, adventure always finds a way to test you.”
Nevertheless, when the time came to get on that aeroplane, Barrington was ready.
Barrington starting his watch at the beginning of the trip
His adventure started on 13 November, in Sydney, Australia, where he started his first dive by climbing through rocks to get into the hazy waters in Bare Island. Accompanied by members of the Bondi Dive Society and guided by Roberto Micucci, Barrington descended into the depths of the Australian ocean, spying stingrays and curly cuttlefish.
Diving in Sydney
From Sydney, he jetted off to Bangkok, Thailand, and travelled onwards to Phuket then to Chalong Pier, where he and his friend met up with the dive guide Veerasak Mumklang to explore the bright-blue waters of Racha Yai. Barrington loved the warm waters and incredible visibility, and was able to spot tons of exciting marine life.
Thailand
He then went on to Alexandria, Egypt, for one of the most surreal dives of his trip – guided by Ahmed BaDawy, he dove over the submerged ruins of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s lighthouse. Although the visibility was poor, Barrington was still able to see some stony remnants of ancient history through his goggles.
“It was a historical dive site – it gets points for that!” he said.
After the dive in Egypt
His next dive took him to the shining waters of Ras II Hobz in Gozo, Malta, which he felt was a turning point on his trip. Already feeling physically drained from all the travel, he said he crashed hard when he arrived in the country, but his mission was revitalized after hopping back in the water.
“It felt like a turning point in my expedition,” he said. “I didn’t consider the physical toll the expedition would take on my body, because I was going so fast, between time zones and diving and packing up and going again. But the dive site made up for it!”
Malta
He later told Essence: “Malta felt like walking through history, with its ancient stone streets leading to the clearest blue waters I’ve ever seen – every dive there felt like uncovering a secret.”
After that he flew back to his home country of America, when only 12 days into his world-spanning adventure, he met up with some loved ones to go for an interesting dip in Miami, Florida’s clear waters.
Barrington with loved ones in Miami
“It was one of the most unique dives I’ve done, as we were diving in an underwater cemetery,” he said. The team at ACE Dive Center took him to the memorial reef, located 40 feet underwater in Biscayne Bay, over three miles off the coast of Miami Beach. There, he floated amongst the sea moss-covered tombstones.
With only about a week left in his journey, Barrington had to quickly get from the tropical waters in Florida to some of the southernmost dive points in the world. He travelled next to Ushuaia, Argentina, the so-called “End of the World” because of its location on Argentina’s southernmost coast. There, he dove in the gorgeous waters surrounded by snow-capped mountains and a horizon line dotted with little villages. It was his first time diving in a kelp forest, and he loved pushing his way through their massive swaying stalks.
Stopping in Argentina
From there, he made his way over 700 miles south to the last stop on his epic journey – Antarctica.
“Nothing prepares you for that kind of silence and vastness in Antarctica,” he told Essence. “It was otherworldly, humbling, and hands down one of the most awe-inspiring places I’ve ever been.”
Taking on Antarctica
On 3 December, his dive team drove a boat out to the Governoren shipwreck, the remains of a giant whaling ship that crashed in 1915. Barrington plunged into the chilly dark Arctic waters, astounded by the scenery and how far he came.
“It’s official, we are done!” he shouted through excited laughs once he hopped back on the boat. “This has been amazing, but I am freezing!
Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
The Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region is a magnificent area with high mountain ranges, glaciers and is actually the most glaciated part of the European Alps.
Visiting this area can be done relatively easy by car and if you want to go up, by train up to 3,400 metres above sea level, the highest train ride in Europe, the Jungfrau Railway is very impressive (and expensive!).
The area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its unique and wide range of flora and fauna and geological importance regarding the creating of the High Alps.
