Underwater Atacama 2019 marked a return to a well-known region, where exploration began in 2009. However, this time the goal was to climb even higher and perform dives in the world's highest lake, located at the summit of the Ojos del Salado volcano at an altitude of 6460 meters in the Andes on the border of Argentina and Chile. Additional objectives included conducting a series of dives in saline lakes near the volcano, collecting water samples from various depths, and conducting depth measurements.

Unfortunately, due to bad weather, reaching the main goal became impossible. The attempt to reach the lake from the camp at 6000m was made in very strong winds and temperatures of -17 degrees Celsius. After 10 hours of trekking, the team reached a field of penitents (vertical ice formations), which made further progress impossible. The team tried to reach the lake "from above," but deep snow also thwarted this plan. As there was no chance for an improvement in conditions, the team carried out the planned series of dives in the saline lakes in the latter part of the expedition.

The environment in which the dives took place is characterized by extreme temperatures that fluctuate between -20 degrees Celsius and +20 degrees Celsius within a day and significant variations in altitude. The Atacama Desert is also known as one of the driest places on Earth, with some of its regions considered the driest areas on our planet.

A major challenge in planning was the altitude at which the lake is located, necessitating solid acclimatization. Diving at such a height significantly increases the risk of decompression sickness (DCS), which can be a deadly threat given the great distance from civilization.

An unusual aspect is that the lakes and ponds in this location have incredibly high salinity, so immersion required considerable additional weight. Hauling all the equipment up the uneven volcanic slopes was one of the most significant challenges for this small team. The terrain, full of sharp rocks and frozen snow, further complicated logistics.

The expedition also included time for scientific objectives. The team collected water samples for Polish scientists studying tardigrades – microscopic creatures with immense resistance to environmental conditions, including salinity.

This project, along with the earlier Hongu East 2012 project, is part of the "Lakes in the Crown of the World" initiative by Kamil Iwankiewicz - a Polish climber and diver.