Sous la banquise

  • Trou vu de dessous
  • Plongee dans trou de phoque agrandi

I was looking forward to put my head under the ice, especially since temperatures are getting milder, which is quite enjoyable when getting ready and when getting out of the water. Through an enlarged seal hole (with the equipment, I have a larger waist than a big ring seal!), I dived under the ice. Despite ice and snow thickness's, my high-intensity light turns out to be useless, sun light going through the ice is enough to get around. Also for microscopic algae to grow, the bottom of the ice is now all brown. Here and there, and more near the hole, large scratches done by the seals. I can't see the seabed, about 100m under my fins, but a lot of plancton, varied and all sizes. At the surface, I can see Léonie and Aurore with their hoods well pulled up, sitting in the snow near the hole. The contrast between the two worlds is fascinating, only separated by a uniform layer of ice.

The following day, I take by snowmobile the cameramen Hugues and Adrien to Grise Fiord, from where their return journey to France will continue by plane, after six weeks of shooting.