Tag

Arctic

Aug 25
0

Swimming with Polar Bears

By | All Posts, Arctic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Underwater Photo and Video, We Are Water | No Comments

Under Thin Ice In the fall of 2018, I was shooting a film called Under Thin Ice for the Nature of Things on CBC. My colleague and fellow filmmaker Mario Cyr, suggested that we work together to get a shot of a polar bear swimming in the open water. As the icons of climate change, these amazing animals normally hunt on top of the ice, but climate change has forced them into the water to find food – a sevenfold increase of time in the water over the ice. Polar bears can swim 10 kph for 10 days without stopping…

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Jun 01
0

Underwater Canada Series

By | All Posts, Arctic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Underwater Canada, Underwater Photo and Video | No Comments

Dive into the remarkable underwater vistas of Canada through this series on Scuba Diving Magazine. From the Arctic to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway, Canada has the longest coastline in the world. Eight percent of the landscape is covered by lakes, greater than any other country. I’ll never be able to experience more than a drop in the bucket of diving opportunities, but last year, I completed my goal to take a plunge in every province and territory. This five-part web series offers a peek into what gets Canadian divers excited about their home waters. PART ONE…

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Jan 27
0

Ice Diving Tips – Staying Warm with a Drysuit

By | All Posts, Arctic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Underwater Canada | No Comments

Reliable drysuits are critical for survival and comfort in cold water. Without proper exposure protection, one could expect to survive for less than 45 minutes in water that is near freezing. In less than 15 minutes, unconsciousness would be likely. The best drysuits are custom-tailored and manufactured with custom features. When wearing heavy layers, you still need good range of motion. A drysuit should be light and soft but also durable and flexible. A cold-water hood should be made with supple, stretchy neoprene that seals well on the face. Undergarments must be of a technical variety that will retain insulation…

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Jan 20
0

Ice Diving Tips – Scuba Regulators in Cold Water

By | All Posts, Arctic, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Underwater Canada, Underwater Photo and Video | No Comments

Scuba regulators are life-support devices. When you use these under ice and in extreme temperatures, it is important to have confidence in their operation. Regulator free-flows are one of the most significant hazards when diving under ice or in very cold water (less than 4°C). The sudden drop in pressure causes the condition as air passes from the cylinder through the first stage. When high-pressure air passes through the first-stage, it hyper-cools the metal moving parts. In a piston reg, small ice crystals can block the piston open, causing more airflow and trapping the piston open, creating a vicious feedback…

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Mar 26
2

Climate Change Documentary

By | All Posts, Into The Planet Book, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Underwater Canada, We Are Water | No Comments

I’m very proud to share the poster for the film that I worked on throughout the summer of 2018. It will be launched in Germany in July 2019 and will follow to other markets internationally through the fall of 2019. I served as an underwater camera person and the English presenter in the movie. It was a profound journey that took our tiny crew from Greenland to Baffin Island and the northern reaches of Hudson Bay. We camped on sea ice, plunged into frigid waters and fended off polar bears to get the shots. I am grateful to Mario Cyr, my…

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Feb 25
14

Protecting the Arctic

By | All Posts, Arctic, We Are Water | No Comments

MAPS: A GLOBAL PEACE SANCTUARY During a hot summer that felt as though the Earth itself was feverish, a Canadian singer named Parvati had a recurring dream in which she lay on a frozen ocean, while a great blue whale awaited her below. Though she was planning a musical tour of Asia, the dream was too vivid to ignore. Trusting the inner call, she canceled her tour and traveled to the North Pole where she performed to raise awareness of the melting polar ice. Having met in the Arctic with city councils, schools, hunters, scientists and elders, Parvati returned with…

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