My parents are going to cringe when they read my book. They will have to put it down and take a deep breath. When my Mother first learned about the risks that were involved in my career of exploring and filming underwater caves, the color drained from her face. It terrifies her to imagine me squeezing through tiny spaces in submerged caves deep with the planet. One day she asked me, “are you afraid of dying?” I get that question all the time. Why would anyone want to lead a life with so many perceived risks? But, I genuinely believe…
Making documentary films while immersed in the hostile, yet stunning waters of the Canadian Arctic, I need great technology to keep me warm and safe. The travel, dives, and image making all create their own set of unique challenges, and once you are in the north, there is no way to call up a dive shop for something you may have forgotten. I’ve spent many months in the polar region, most recently helping to create a film about climate change. Camping on the sea ice and then on a remote island outpost, I swam with polar bears, hovered below fighting…
It’s a long journey from Ontario to the little dive shack on Highway 138, just north of the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers. Eight hours of roadway are more beautiful with every turn that I make in my trusty Subaru Outback. The multi-lane highway surrenders to winding a coastal road along the St. Lawrence River’s north shore and pauses briefly at a ferry crossing at Baie St. Catherine. The trees are showing a rusty hint of fall as the stiff breeze ushers in a cold, foggy wind. I cross over the bay in building white caps and…
Apply now for the Women Divers Hall of Fame scholarships and training grants. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2018.
British Columbia is one of the most remarkable diving destinations in the world. Bountiful marine life and healthy coastal environments lure divers to visit the emerald colored nutrient-rich waters. One of my favorite spots to visit is a small rocky islet 500 m off the southwest end of Hornby Island. It is a playground for Stellar and California sea lions. Between November and April each year, the sea lions gather in this spot to await the annual herring spawn. Around mid to late February, the visibility is obliterated from the spawn, but the sea lions are happy to feed voraciously…