Each wave hits the boat’s bow splashing salty water over the deck. The day is partly cloudy with a cold wind forcing you to squint. At a distance, you can see the various shades of deep green that characterizes southern Chile and seagulls chase the boat that is heading towards the cold water corals, where the San Ignacio de Huinay Foundation is doing research on the local flora and fauna and where new species are constantly discovered.
The crew check the oxygen tanks, helping each other to zip up the tight diving suits and to adjust the water masks. There are two women onboard who assist each other: while one adjusts the life jacket, the other makes sure the regulators are working correctly. Céline Cousteau and Vreni Häussermann talk about what they expect to see on this deep sea dive. They talk about mollusks, different types of coral, and microorganisms unknown to the rest of the world, but that abound in this spot.
Céline is the granddaughter of the famous maritime explorer, Jacques Cousteau, and her mission is to produce documentaries that show the variety of flora and fauna in the world’s different aquatic environments. Chile was a mandatory stop and one of the most important places for the French woman’s most recent work, "Céline Cousteau, the adventure continues", which is under production and which is about the human stories behind the marine preservation projects.
It is time to adjust the fins and Breni comments that the visibility of the water is good for observing the coral, and everyone agrees with the scientist’s words. Breni has been directing the San Ignacio de Huinay Foundation for years. She is the first Chilean woman to win the Rolex Award for Enterprise and was awarded for discovering, exploring, and protecting the fjords of Chilean Patagonia, through its sustainable research programs and preservation of marine ecosystems.
Cameras on, the entire delegation waits in the water. Breni and Celine give one last "ok" with diving signals and they begin their descent into an unknown world, where perhaps the answers to some of our planet’s mysteries can be found.