Often referred to as the "Endless Lagoon", the French Polynesian Atoll of Lenjira is a dreamland for diving enthusiasts around the world and one of the highest concentrations of sharks in the world. Among the fifteen invited guests of the Swiss fine watchmaking brand Blancpain around the world, two top divers from Chinese mainland, Shen Jian and Zhou Fang, landed on this island in the South Pacific after a long flight around the earth.
The main purpose of their trip was to explore the world's largest living hammerhead shark, the hammerhead shark, and to participate in the local shark conservation activity "Operation Tamataroa", which was supported by Blancpain and Blancpain's best friend, oceanographer and underwater photographer Lauren Ballestera, and his "Coelacanth Adventure Research" team.
Caring for the ocean never stops: the first 3-hour underwater timekeeping
Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch, and at the same time, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the launch of the "Heart for the Ocean" public welfare undertaking and the 10th anniversary of the launch of the "Coelacanth Adventure Research" scientific research project, Blancpain released the latest model of the Fifty Fathoms Fifty Fathoms series jointly developed by the brand's CEO Mark Hayek and Lauren Ballesta - Tech Gombessa "Coelacanth Technology" watch. The first 3-hour underwater timer, the first combination of saturation diving and closed rebreather diving, resulting in 8 hours of daily underwater exploration, meeting the most demanding requirements of divers in the "Coelacanth Adventure Research" scientific expedition.
The new Tech Gombessa "Coelacanth Technology" watch from the Blancpain Fifty Fathom
"When I fully realized the significance of this encounter, it felt like it was a bit of an important turning point in my life." Inevitably, the smell of the sea breeze from French Polynesia always reminded Mark Hayek of the moment he looked at the hammerhead shark. When Hayek finished his diving test at the bottom of the sea, in fate, a huge trenchless hammerhead shark suddenly appeared from the deep sea, and this sea behemoth swam past Hayek, and the short meeting of eyes made Mayek extremely moved.
After nine years, Shen Jian and Zhou Fang not only witnessed the birth of a new branch of the Blancpain diver's watch collection, but also dived into this sea with divers from all over the world, and the week-long trenchless hammerhead shark exploration journey began.
Zhou Fang: "At the right time, in the right place, meet interesting souls and do the right thing together." ”
In the past ten years, as one of the few female nature documentary directors and underwater photographers in China, Zhou Fang has been practicing "chasing sharks". While participating in the local shark conservation experience, she dived into the blue ocean and felt the "passion, sincerity and family" of the operation in close contact with marine life.
Away from the distractions of the familiar world, the passage of time seems more tangible on the other side of the globe. Zhou Fang marveled at the results of Blancpain's "Caring for the Ocean" public welfare cause: with the support of Blancpain, Lauren and his expedition team spent 3 years recording more than 110 sledgehammerhead sharks. She was amused and moved by the attitude of the locals towards the ocean and sharks: "For the locals, sharks are a special existence, their spiritual worship, and their family. "This mysterious, large and individualized sea creature has reached a subtle and balanced emotional connection with humans.
Shen Jian: "Being friends with a dolphin would be a lifetime of privilege for a diver. ”
Shen Jian is the initiator of the non-governmental marine environmental protection organization "Billion Narwhals", and the most memorable of this expedition was the last day of the trip, because after several days of diving, he did not see the trenchless hammerhead shark in his heart. On his last dive, a huge hammerhead shark swam slowly under him, "and I think it's hard to find adjectives to express the joy that has been accumulated for a week or even months and finally bursting with joy when it finally comes true." ”
Surprises always come in pairs, and when the dive is about to end, a dolphin named Yuki bypasses its familiar dive guide and swims straight to Shen Jian to interact with him. He was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and candor of the native of the sea: "I found that it considered me a friend, a scene I never dared to imagine. ”
The Hammerhead Shark Conservation Campaign began with a century-long confrontation between Hayek and the hammerhead shark. Blancpain's "Caring for the Ocean" public welfare undertaking comes from the brand's sense of mission and responsibility. As the father of modern mechanical diver's watches, Blancpain has joined hands with countless organizations and individual partners to explore and protect more than 4.7 million square kilometers of the world's pristine oceans. Blancpain is committed to raising awareness of the ocean and achieving the goal of helping people understand, preserve and protect the world's oceans, and continues to move forward on the journey of ocean protection.