“There’s so much to do… we must never stop trying” Nathalie Lasselin.
What do we really know about the nature and geography surrounding us? What do we know about the rivers and the fresh water source we depend on? Have we explored it all?
Urban Water Odyssey
Nathalie Lasselin will dive from one end of the Montreal island to the other, in August 2018, doing a scientific dive. 44 miles in the depths of the St Lawrence river in Montreal, to get to know the river in a urban environment, this journey will take more than 30 hours. Nathalie’s dive is completely committed towards the environment and the source of our drinking water.
But why?
80% of tap water in Montreal comes from the river. This doesn’t look like the dream body of water in which you would like to dive, however the river hides a rich environment of fauna and flora. Nathalie will be rediscovering the river like an explorer of modern times.
A Human adventure
What seems to be a crazy adventure, is in fact a deep commitment. Why in one dive? Because Nathalie fully believes that we need to fully commit if we want to succeed. We can’t have a part time good relation with nature.
Scientific missions
Along the path, not only Nathalie will document the underwater world of the river but also she will take samples of water and sediments so several universities will be able to analyze the content of the river. Results will be published in 2019.
Brain ractivity study in extreme condition
Studies and test of brain reactivity will be vital during the long immersion doing specific tasks.
Urban Water Odyssey Adventure 2018
- A unique 70 kilometers / 44 miles dive, taking 30-40 hours
- Two scientific missions
- A commitment toward the St Lawrence river
- A unique human adventure
- An extreme expedition 20 minutes from downtown
- A technological, physical and psychological challenge
The average dive of a recreational diver is 45 minutes in warm and clear water, swimming a couple of 100 meters. Nathalie is diving a single dive in low visibility in the waters of the St Lawrence River ending the dive a couple of kilometers after the Parc du bout de l’île, on the east coast of Montreal.
“As I dive in these low viz waters, I know to focus on the upcoming next step in order to succeed”
Why?
The St Lawrence river is one of the biggest intake of tap / drinkable water for Montreal. It is also where we deposit our waste water once treated. What do we really know about this body of water? What kind of species live there, and how rich and fragile it is? This is what Nathalie is going to discover in a river she loves so much with diving in a strong current.
An exciting venture on a human scale for the simple purpose of freshwater preservation.
The St Lawrence river used to be a rich source of fish, drinking water, and a great place to swim.
Let this Odyssey inspire us. Let it awaken our consciousness towards better ways of living in the hope of respecting nature and ultimately our own well-being.
