Gombessa V – The Deep Med (2019)

The objective of the Gombessa V Expedition was to study, photograph, and present to the public little known areas in the Mediterranean Sea. As these biodiversity hotspots are found at great depths for scuba divers – between 60 and 120m – and are worth exploration without time constraints, the Gombessa team has developed a world-first method. This innovative approach was made possible thanks to a unique marriage of two previously separate techniques: saturation diving and deep recreational diving. In practice, this expedition was a partnership between the Institut National de la Plongée Professionnelle (INPP) and Laurent Ballesta's Andromède Océanologie with the support of Blancpain and other institutions. Their joint efforts enabled 4 divers to undergo an unprecedented experience: spending 28 days in a 5m2 saturation complex and leaving it each day to explore the 100m zone. The mission worked its way along the south coast of France employing cutting-edge scientific research techniques to study the ecosystems. At a time when we are faced with indisputable evidence of climate imbalance and species extinctions, the discovery of rich and untouched new areas to study, right on the doorstep of European nations, sends out a message of hope. As with all Gombessa Expeditions, this major new project was characterized by a diving challenge, an ecological mission, and the promise of exceptional photography.

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