Freediver Arthur Guérin-Boëri dives with killer whales in Norway
Kvaenangen, in the far north of Norway. It is in the 3-degree waters of this fjord that Frenchman Arthur Guérin-Boëri, five-time freediving world champion, came to reconnect with nature and contemplate one of the greatest marine predators. An exceptional adventure to relive in pictures.
Arthur Guérin -Boëri is the most successful Frenchman in the history of freediving, he has won 6 world records and 5 world titles.
The islet of Spildra is located beyond the Arctic Circle, about fifteen inhabitants live there.
He observes from the boat before diving. Visibility is poor, the water “very black” and the air temperature is -4° at this time of year.
“I find myself underwater next to two super predators of nine tons who accept me, it’s majestic. They advance synchronized in a sort of ballet. »
“We would like to follow them but it’s impossible, they go too fast and drop me quickly”.
“In this environment, you forget the fatigue, the cold, the apprehension. And when I break the surface to breathe again, around me there are icy cliffs… We are surrounded by beauty”.
Before diving he prepared himself for long minutes by the fireside, in a traditional Norwegian hut, a wooden structure covered with earth and grass.
Despite the extreme conditions, the Niçois keeps an “unforgettable memory” of these dives.
In the Kvaenangen fjord, the freediver wanted to discover his practice under another aspect. “We made it a sport with performance, but I wanted to get back to the essence of freediving: exploration of the underwater world, discovery, and I was served. »
