Sub-aquatic fairyland.

[Brian Ellis]

The Swiss-French TV passed a fantastic emission last night. This can be seen at http://www.tsr.ch/video/emissions/pa...tml#id=1989905

It does not matter that you don't understand French, just look at this 25 minute video. It shows a guy who has developed his own technique and some of his equipment for videoing under the waters of Switzerland, from cascades to peat bogs (all fresh water, of course, as sea levels have not yet risen to the Alps!). Some of his shots are so beautiful that they rival coral reefs, but are probably so different from anything you have even dreamt of. There are a few short passages that may seem boring or need an explanation, but please persevere to the end; it's worth it!

[VJ]

Underwater scenes are often magic...

A few years ago, I made a dive under an ice plate (it was near Christmas, a patch of water in a park - not worthy of calling it a lake - was frozen). So with some divers we went under it, which in itself was quite an expedition (dry suit, twin air bottles, two seperate first stages, 4 regulators, ...). But to see the sunlight shining through the trees from below the ice plate... it is an experience never to forget...

The fact somebody alerted the police made it more fun. Esp. when an officer asked to the lead diver - just after he surfaced the water: "may I see your papers?". I so wanted to be a fly on the wall at the police station: "who is going to check out the guys diving in the park, it is -3 outside and there is 5 cm of snow".