As much as 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, representing one of the last great frontiers on this planet. We literally have only scratched the surface of what lies beneath the waves. And even of the species we have found, we know relatively little.

Perhaps the greatest challenge we face in exploring the oceans is to get close enough to marine life to observe undisturbed natural behaviour. This could allow new insights into life in the oceans, but it is a tall order given the noise disturbance and clouds of bubbles emitted by most diving equipment.
So some scientists have now turned to freediver Frederic Buyle: they want to exploit his noiseless and calm method of diving to approach even shy animals and find explanations to some of the mysteries of marine life. His abilities are remarkable: he can descend to depths exceeding 50 metres and stay there for up to 4 minutes on a single breath.

Responding to calls for help from researchers, Frederic has teamed up with the renowned underwater cameraman Christian Petron. Christian’s vast experience includes working on Luc Besson’s cult-film “The Big Blue” and “Atlantis”, but Frederic’s attempts to freedive with predators like great white sharks test even Christian’s impressive skills.

In each episode, Frederic and Christian work closely with leading scientists trying to find answers to the mysteries of our oceans. To accomplish their task they also turn to locals who know the waters and their wildlife like the back of their hand. Local knowledge can prove invaluable in this game, perhaps even save his life.