N e w - S t y l e - T o u r i s m

[Jacques Mayol]
Jacques Mayol was born in Shanghai in 1927. In 1985, he made the apnea diving* record to the depth of 105 meters, a feat nobody has ever succeeded. He voluntarily contributes to scientific research by having his body tested in the deep sea and he is also studying the possibilities of what mankind can do underwater. The movie Le Grand bleu (The Big Blue) directed by Luc Besson was based on his challenges in free diving, and this movie made Jacques Mayol world famous. He has published many books.
His recently published book, Heritage des Peuples de la mer introduces undersea ruins in Yonaguni island and other parts of the world.
He has earned the admiration and respect of divers the world over.
Many of his admirers say that they started free diving because they just wanted to dive like him.

*Apnea diving
Apnea is the act of voluntarily holding one's breath. Apnea diving means breath-holding diving or it is also known as free diving. From the moment you descend in the ocean until you come up to the surface is defined as free diving.

Umbert Pelizzari Web Site

Legendary free-diver Jacques Mayal is a man of many uncanny talents and aquatic abilities. He can understand the minds of dolphins and be one with the ocean. He has skin-dived to more than 100 meters, a feat everyone considered scientifically impossible until he proved it could be done.
Jacques Moyal's deep passion for the sea is matched only by his profound respect for nature, the ocean, and the creatures that inhabit it. It is no wonder then that he has earned the admiration and respect not only of divers the world over but all people who cherish the sea.

Japan has always held a special place in Jacque's heart. He studies Zen, often visits the country, and makes frequent trips to Okinawa to dive.
His recently published Visual Book chronicles his dive in the undersea ruins, just off the coast of Yunaguni Island.

REFLECTIONS

The human race shares a natural affinity with the ocean. We only have to rekindle the connection and we can once again embrace the sea, much like dolphins and whales.

It is said that dolphins and mankind were both born in the sea. Dolphins remained in the ocean and mankind decided to live on land. Do all of us then possess a hidden aquatic potential? A primal instinct which, once revived, will make us discover that we too can be one with the sea, just like the dolphins? Yes, I strongly believe that is so.

Learn from the dolphins and whales

We can learn so many things from dolphins and whales. And just think these are not the only creatures of the sea with intelligence.

"The manta-ray lets us touch it and we are beginning to understand that sharks have special feelings. And yet the more we learn about these creatures, the more we realize that we can never really understand them. Whales for example are beyond human understanding. Everything about them is different from us, their sense of time and the way they think. The only thing we can do is to acknowledge each other's existence in the water."

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