Volume 8 (2022)

// Portrait

Shobe Mehraz is part of the only surf club on the Bangladeshi coast where girls are allowed to surf. Surfing is more than just a sport for the 13-year-old from the slums; it is her ticket to a better world. While her family expects her to marry as soon as possible and would prefer to send her to work in Oman, her surfing instructor, Rashed Alam, shows her an alternative way to escape the poverty she was born into. Despite the many obstacles ahead of her, Shobe is determined to take advantage of this opportunity. Riding the waves allows her to forget her fears and sorrows and be a carefree teenager for a little while. Her love of surfing gives her the strength to pursue her dream.

// Diving Expedition

Marine biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta embarks on a diving mission to document the fascinating and little-explored ecosystem at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Because he wants to avoid the time-consuming decompression process associated with diving to great depths, he and three other researchers move into a pressurized capsule measuring just under five square meters for 28 days. During the course of the expedition, the capsule is submerged at various locations off the French Mediterranean coast. The divers can only exit the capsule when its underwater, but what they discover there makes up for the effort.

In The Deep Med, we drift along with them through the gardens of coral reef, see the common squid mating, and watch peacock feather worms fish for plankton.

// Surf Expedition

Three surfers—Remy, Josh, and Jake—have had enough of the crowded surf spots of their Australian homeland. Their search for empty waves takes them to the other side of the world—to Alaska, in the middle of a frozen winter. There they rely on the experience of an old sea captain who knows the area like the back of his hand and has been leading surfing guests to the best spots for years with his fishing boat Milo. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, glaciers, and ice floes, the adventure of a lifetime begins for the three sun-kissed surfers. With snowstorms, seasickness, and cold feet, many new challenges await, yet Remy, Josh, and Jake can't wait to jump into the icy water.

// Sailing

With his participation in the Vendée Globe, Boris Herrmann is fulfilling a lifelong dream. The toughest sailing regatta in the world takes the Hamburg native around the globe—non-stop and without assistance. Completely on his own for the 80-day journey, Boris must rely one hundred percent on his yacht. Throughout the race, wind and weather are a constant companion for Boris and the "Seaexplorer". Despite repeated mechanical issues and technical failures, it becomes apparent in the first third of the race that the Vendée Globe newcomer is able to keep up with his far more experienced competitors. But just hours before his anticipated arrival at the finish line, an unexpected event scuppers his hopes for a possible debut victory.