5 things to know about Mario Cyr, the oceanic cinematographer

We experienced a magical moment last October during a festive evening celebrating the opening of our Chlorophylle boutique on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal. Our ambassador since 1991, Mario Cyr, a professional diver, gave an intimate talk to less than twenty privileged guests, all of whom were hanging on his every word, savoring his perilous adventures. This witness of the last 38 winters behind his camera lens has a lot to tell. Let's retrace some of his tasty anecdotes.

Text: Manon Rivard

1. His first images: a fortunate chance

He made his first underwater images, by pure chance, in 1984. He was a commercial diver at the time, helping with the construction of bridges or docks among other things. He usually spent 45 to 50 minutes underwater at that time, while today he can be 4 hours consecutively under cold water. Isn't it fascinating how the human body is so adaptable? "When you give it time, it will organize itself to live well in that environment," he says.

At that time, he was accompanying a film crew in the Magdalen Islands, including a cameraman who had arrived from California, where the water is clearly warmer! After 15-20 minutes, he was of course very cold. We would get out of the water for about 20 minutes, and then dive back in. And so on for three days, recalls Mario. "The director starts to panic a little bit because the time is running out," he says. And just to be nice to help them, I told them show me how the camera works and when the cameraman goes out to warm up, I'll try to get some footage."

That's how, quite by accident, he made his first images. "I know they're not the best of my life, but it saved the shoot," he laughs. To his surprise, two months later, the same company called him back to see if he could follow them to the Alaskan side. He accepted because the contract was quite lucrative, and above all, the adventure would allow him to dive in Alaska.

2. Chasing the fear

Is he afraid to be around all those big animals in the depths, like polar bears or walruses for example? Yes, but interestingly, Mario Cyr reminds us that marine mammals do not attack without warning. "Narwhals or seals will send a string of bubbles to warn us that we are in their space. They will also growl if not, or circle us at full speed. It's a sign that I have no business being there," he says with a laugh. So there's a kind of respect between man and animal, and all you have to do is listen to the warnings to stay out of danger.

By the way, did you know that polar bears also suffer from ear pain when they dive too deep into the water? At a depth of three or four meters, they come right back to the surface because the pressure affects their eardrums. At first, Mario Cyr was afraid of the beast and used a protective cage underwater to take pictures. He was able to detach himself from it by learning that he only had to swim to the bottom if he felt in danger because the animal could not follow him.

Discover his ambassador page

3. Witness of the climate changes

From past to present, Mario Cyr has been at the forefront of the sad spectacle of the transformation of our territory due to climate change.

For the past three decades, he has been taking pictures of harp seals in the Magdalen Islands every winter. There were no questions asked," he says. We knew that from February 25 or 26, the seals always arrived on the same date. In the last ten years, however, six times we have not been able to go. Why didn't we go? Because there is almost no ice left in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the 90's, there was about 92 to 97% ice, and last year, only 22 to 25%.

What happened to the seals they saw every year? You have to know that about 15% of the population, especially the mothers, come to the Gulf to give birth to their pups. They are looking for the thickest ice to give birth. In recent years, they find it more to the north, near Blanc Sablon. Did you know that? Marine mammals can keep their babies in their bellies for an extra 7 to 10 days if the weather is not good or if a predator is on the prowl.

4. His favorite animal is the polar bear

Extraordinary! Phenomenal! These are the words that Mario Cyr uses to describe his favorite animal, the polar bear. 600,000 years ago, the cameraman - diver confides, polar bears did not exist. They are actually descendants of the grizzly bear who had to climb north to find food and had to adapt because of the environment and the temperature. "They became white to hide among the snow for example," he recounts. Also, their front legs have doubled in size compared to their predecessors and their legs are webbed so they can swim for 10 days without stopping, which is about 320 km of swimming. They can also smell a seal up to 5 km away. Before 1995, they ate 40 to 50 seals per year. With the melting of the ice, the southernmost populations can spend up to 2 months more per year on land, while they can't feed themselves properly. They need ice because they will attack the seals that come to breathe in the holes they make on the ice floe. The bear can sometimes wait up to 24 hours without moving while waiting for its prey. Phenomenal, he said, with reason. Unfortunately, in 20, 30 or 40 years, there will be no more ice very high in the North of the globe and all the population will live the same cruel reality.

5. A special moment with a big humpback

He told us, his eyes still full of stars, about a moment of grace with... a humpback whale! It was on the Atlantic side, he tells us, and he spent nearly 5 hours in its company. "It's so smart that animal. When you swim and there is his big eye following you, I swear, it gives you chills. I had an extraordinary moment.

For a glimpse of Mario's photographic work, check out the Plongée Alpha website.

Did you know…

A coat designed for Mario Cyr

- We produced a custom-made coat for him to meet his specific needs when he is on a northern expedition. To learn more about the Banquise parka, click here.

Mario Cyr has become one of the world's few cold water diving specialists, shooting breathtaking and one-of-a-kind scenes of marine life in the Arctic and Antarctic poles, as well as every ocean on the earth.

Discover his portrait on our ambassador page!