That was the first indication to me of how important walruses were, not only to the Inuit, but possibly also to these bears. I wanted to explore that interaction. That's how, years later, I ended up living side by side on this island with polar bears and walruses. It seems like maybe a crazy thing to do. But after years of pursuing these animals, it's a learning process. Eventually I could say, "OK, I'm going to take precautions but also take the risk of being out there with them." It's terrifying, but it's also the way to get close.
The Arctic can be a tough place to merely survive. What are the extra challenges to dive and film there?
Ice diving in general is just challenging and difficult. You have 29° Fahrenheit (minus 1.7° Celsius) water temps. So you have to deal with the cold, and … [if you were] unprotected, you wouldn't last long. A dry suit is not warm, but it keeps you in the water for 30 to 40 minutes. Then you've got to get out.
There are dangers under the ice … the chance of being trapped … . So you always have to be aware. Also it's really unproven how these animals react to people in the water. They weigh up to a ton or more and have dagger-type tusks in font of their face. They can do a lot of damage.
They have individual personalities like humans. In some instances, you wouldn't go into the water. Others you approach carefully. In a herd, they are really unpredictable.
It sounds like they have some humanlike qualities.
I think what's attractive to many people is how humanlike [walruses] are. You see it with the mother-baby bond, the hugging. It's so evident, and it's similar to a human mother and child.
Also when you see masses of animals get together, it's impressive—whether you're looking at people in downtown Manhattan or at herds of walruses. They touch a lot. They're gregarious and social. In that way, there are a lot of human comparisons. For me, at least, that's probably why I've stayed with them for so long.
Much of the time you must play a waiting game, correct?
It often lasts for several seasons. Sometimes you learn about something one year, stake it out for a year, then maybe miss [the] event, [and] have to come back a third year. The waiting game doesn't stop, and it eats away a bit. You say, I didn't wake up in time. Or, I didn't stay long enough. It's not a relaxed kind of waiting with a Corona in your hand. It's intense.
But when you finally get something that's unique, it's incredible. You're very relieved, and the adrenaline is going. It's so rewarding and such a great feeling.
What we do is entertaining, and putting stories together is important. But I also enjoy making photographic contributions, even in a small way, to the scientific fields that I studied but didn't pursue professionally [zoology and marine biology]. Being able to say that, at this moment, at this place, this is what happened—and we've never seen anything like it before—that's what makes it worthwhile.
For more news on Adam Ravetch and the Arctic, scroll down for related stories and links.
|
SOURCES AND RELATED WEB SITES
|
