In 2006, Ghislain wholeheartedly chose to embark on the undersea exploration and adventure of the polar regions.

Attracted to the sea and mountains, he started as a climbing enthusiast and moved to diving. His passion for this activity quickly led him to teach it and to diversify his skills in both technical and professional diving. During his studies, he worked in close collaboration, as a logistics and technical manager, with Jean-Louis Étienne. While there, he organized a diving campaign at the North Pole in 2007 that involved an undersea robot and six divers.

Next, he designed an undersea exploration project with the goal of creating a totally new photographic and cinematographic eyewitness report on the undersea world of the ice caps in the most painstakingly accurate way possible. It was called “Deep Sea Under The Pole by Rolex”. During the editing of this modern adventure, he decided to become an entrepreneur to concretize his dream.

In Spring of 2010, at the end of the polar night, and after three years of preparation, he, seven crew members and a Siberian husky were dropped at a spot 76 km from the North Pole. After a 45-day experience of life on the ice caps, it was punishing for both men and material, with 51 dives under extreme conditions, the adventure – a first – ended as a remarkable success. It gave rise to unique and spectacular images of the undersea ice caps that would be seen worldwide, images that were a tribute to a dream world that is being destroyed by global warming.

After this first success, he began work, in 2011, on the development of the “Under The Pole” undersea exploration program. Welcomed by Roland Jourdain, an ocean racer, Ghislain established a base at Concarneau for launching a major new expedition: “Under The Pole II • 2014-2015” (Discovery Greenland). In 2013, he and Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout purchased the WHY, an impressive 19.5-meter-long aluminum schooner, as an itinerant base camp, dedicated to diving and polar exploration.

In January 2014, the ship departed for Greenland, thanks to the combined efforts of some hundred crew members and collaborators, as well as more than 80 partner companies and research institutes. The expedition was officially backed by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. In July 2014, after four months of increasingly deeper dives, he achieved a first for the Polar region in northern Greenland by going beyond the 100 meter limit using a rebreather. At the end of a winter on the ice caps, he repeated the exploit in April 2015 with dives beyond 100 meters under the ice. In 2015, after 21 months of Polar immersion, the expedition returned to France at the end of a pioneering adventure. Since then, Ghislain and his team have been working on Under The Pole III • 2017-2020.

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A former member of Jean-Louis Étienne’s team, Emmanuelle shares leadership of the Under The Pole program with Ghislain. As the WHY skipper, she directs expedition communication and enjoys keeping records, especially in writing, of regions not yet explored.

A sea and cetaceans enthusiast since childhood, she boarded the Grace O’Malley school schooner for six months when she was just thirteen. In 2000, she studied at the Les Glénans sailing school and later entered the French National Sailing School where she attained the highest level in cruise training. In parallel to her work as a manager on Penfret Island – where she supervises 200 interns and 50 instructors – she participates in ocean races in a Mini 6.50.

After meeting Jean-Louis Étienne, she embarked for Clipperton as a sailor and co-manager of nautical activities. After her return to France, she worked as a diving instructor before leaving for a year and a half of polar navigation between Norway and Spitsbergen as first mate of Olivier Pitras’ Southern Star. In 2007, she joined Jean-Louis Étienne once again for an expedition, this time on a flying ship: a dirigible. During this expedition, she reached the Geographic North Pole for the first time in 2008.

She then joined Ghislain to prepare Deepsea Under the Pole by Rolex. In 2010, she was the only woman on the ice caps team, where she went on dives and took care of communication and their dog Kayak. Since then, she dedicates herself full time to promoting their work and the new expedition: Under The Pole II • 2014-2015 (Discovery Greenland).

In 2006, Ghislain wholeheartedly chose to embark on the undersea exploration and adventure of the polar regions.

Attracted to the sea and mountains, he started as a climbing enthusiast and moved to diving. His passion for this activity quickly led him to teach it and to diversify his skills in both technical and professional diving. During his studies, he worked in close collaboration, as a logistics and technical manager, with Jean-Louis Étienne. While there, he organized a diving campaign at the North Pole in 2007 that involved an undersea robot and six divers.

Next, he designed an undersea exploration project with the goal of creating a totally new photographic and cinematographic eyewitness report on the undersea world of the ice caps in the most painstakingly accurate way possible. It was called “Deep Sea Under The Pole by Rolex”. During the editing of this modern adventure, he decided to become an entrepreneur to concretize his dream.

In Spring of 2010, at the end of the polar night, and after three years of preparation, he, seven crew members and a Siberian husky were dropped at a spot 76 km from the North Pole. After a 45-day experience of life on the ice caps, it was punishing for both men and material, with 51 dives under extreme conditions, the adventure – a first – ended as a remarkable success. It gave rise to unique and spectacular images of the undersea ice caps that would be seen worldwide, images that were a tribute to a dream world that is being destroyed by global warming.

After this first success, he began work, in 2011, on the development of the “Under The Pole” undersea exploration program. Welcomed by Roland Jourdain, an ocean racer, Ghislain established a base at Concarneau for launching a major new expedition: “Under The Pole II • 2014-2015” (Discovery Greenland). In 2013, he and Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout purchased the WHY, an impressive 19.5-meter-long aluminum schooner, as an itinerant base camp, dedicated to diving and polar exploration.

In January 2014, the ship departed for Greenland, thanks to the combined efforts of some hundred crew members and collaborators, as well as more than 80 partner companies and research institutes. The expedition was officially backed by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. In July 2014, after four months of increasingly deeper dives, he achieved a first for the Polar region in northern Greenland by going beyond the 100 meter limit using a rebreather. At the end of a winter on the ice caps, he repeated the exploit in April 2015 with dives beyond 100 meters under the ice. In 2015, after 21 months of Polar immersion, the expedition returned to France at the end of a pioneering adventure. Since then, Ghislain and his team have been working on Under The Pole III • 2017-2020.

.

A former member of Jean-Louis Étienne’s team, Emmanuelle shares leadership of the Under The Pole program with Ghislain. As the WHY skipper, she directs expedition communication and enjoys keeping records, especially in writing, of regions not yet explored.

A sea and cetaceans enthusiast since childhood, she boarded the Grace O’Malley school schooner for six months when she was just thirteen. In 2000, she studied at the Les Glénans sailing school and later entered the French National Sailing School where she attained the highest level in cruise training. In parallel to her work as a manager on Penfret Island – where she supervises 200 interns and 50 instructors – she participates in ocean races in a Mini 6.50.

After meeting Jean-Louis Étienne, she embarked for Clipperton as a sailor and co-manager of nautical activities. After her return to France, she worked as a diving instructor before leaving for a year and a half of polar navigation between Norway and Spitsbergen as first mate of Olivier Pitras’ Southern Star. In 2007, she joined Jean-Louis Étienne once again for an expedition, this time on a flying ship: a dirigible. During this expedition, she reached the Geographic North Pole for the first time in 2008.

She then joined Ghislain to prepare Deepsea Under the Pole by Rolex. In 2010, she was the only woman on the ice caps team, where she went on dives and took care of communication and their dog Kayak. Since then, she dedicates herself full time to promoting their work and the new expedition: Under The Pole II • 2014-2015 (Discovery Greenland).