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Guillame Néry free-diving Yonaguni. Shot by Julie Gautier.

Free-Diving the Enigmatic Underwater ‘Yonaguni Monument’

The Japanese underwater site known as the ‘Yonaguni monument‘ has excited ‘lost civilization’ proponents ever since its discovery in 1986. Some believe the site to be a prehistoric site made by human hands, including step pyramid-like structures, while others say it’s just a fascinating geological curiosity (and there are also theories that the site is a combination of both).

Whatever your view though, there is no doubt that the ‘Yonaguni monument’ is truly a visually stunning, epic location, with massive ‘blocks’ that dwarf the human figure, and defined by sharp geometric angles.

So it was a real treat to see Yonaguni feature in the very first minutes of the short film “One Breath Around The World”. Created by French freedivers Guillaume Néry and his partner, underwater filmmaker and dancer Julie Gautier, “One Breath Around The World” uses seamless editing to make it appear as if Néry has taken in a variety of breathtaking underwater locations in one breath (worth noting that Gautier also filmed it all without oxygen tanks as well).

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