It was just another Sunday afternoon as she took a breath and began the gradual descent into the bottomless void, in preparation to dive a total of 300 feet and back — around the height of a 60-story building. Everything was going as planned until she failed to resurface.
A search was carried out with haste, but to no avail — no trace of her body was ever found. Whether she was dragged under strong currents, caught in a ghost net, blacked out, or still adrift at sea remains a mystery. Natalia Molchanova, the “queen of freediving” who set 41 records and won 23 world championships, was presumed drowned on August 5th, 2015.
The sport of freediving is as demanding as it is exhilarating. Without the use of an oxygen tank, divers require minimal equipment before making their descent into the bottomless blue. While physical fitness and breath-holding capability contribute immensely to a successful dive, the ocean’s unpredictable nature can mean the difference between life and death.
After a diver descends into the water, they may experience a down-current when the current hits a steep drop-off and runs at a right angle, pulling downward on anything in its path. As this event occurs abruptly, it can pull a diver from 15 to 65 feet in seconds. The unnerving thing is, there’s no telling how deep a down-current goes, and few people last long enough to ever find out.
When battling against a down-current, the barometric pressure within the body increases exponentially and can compress the lungs to a quarter of their size at a rapid rate. Individuals have also experienced immense ear pain due to the rush of pressure, which would require the act of equalization in pinching the nose and breathing outward. Most divers tend to lose their sense of control in exerting more strength than necessary, which commonly leads to feelings of drunkenness, blackouts, and, in extreme cases, death due to hypoxia.
Another potential obstacle for freedivers is ghost nets, which are fishing nets that have been abandoned or discarded. Much of marine wildlife has succumbed to this invisible danger, as it is a choking hazard which makes them an easy target for predators. Ghost nets are designed to trap coral, fish, and mammals, but they don’t discriminate and can quickly render a diver immobile.
Sea Shepherd is a program that collaborates with local fishers to remove ghost nets and other sea debris. Every year, seasonal operations are undertaken in the Upper Gulf of California with the help of 35 local fishers working from 17 small boats. By following GPS coordinates, the ships are equipped with hooks that are dragged below water until coming in contact with a submerged net. In 2020, this program successfully removed 20 nets from this region.
“Ghost nets are designed to trap coral, fish, and mammals, but they don’t discriminate and can quickly render a diver immobile.”
Despite the many perils of the deep, there are divers like Natalia Molchanova who regard the ocean with the utmost respect. Amid the turbulent waters, she believed that “true power in freediving comes from a deep relaxation that feels like surrender.” While most individuals view the ocean as an adversary to fight and prevail against, Molchanova approached freediving with unwavering concentration. Her mentality towards this sport was truly admirable, as she continually prioritized the safety and preservation of marine life with each dive.
Molchanova once said in an interview, “freediving is not only a sport, it’s a way to understand who we are. When we go down if we don’t think, we understand we are whole. We are one with the world.”