Tsunami Island (Patreon)

When I was 12 years old, I went on a summer camp in France. The trip was organized by the health insurance fund my family was affiliated with. Together with a group of kids my age, we visited several places across France. One of them was the Mont Saint-Michel. A fairytale island situated in a large bay. With a guide, our group crossed the bay to the island. I still remember it vividly. The sea rivers that nearly swept little me off my feet, the quicksand, the birds... but one place stuck with me above all else. The small island next to Mont Saint-Michel: Île de Tombelaine.

There was something magical about the idea that you could simply walk there, only to find yourself surrounded by the sea a few hours later. I dreamed of spending the night and building a giant sandfort that would then be facing the ultimate tide. In my memories, there were even palm trees, and the island felt almost subtropical, like a real pirate island. My childhood imagination probably got the better of me, because neither palm trees nor pirates are to be found there. But the tides, the bay, and the surreal nature of the place are absolutely real.

Years later, the idea came back: why not actually spend a night on Île de Tombelaine? But just camping there didn't feel like enough for such a special place. Building a giant sandcastle was still an option, but there was another way to take on the tide: using the incoming current to carry yourself back to the mainland. After some research, I found a handful of scarce videos of people who had already done this, in small, hard plastic kayaks designed for surf, with current charts and compasses. And for good reason: when the bay fills up, up to 3 billion cubic metres of water can be set in motion, creating powerful currents. Not something to take lightly. Still, it seemed doable to me, with a life jacket, a solid dose of common sense, and a good boat. I contacted a friend, who immediately loved the idea, and after waiting several months for one of the highest tides of the year, we got in the car and headed for France.

I spent a long time carefully working on this video, because I wanted to capture the phenomenon as well as I possibly could. The weather and the light were on my side, allowing me to shoot footage I find truly unique. Because of all of you, I was also able to buy a nice 360° camera which gave an extra dimension to this video. I'm happy with how it turned out, and I think you'll enjoy it too, let me know what you think! As always, thank you for your support. It's because of you that I get to experience these adventures and capture them on film. All the best!

(The Vimeo version is still uploading, hopefully it will be available soon)