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Opener
Devilandthedeepbluesea
Few stretches of water have a reputation to
rival the fearsome Raz de Sein, of Brittany’s
western tip. The passage, between the
mainland and the Île de Sein, saw violent
action between the British and French navies
during the Napoleonic Wars, but its roiling
currents and sudden tides are more than equal
to the political turbulence above the water.
Despite the risks, some fishermen still brave
the waters in small boats, hunting for lucrative
sea bass. In this image the French maritime
photographer Philip Plisson captured one such
adventurer from a helicopter in 1995. Eleven
years later these notorious waters would claim
their most famous soul. Edouard Michelin,
head of the world ’s largest tyre company, died
aged 42 on a private sea bass hunt in the Raz de
Sein. The boat was found beneath 70 metres of
water, about 15 kilometres from the Île de Sein.
Photographer – Philip Plisson