Together, they dive into the rigorous preparation and mindset required to execute world-record-setting cave dives. Gaëlle shares her unique perspective on the intersection of physics and diving, explaining how her scientific background informs her approach to risk management and problem-solving at depths exceeding 200 meters. From the emotional toll of writing "goodbye" letters before a major dive to the controversial topic of establishing rules and regulations within the deep-diving community, Gaëlle offers a candid and thought-provoking look at the realities of pushing human limits underwater.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Deep Diving: How a background in astrophysics translates to the practical engineering and problem-solving needed for extreme exploration.

- The Record Breaker: Gaëlle’s experience setting the women's world record for open water rebreather diving (222m) and her subsequent 230m cave dive.

- Calculated Risk: The mental preparation required for extreme depth, including the difficult process of writing "testaments" and accepting the inherent dangers.

- The Ethics of Exploration: A candid discussion on the lack of official governing bodies for deep diving records, the potential need for standardized rules, and the balance between personal freedom and safety.

- Finding Your Team: Why the success of a deep dive relies entirely on the trust and capability of the support team, and how to build a crew you can rely on.

- What's Next: A glimpse into Gaëlle's upcoming projects and new exploration goals.

About the Guest: Gaëlle is a French deep diver, skydiving champion and scientist who was Tamara’s student in Mexico when she learned Sidemount. Gäelle works for CNES, the space agency in France, and has been mentored by a community of deep divers who she has learned and trained with to achieve what no other woman had done before.

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Together, they explore the fascinating intersection of cutting-edge robotics and technical diving. Vickie shares the incredible story of how the Sunfish robot was born from a desire to map unexplored underwater caves and has since evolved into a tool capable of navigating some of the planet's most extreme environments—from the depths of Wakulla Springs to the icy waters of Antarctica, and perhaps one day, the oceans of Jupiter's moon, Europa. They discuss the unique challenges of building a robot that can think for itself in a cave, the differences between ROVs and AUVs, and how these machines are not replacing divers, but working alongside them to push the boundaries of exploration.

In this episode, we discuss:

- The Birth of Sunfish: How a casual conversation about mapping caves led to the creation of an autonomous, hovering underwater robot.

- ROVs vs. AUVs: Understanding the difference between a tethered remote-controlled vehicle and a robot that can think and navigate independently.

- Cave Diving Robots: Why navigating a cave is one of the hardest challenges for an AUV, and how Sunfish uses sonar and spatial AI to find its way.

- From Florida to Space: The journey from testing in Wakulla Springs to being tasked by NASA to develop technology for exploring extraterrestrial oceans.

- Robots and Divers as Teammates: How technology like Sunfish can assist human divers in data collection, infrastructure inspection, and reaching depths beyond human limits.

- The Future of Underwater Exploration: What's next for the Sunfish team, including the development of new "Nova fish" and the ongoing quest for full autonomy.

You can learn more about Vickie Siegel and her team's work by searching for Sunfish AUV online, or by following their ongoing projects as they continue to explore the underwater world.

About the Guest: Vickie Siegel is the co-founder of Sunfish. She’s also a badass cave explorer, expedition leader with experience in running complex logistics in extreme environments.

Connect with Sunfish and Vickie Siegel:

🗣️JOB OPENING AT SUNFISH

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• ​Alaska project summary click here!

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Together, they take a journey back in time, exploring the Ice Age megafauna that once roamed the Yucatan Peninsula and now rests deep within its flooded caves. Jerónimo shares his extensive knowledge and passion for these submerged time capsules and the remains of the ice age megafauna. From the giant ground sloth (

In this episode, we discuss:

• ​Time Travel Underwater: Understanding the Pleistocene epoch and how rising sea levels preserved a treasure trove of fossils in the cenotes.
• ​Meet the Giants: A detailed look at the unique species found in the Yucatan Peninsula, including the giant sloth, gomphotheres, and even prehistoric bears and llamas.
• ​Teeth Tell the Tale: How paleontologists use dental morphology to distinguish between species and understand their diets and environments.
• ​The Importance of Context: Why moving a bone, even slightly, can destroy valuable scientific data and the story it tells about the past.
• ​Ear Bones & Evolution: Jerónimo's fascination with auditory ossicles and what these tiny bones reveal about an animal's life and evolution.
• ​Citizen Science: How divers can contribute to paleontological research by documenting their findings responsibly and reporting them to experts.

About the Guest: Jerónimo is a researcher, photographer, cave diver and paleontologist whose work has derived in dozens of scientific and outreach papers. He has spent almost 30 years diving, documenting and studying the caves, archaeology and paleontology of Quintana Roo.

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