Blancpain is proud to present an exclusive documentary featuring Laurent Ballesta and Alexis Chappuis, Brand partners and divers who made history by capturing the first-ever images of the world’s two living coelacanth species. The documentary is named: “Face to Face with the Coelacanth: A Story Revealed by Laurent Ballesta & Alexis Chappuis.”
Once thought extinct for 70 million years, the coelacanth remains one of the ocean’s most elusive and fascinating creatures. This 12-minute film brings Ballesta and Chappuis together to reflect on their world-first discoveries, made possible thanks to Blancpain’s support.
The coelacanth represents one of the most remarkable discoveries in modern biology—a "living fossil" that bridged our understanding between ancient and modern marine life. These extraordinary fish belong to the order Coelacanthiformes and were thought to have been extinct for 66 million years until a living specimen was dramatically rediscovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.
There are currently two known species of coelacanths. The West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) was the first to be rediscovered, named after Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, the museum curator who first identified the unusual fish. The second species, the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), was discovered in 1997 in Indonesian waters, specifically around Sulawesi.
What makes coelacanths so scientifically significant is their evolutionary position. They're lobe-finned fish, part of a group called Sarcopterygii, which also includes lungfish and, crucially, the ancestors of all land vertebrates. Their paired fins contain bone structures remarkably similar to the limb bones of tetrapods, providing crucial insights into how our distant ancestors made the transition from water to land hundreds of millions of years ago.
Physically, coelacanths are impressive creatures. They can grow up to six feet long and weigh over 200 pounds, with distinctive steel-blue coloration marked by white spots. Their bodies are covered in thick, cosmoid scales—a primitive type of scale not found in most modern fish. They possess several unique anatomical features, including a hinged skull that allows the front portion to lift when feeding, and an oil-filled swim bladder that may help with buoyancy control.
These deep-sea dwellers typically inhabit depths between 500 and 2,300 feet in underwater caves and steep rocky slopes. They're slow-moving predators that feed primarily on fish, squid, and crustaceans. Remarkably, coelacanths are ovoviviparous, meaning females carry eggs inside their bodies until they hatch, with a gestation period that may last up to 22 months, one of the longest of any vertebrate.
The conservation status of coelacanths remains precarious. The West Indian Ocean species is listed as critically endangered, with an estimated population of fewer than 500 individuals. They face threats from accidental capture in deep-sea fishing nets, habitat disturbance, and their naturally low reproductive rate. The Indonesian species is considered vulnerable, with a slightly larger but still fragile population.
Research on living coelacanths continues to yield fascinating discoveries about their biology, behavior, and evolutionary significance. Their study has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate evolution and continues to provide insights into the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago.
More than a celebration of scientific achievement, the documentary highlights the importance of marine conservation and the spirit of exploration that defines the Blancpain Ocean Commitment.
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