Live from “The Freshwater Everest”
A groundbreaking underwater livestream will take audiences deep into one of Earth’s most remote and mysterious freshwater ecosystems.
On Sunday, September 14th at 3:00 pm ET, join a historic real-time dive to Superior Shoal, a towering underwater mountain in the heart of Lake Superior — the largest freshwater lake in the world. Nicknamed “The Freshwater Everest,” the shoal rises 300 metres from the lakebed and anchors the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.
Streaming live from aboard the Research Vessel Blue Heron, this expedition marks the first-ever attempt to explore the mountain’s hidden depths using state-of-the-art underwater drone technology from Boxfish Robotics.
The livestream will be co-hosted by Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick — award-winning filmmakers, underwater drone explorers, and Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society — alongside freshwater ecologist Dr. Michael Rennie. Together, they’ll guide viewers through one of the least-explored freshwater environments on the planet.
“We want to know if Superior Shoal is to freshwater life what seamounts are to ocean life — a critical refuge of abundance and biodiversity,” says Drebert.
Audiences can expect to encounter an alien-like deepwater world: sheer volcanic cliffs, ancient geological formations, and rarely seen fish such as the deepwater sculpin, giant lake trout like the elusive siscowet, and the striking redfin, seldom captured on camera. With Superior Shoal also known as one of the most hazardous places for shipping on the Great Lakes, there’s even the chance of uncovering new shipwrecks.
Presented by Parks Canada, Science North, and Canadian Geographic, this extraordinary livestream will be broadcast on YouTube Live, where viewers can interact and ask questions in real time.
Drebert and Melnick are the founders of Inspired Planet Productions and the creators of the award-winning series All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes, which revealed how invasive mussels are transforming the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem. In 2023 the pair made international headlines when they discovered the wreck of the “Africa”, a 19th century steamship in Lake Huron.
This livestream is the first in a series rolling out as part of Drebert and Melnick’s new project, Hidden Below: The Freshwater World — an ambitious new wildlife series. Each livestream offers audiences a rare sneak peek at discoveries as they happen, bringing the adventure of underwater exploration directly to the public.
Date and Time: Sunday, September 14th, 3:00 P.M. Eastern
Backup (Weather) Date: Monday, September 15th, 3:00 P.M. Eastern
Length: Approximately 2 hrs
YouTube Live Link: https://youtube.com/live/oKB_iw8aJLc
For More Information: https://inspiredplanet.ca/live
Contact: Yvonne Drebert, Inspired Planet Productions: yvonne@inspiredplanet.ca