Virtual diving in the high seas, the new attraction of Nausicaa
A deep sea dive without mask or snorkel. Became the largest aquarium in Europe four years ago, Nausicaa continue to innovate. The national center of the sea presented, this Tuesday, its new immersive experience in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in Pas-de-Calais: an encounter in augmented reality with the gigantic animals that inhabit the seas.
Wearing a helmet and wearing glasses, the visitor will be able to enter the world of big big, the name of this attraction which will be accessible to the general public from Saturday 4 June*. The scene lasts ten minutes during which the bay of the giant aquarium fills with new occupants, as if by magic.
Technological prowess
A leatherback turtle comes out of nowhere to eat a giant jellyfish. A sailfish crosses the space in a flash, while northern gannets perforate the ceiling to hunt sardines. So many species that cross paths and rock the eyes of the spectators, embodying a real technological feat.
“It was impossible to bring all these species together in our aquarium, so we chose to bring them to life in augmented reality. It’s a rare opportunity to meet these incredible species that are impossible to approach in the natural environment,” underlines Christophe Sirugue, director of Nausicaa. The operation requires six months of development and costs nearly one million euros.
Preservation and management of the high seas
“It is not a question of using technology for technology’s sake but in the goal of protecting, through education and emotion, the oceans and endangered species”, he adds. In 2022, the preservation and management of the high seas are major societal challenges, as shown by the holding of the One Ocean Summit in February and the next United Nations conference on the oceans which will take place in Lisbon at the end of June.
“Nausicaa has been committed to this work of recognition of the crucial role of the oceans for more than 30 years,” recalls Christophe Sirugue. We remember that the center of the sea had been the target of violent attacks of a complaint, finally dismissed, from the association for the protection of nature, Sea Shepherd, in 2019. In question, the death of 30 hammerhead sharks which had become the number one attraction of the new giant aquarium. At least, with marine animals in augmented reality, this kind of controversy is no longer allowed.
* Reservation at the entrance to the site. Recommended for ages 8 and up. The attraction includes the price of the entrance ticket.
The augmented reality of the Saola studio
Founded in 2020 in Paris, the Saola studio made a name for itself with its first creation called relive, for the Natural History Museum. It was the same type of immersion in augmented reality to restore life to extinct animals. “The difference with virtual reality is that the universe is not entirely fictional,” explains Florent Gilard, one of the founders of Saola. The augmented reality images are added to an already existing decor in which they will be embedded. »