The St. Lawrence River in the spring: an inevitable awakening

The beginning of spring, however timid, is a magical moment at Bota Bota. The St. Lawrence River relaxes with the changing temperatures, and the Bota Bota gradually regains its freedom.

The rebirth of flora and fauna

“There’s a whole dormant period in winter when the river is covered in ice, and it feels like you can’t see much anymore, but it’s the season when the water clarity is at its best!” explains Nathalie Lasselin, filmmaker and underwater explorer. “That’s when you have the greatest visibility, and therefore the best time to go into the water to explore.”

The vegetation isn’t yet present, allowing nature lovers to see small animals busy before the warm weather returns. Muskrats, Canada geese, snow geese, cardinals, and, later, swallows, come to bustle around the river once again. “It’s an extraordinary time to come to the water’s edge,” adds Nathalie, her eyes shining with wonder.

“In Canada, we’re lucky to have this renewal every time. It’s a transition period where everything is dirty outside, but we all put in our efforts and we realize how fascinating it is that everything is growing; the flowers, the plants… For me, it’s a rebirth, a new beginning. This melting of the ice is a very beautiful time.”

Time to take stock

The week of this interview with Nathalie, measurements of the Arctic ice are being taken. The surface area is roughly the same, but the thickness is thinner. “In some places, we expect between 5 and 6 feet of ice, and today at these specific coordinates we only have 3 or 4,” laments Nathalie.

Spring is also a difficult period of transition that reminds us of our relationship with nature, which we have no control over yet on which we depend. “It’s time to take stock.”

“It’s also a stressful time for those who live near the river because of the increased water flow. The St. Lawrence is showing us its strength; it’s at its strongest.”

Moreover, with the melting ice, all the pollution particles left on the ice during the winter end up in the water. Thus, the warming outside temperature causes runoff, which carries all the debris along the banks into the river.

Solutions on a human scale

“On a large scale, we can rarely do things, we feel powerless” says Nathalie, without losing hope. According to her, the solution lies in the small and big actions of everyday life. Like drops of water, they combine to form an ocean of possibilities.

“It’s as simple as sweeping in front of your house and picking up the paper, plastic and cigarette butts that cover the ground, instead of letting them flow down the drain!” The idea here is to keep your “little corner of life” as healthy as possible.

Picking up trash and leaving no trace behind are everyday actions that offer a role to citizens eager to do more. “At the individual level, it’s necessary to consume in the most environmentally friendly way.” Optimizing transportation is one of many examples.

Post-pandemic learning

“I think a good portion of people are still practicing what they experienced during the pandemic. They’ve changed their perspective on how to take care of life by questioning certain practices.” Nathalie points to the much greater use of Zoom or Teams connections for meetings. “I don’t know if it’s getting better or worse. What we’ve lost is the unifying movement, and that’s a shame,” she deplores.

However, she did have the opportunity to participate in unusual gatherings that gave her a glimmer of hope, during a campaign to clean up the St. Lawrence River. “As divers, our first impression of the SeaDoos inspires vigilance and sometimes suspicion. We don’t use the river in the same way and we fear collisions.” a preconception based on several years of experience. “But they graciously came to help us remove the tires from the water,” she recalls gratefully.

An experience that reminds us how difficult it can sometimes be to understand another person’s reality before connecting with them. “We’ve done a lot of progress and it certainly dates back to the pandemic,” she concludes.

A foggy horizon

In January 2025, Nathalie has lost 75% of her funding for the year. “It’s a disaster,” she mourns. A real challenge presented itself to her at the beginning of the year, as the world experienced a geopolitical shock whose full impact is still difficult to fathom.

“Everything is on hold, and everyone is very emotional about it all,” she reports. “But I’m lucky to be able to reinvent myself, to be versatile, and to have several talents!” This is one of the reasons why she is so proud to once again be involved in her Women at Sea event, the largest underwater gathering of female divers ever recorded. It’s a way for her to dedicate her efforts to causes that are more important to her than ever: those of women and water.

Find out more about Nathalie Lasselin’s career in the Bota Bota Anchor Point podcast (in French) and in her volunteer event organization with the Bota Bota team.