At first, we see only what Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) sees: a blur of faces, which turn out to be the doctors and nurses at the hospital, who float into view in fearsome closeup, like deep-sea monsters.

NEWYORKER: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Until recently, little had been known about this species, apart from the fact that like many deep sea creatures it has the ability to glow - a trait called bioluminescence.

BBC: Glowing shark scares off predators with 'lightsabers'

If exploitation has only just begun of life forms found in hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and similar deep-sea formations like mud volcanoes and brine pools, the same cannot be said for seamounts.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

Then he rises, like some weird sea creature from the deep, his pupils disappear, and he somehow makes his hair bristle like quills.

NEWYORKER: The Artists

Scientists are finding life that can resist the colossal pressures, from deep-sea fish to shrimp-like scavengers called amphipods, some of which can reach 30cm (1ft) long.

BBC: James Cameron back on surface after deepest ocean dive

It would be like risking the vinous equivalent of the bends, the decompression sickness of deep-sea divers who ascend too quickly from the bottom of the ocean.

WSJ: Second Thoughts: How to Follow Your First Bottle | On Wine by Lettie Teague