In the middle of the Congo River delta lies an island, Kizunga Manianga. It is surrounded by meandering river arms and enchanted mangrove forests. Female scallop divers live and work here; diving in the river delta is traditionally a woman's job. The women divers bear a great deal of responsibility: their families are dependent on the income; and because fishing is declining, many men have left to earn money elsewhere. The mussels are a lifesaver for many families.

Marie Velakutshi dives into the murky water up to 150 times almost every day until her pirogues are full. The women dive at low tide, when the water is around three metres deep; they only have a view of a few centimetres. This is because the Congo is a tropical blackwater river; humic substances washed in from moors and humus-rich rainforest soils colour it dark, but the strong current, one of the strongest in the world, is particularly treacherous. If Marie stays under water too long, she drifts off and has to swim against the current with her catch in her hands, which is sometimes almost impossible. The divers are therefore always tethered to a lifeline.

The mussels that the women do not need for their own consumption are sold at the market in the city, where Marie also wants to visit her two daughters. They are staying with relatives so that they can go to school there. Marie wants to keep them from having to become shellfish divers themselves one day.