Meeting the Cousteaus

One interesting element to our summer was a scheduled meeting with Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary underwater pioneer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Jean-Michel has continued in his father's footsteps and founded the Ocean Futures Society. He travels the world filming underwater documentaries in order to spread awareness of ocean conservation. Recently he has become involved with our boss to start a dive shop on Petit St. Vincent (our boss' island). It will actually be more than a dive shop, it will focus again- on marine conservation- and make moves to designate the surrounding waters as a marine preserve.

Jean-Michel, who wears a red beanie in honor of his father, came aboard for dinner. He had such a pleasant demeanor and an honest smile, that we were all inclined to see him as a warm grandfather figure. It seemed like he spent more time talking to the kids aboard, as he believed they were "more worthwhile to invest in than adults." Isn't he right though?

Earlier that day I took Phil and his business partner Colin on a dive. We dove on a cement barge wreck off the Porquerolles Islands. As an aside, I saw an octopus blending shape, color, and texture to look like a piece of coral, it was probably the most impressive animal I have ever seen. On the way back from the dive, Phil and Colin were prepping for the big meeting with Cousteau and asked me if I could get a video ready to show him. I said that I had the B-17 video (posted on this blog already) that we could show him, but Phil wanted me to include all of the historical research that I had done into the video. As soon as the the dive gear was stowed, we set sail for Sanary-Sur-Mer for the meeting. I helped get us underway and then retired to the my cabin which was the quietest place I could find on the busy boat. I typed up a narration script about the history of the B-17's pilot, career, and last mission. Then read it out loud into the imovie editor over the dive video. I tried to make it as much like a documentary as I could, but in the end I stutter here, and a cabin door slams there. hahaha- and then we presented it to Mr. Cousteau 2 hours later. Boy was I nervous! We all gathered in the Salon and I opened the viewing with our B-17 video, then he showed us his most current projects. It was a nice little show and tell kind of gathering.
Jean-Michel brought his daughter, son in law and grandson out for a sail the next morning. We had a great day of it. They were all very nice people. We got to see some of the great things that Cousteau is working on too. He is involved in an imax film coming out using new technology to film 3D micro sized organisms underwater. He claims it will be like nothing the world has seen (comes out next summer).

Picture on the aft deck: Phil and friends on the left, Cousteau family
on the right.  

I will leave you with this... It hasn't always been as easy as it is today to access the underwater world. Jacques Cousteau co-invented the aqualung in 1943, which became the first way to get underwater recreationally. Normal air tank set ups can get you down to about 130' safely, past that you need to use gas mixes to maintain proper nitrogen levels in your blood. We have come so far, and even recently. It used to be high end diving to use these gas mixes, now it is common practice here in the Med. Every dive shop here offers these deep dives daily. Jean- Michel said he has been diving for 65 years. If you think about that, it means Jacques strapped him into
an aqualung when he was 9 years old when they were still experimenting with it. I don't think you'll find but a handful of people who have that many years of diving under their belt. It just wasn't available back then, unless your dad was Jacques Cousteau...