We spent a few minutes chatting with the scion of the Cousteau family, Jean-Michel Cousteau, talking about his life and the Ocean Futures Society.
James Henderson – What was your first watch, was it a gift? Is there a story behind it?
Jean-Michel Cousteau – I don’t remember exactly. But I can tell you that when I was a kid, watches were different. They were valuable, expensive – special! You received one at a certain age, and you held onto it forever. It was only later that I realized the importance of a good diving watch. One that would not only tell you the time, but keep the water out. But things have definitely changed. I think for both watches and the concept of time. I feel that young people today do not appreciate the value of a single watch – just as we do not value our time on this planet to the fullest.
JH – What do you mean by that?
JMC – We are spoiled today. We are wasteful. Today we are in such a hurry to buy things, to consume things that we don’t need (and probably don’t really even want)! This doesn’t mean that the standard of living has improved – because in a lot of ways it really hasn’t! Consider for a moment how much we waste – you live here in Santa Barbara, as I do. You know the homeless people who go through our trash, our recycling, and take the bottles and cans to the recycling center to get money? I think those guys are great! As odd as it sounds, they are helping to keep the city clean.
JH – Where did you go to school, what did you study?
JMC – I studied architecture in Paris. And now many years later I am still waiting for my first “commission” 55 years later! But I am a licensed architect. After that, I worked in a shipyard in Brittany because what my real goal was something different than merely building houses and offices. You see, from the time I was a kid, my brother and I were always in the water. We were “wet” at a very early age!
JH – Well, given your famous father’s profession, had you ever considered doing something else?
JMC – I think not really – BUT – I will say that what I do today is a true evolution. I studied architecture with the idea of combining it with life in the ocean – that the future was (and will be) closely linked to the sea. This, in turn, led me to working at the shipyard in Brittany, because I wanted to better understand the nature of structures for the water. But I must say that my father in many ways was my greatest teacher. He was invaluable in helping me work in and produce film and television. Just as in architecture, each project has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
JH – Ocean Futures continues to grow and evolve – obviously a great deal of this is tied in with you and your family’s efforts. What does the future hold?
JMC – I am fortunate that my children are involved, but more than this I feel that we have created a strong foundation for others to continue our work. As the population of the earth continues to grow, it is more and more apparent that our quality of life is strongly connected to the health of our planet. And the health of the planet is inseparable from the health of the oceans.
JH – What are some of the biggest challenges you currently face?
JMC – Funding. It is ironic, because people hear, or read the name Cousteau, and feel that we must be rich and that money is no problem. In many ways, the name Cousteau works against us. So I have to be out there, giving lectures, promoting the work of the organization. The single biggest way for us to promote our work is through images – be they video or photographs. To this end, we work tirelessly to compile as many images as possible.
Another challenge for us is education – but this is a challenge that we embrace! We need to get the kids “WET”. We need to introduce them underwater life – whether it’s the ocean, a river or a lake. We need to challenge the young people’s sense of curiosity and adventure.
JH – Okay, as this is a watch blog – favorite all-time dive watch?
JMC – When I started diving there were only a few companies that made true diving watches. Today, there are many choices and we are lucky that several companies have supported us over the years. I did design a watch made literally of recycled materials. It was manufactured for a short time but is no longer available.
JH – Being based in Santa Barbara, I imagine that you enjoy fairly consistent conditions for diving? If you can recall, what is one of your most challening/difficult dives?
JMC – There has been one dive in 67 years that really stands out for me. I was diving in a cave, and I suddenly realized that I would run out of air before I could surface. But – I did not panic. I motioned to my dive “buddy” and we were able to “buddy breath”. This was in Papua New Guinea in 1982 or 1983.
JH – If you weren’t doing this, what do you think you might be doing?
JMC – This is the truth – either an astronaut or a farmer! That would really be great if I could have “three lives”. The sea, the land, and space!
JH – What is a typical “day in the life” of Jean Michel Cousteau?
JMC – There truly are no “typical” days and this is what keeps things interesting! For all of us here at Ocean Futures, there are constant surprises and challenges to adapt to.
JH – What do you like to do in your spare time?
JMC – What is “spare time”? (laughs).
JH – Who is the next “Cousteau” out there?
JMC – There are many out there! And luckily – they don’t have to be Cousteaus!
Get Wet with Ocean Futures – www.oceanfutures.org
Photos courtesy of Carrie Vonderhaar/Ocean Futures Society