Jean Michel Cousteau

Jean Michel Cousteau is a famous oceanographer, explorer, filmmaker, and son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau. He was born in Toulon, France the year of 1938. When he was old enough he was put aboard his father’s research ships, the Calypso and the Alcyone. Jean immediately fell in love with ocean. He learned the tricks of the trade about the sea and went on many expeditions with his father. After all of this he realized that this is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Jean has done many important things in his life. First of all he started the Ocean Futures Society which is a non profit organization that was created by a merge of the Jean Michel Cousteau Institute and the Free Willy Keiko Foundation in March of 1999. This organization expresses the ethic of conservation, research, and marine education. He became the first person to represent the environment in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games of 2002. Jean has completed over 70 educational films that have been given various awards including the Emmy, Peabody, and Cable Ace Awards. Jean-Michel led the first underwater, interactive internet chat that was broadcasted from the coral reefs if Fiji celebrating the International day of the Reef in 1997.

Expedtion Activites at the French Frigate Shoals.

Jean-Michel’s latest expedition is the Voyage to Kure. This was located on the Northwestern chain of the Hawaiian Islands. These remote and pristine islands have remained untouched for many years and are flourishing with sea life that is asking to be explored and studied. There are about ten main islands that the cure concentrated on. They were named Nihoa, Mokumanamana, French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Maro Reef, Laylan, Lisianski, Pearl and Herms, Midway, and Kure. Each of these areas is crawling with marine life.

One of the newest awards he has received was the Explorer’s Club Lowell Thomas Award. He has received this award on November 28 of this year for his contributions of marine exploration. Jean is now known as one of the worlds greatest ocean explorers till this day. Also the master of ceremonies was Silvia A. Earle who is the first woman president for the Explorer’s Club and she also holds the world record for the deepest solo dive of 3,281 feet which she set in 1985. The reward that Cousteau has received was named after a famed explorer and TV newscaster who has been a member for over 50 years. The Lowell Thomas Award was established in 1980. Since then only seven awards has been handed out.

Shark in French Polynesia

Jean-Michel Cousteau has been a great influence on my life because he has shown me the beauty of the sea around the world thru his books and films. Also I really appreciate the way he cares for the ocean just like how I do. Living in Hawaii, I have been in love with ocean all my life. My favorite thing about it was the sea life, but mostly sharks. Mr. Cousteau has taught me a lot and I hope he visits here again real soon. I have gotten the chance to meet him for a brief moment when he made a presentation at the local aquarium named Maui Ocean Center when it first opened. I got his autograph in his book about great white sharks and I still have it till this day.