Inspiring Climate Action Since 2009
Jean-Michel Cousteau is a world-famous French oceanographic explorer and environmentalist who has dedicated his life to exploring depths of our oceans. He now travels the world educating people about the secrets of the oceans, and strongly believes, “we can’t protect what we don’t yet understand”.
In April 2019, Jean-Michel Cousteau was invited by Ritz Carlton JBR to educate Dubai kids about life under the water. It was inspiring to see him in action, enthusiastically answering questions from kids and adults, and sharing his vast experience of exploring unwater seas for 73 years. It was wonderful how, in simple words, he explained to kids that the health of the oceans is declining due to human impacts. The short clips from Jean Michel Cousteau movies were screened during the event. It was like opening a treasure trove of knowledge, not only for kids but also for us parents who accompanied the kids. Like many other kids, my son was inspired by the living legend and told me that he wants to learn scuba diving like Jean. He even drew a picture of Jean diving under the water.
Ruhaan painted Jean under the water 🙂
Lady luck smiled again the next day when I got to cruise the Arabian Gulf with Jean-Michel Cousteau on a yacht and could chat with him while he was in a relaxed and candid mood. The first thing we can learn, from this 81-year-old celebrated environmentalist, is that we need to keep ourselves active no matter what our age is. Just the day before, he educated over hundred and fifty Dubai kids in the scorching sun and the next day, he was all ready for a cruise; his enthusiasm and passion for talking about oceans had not reduced one bit.
When I told him, my son wanted to talk to you the day before, but couldn’t get a chance, Jean happily suggested that he can give him a voice message so promptly I recorded his message. I feel his wise words are universal and should be shared with all of the kids in the next generation, my son included.
“Follow your dream! If you don’t know scuba diving, you can explore the underwater with mask, fins, and snorkel, go all over the places and discover amazing creatures”
When we were out in the Arabian Gulf, Jean told us some of his ocean exploration stories and how he loves visiting new places, meeting new people, and learning about their culture. Jean started his underwater exploration at age 7 when his father helped him learn scuba diving. Jean’s childhood was spent mainly at the ocean. At the age when an average child attends school and joins afterschool activities, Jean accompanied his father the well-known ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau along with Cousteau family on the aquatic expeditions and investigated the world’s oceans aboard Calypso and Alcyone, his father Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s research vessel.
Since then, Jean Cousteau has explored vast expanses of oceans and has produced over 80 films focused on aquatic conservation. He has received the Emmy, the Peabody Award, the Sept d’Or, and the Cable Ace Award. With Jean-Michel’s lifetime of achievements and exemplary public service in ocean conservation through education, awareness, and diplomacy, he was honored with the highest French civilian order of distinction, the Chevalier de la Légion D’Honneur, Knight of the Legion of Honor from the President of France, François Hollande in May 2016.
Jean told us about, his foundation, Ocean Futures Society, a non-profit marine conservation and education organization based in Santa Barbara, California, which serves as a “Voice for the Ocean” by communicating to audiences the critical bond between people and the sea and the importance of wise environmental policy. Committed to exploring the connection between human actions and the health of the ocean, Ocean futures prioritizes Clean water, Coastal marine habitat, Marine mammals and sustainable fisheries.
When I told Jean about Sustainability Tribe and how we have been raising sustainable living awareness in UAE for the last 10 years, Jean lauded me for the efforts. Getting recognition from such a passionate environmentalist was definitely one of the best moments, which I will cherish for several years to come.
Cruizing with Jean-Michel Cousteau
We discussed quite a lot about how raising awareness is so important and how we should not stop raising awareness no matter what response we get, and no matter what a nation’s policies are. We need to keep fighting till there are rules made to protect the sea life, says Jean who now helps to construct regulations for the conservation of sea animals and aquatic ecosystem. Jean-Michel Cousteau believes, if we work faster and more people join in the efforts, it’s still not too late to save our oceans. It was so motivational to hear this positive outlook about raising awareness and bringing the change from the man who is doing it successfully for the last 73 years.
When we were further away from the coast, now surrounded by calmer sea, while Jean was talking about oceans, we naturally ended up touching the topic of plastic and polluted oceans. Jean told us how polluted waters had an effect on the human body, citing his own recent medical assessment for levels of toxicity. “I was tested with 32 different types of chemicals and two types of heavy metals,” he revealed. He points out, that plastic is not only the biggest polluter of oceans, but there are also toxic chemicals, which end up in the seas and disturbs the underwater ecosystem.
Watch here, a video where during sea exploration, Jean Coustou ended up an island in
Jean’s father was a pioneering sea adventurer Jacques Cousteau, who was best acclaimed for his television series “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,”. Jean-Michel continues his father’s legacy, serving as an impassioned ambassador of the environment, reaching out to the public through a variety of media and educational programs.
During the cordial lunch after the cruise, Jean, the proud father told us how his kids Céline and Fabien dive and continuing his and his father’s legacy. He fondly talked about his expedition to discover the origins of the Amazon River with his father and family. Cousteau’s expedition culminated in a six-hour television documentary entitled “Cousteau’s Amazon”
Jean was particularly delighted to see, the Sea change wine being served at the lunch table. How can I not take my dining companion’s happy photo?
His lovely wife, Nancy Marr Cousteau, told me that Jean just came from Russia where he went with the mission of releasing whales back in the wild. As the president of Ocean Futures Society, Jean Cousteau signed an agreement with Charles Vinick of The Whale Sanctuary Project and the Governor of Primorski Krai Oleg Kozhemyako of Russia to release the beluga and orca whales back into their natural environment.
Throughout the hours we spent with Jean, it confirmed my notion and experience that great people are more humble, friendly, accommodating than most of the regular folks. While their experience, knowledge, expertise makes them great, during that journey they also develop immense humility and compassion. So be the experience of Jean serving your plate at the lunch table, insisting with lot of love that you should try this or be it Jean volunteers to send a personal message to your son, just because he couldn’t talk to him.
Thanks to Ritz Carlton for giving us the opportunity to spend such a lovely time with Jean. I hope to meet and learn from as well as get inspired by him again in the near future!
I am sure, you are as inspired by Jean Michel Cousteau biography and so I suggest you read about ‘how to beat plastic pollution‘ and start making simple changes in your lifestyle.
Amruta Kshemkalyani, an expert sustainability professional turned social entrepreneur, is the founder of the Sustainability Tribe, AK Sustainability
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This is so wonderful, thanks for the post
I am sure you are as inspired by Jean, as I am!