Still a Champion of the Seas or just the latest Sellout?

[BrackaFish]

Did it ever stand for that? I know that that is what they wanted you to think that they stood for, but the truth was always to produce a TV Show that brought customers in front of their TVs in order to buy the junk that their advertisers wanted to sell. I don't want to think of the damage done by dynamiting sharks in one of their earlier TV Shows, or the senseless coral reef distruction in their searching for treasure TV Show. Cousteau was a whore who learned to give the customer exactly what he/she wanted to see.
After 20+ years of TV Shows, in the later 70`s, Cousteau discovered that there was a market for ecological shows, and he then jumped into that niche market too.
Untill he died, Cousteau was a showman, who had learned at a very early age that the best way to keep his pockets full of change and bed full of interesting women was to give the customer something that he/she had never seen before - kind of like the circus barker out front of the "fat lady's" tent.

Michael

Elder Cousteau was one of the main forces along with L. Bridges and Sea Hunt which allowed a young boy to dream of one day diving into the sea. Growing into adulthood tended to shatter the hero in a boy’s mind. Looking back the harsh reality of what you say, I find it to be true, but it still saddens me.

Jean-Michel Cousteau writes a regular piece in Diver magazine. His position in those articles is definitely at odds with what is in the posted column. Of course this is only one side of the story and one person's opinion. Everyone, but particularly someone with the environmental record of Jean-Michel, deserves a chance to explain their position. I'll wait to hear from him. It's also important to keep in mind that he is not his father.

Yes it is true that he is not his father, but he seems to have positioned himself firmly in the environmental camp prior to this action. I too would love to hear an Explanation, but I am not going to hold my breath..

Follow the $$

Its always about the $$

Sad, but it seems to be more often true than not.

 

[runsongas]

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

Cousteau is the reason I wanted to be a diver since I was kid. Many on here became divers because of his shows. For that we owe him a thank you.

Are his shows hard to watch now? Yes they are because we have evolved in our thinking about the environment and how important the sea and the marine life are to a healthy planet. We need to remember that back then things were different and these were explorers.

They learned many things about the ocean and the life that calls it home. How they learned these things was not always pretty. In fact, most of it was ugly. Times were different so we need to look through a different lens when we speak of him and his adventures. These days this would not fly and he would get flames here and on other social media sites but that is because we now know better. We know better because of him.

 

[RockiesFan]

I would contend he opened a Pandora's box. More divers is not necessarily a good thing.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I would contend he opened a Pandora's box. More divers is not necessarily a good thing.

With the current conditions of the reefs around the world, I often hear that we do not need more divers. To some extent that might be true. The less reef traffic the better it is for the reefs.

However if we look at the average of the frequent diver (not a vacation diver doing one or two trips a year and not diving locally) we will see many of them are aging.

Let me say it this way, I am a machinist and CNC programmer by trade although now I work in the scuba industry. The biggest issue in machine shops is the 60-70 year old guys that have forgotten more about machining than I would have ever learned. These guys are retiring or sadly passing away. Kids these days are not going to trade schools. They do not want to work in machine shops. You have a massive gap in knowledge when you do find one you can hire. In order to keep the trade alive you need to bring in as many as you are losing. This is the same with diving.

If we do not find a way to market to or bring in new divers, the sport will fade away and be part of history. "Remember when people used to attach cylinders to them and dive in the ocean?"

So the argument that more divers is not a good thing is a bit more complicated than that.

 

[Alucard]

I would contend he opened a Pandora's box. More divers is not necessarily a good thing.

See I think that it's a mixed blessing - while there are more people banging into corals and mishandling the wildlife, there are also far more people who get a first-hand experience of the fragile underwater environment that surrounds us an supports our life on this planet. Not some crazy Shark Week tv show, but a first-hand experience that convinces far more than the media presentations, which are starting to become less and less balanced in both directions. "Go see for yourself" is the best way, imo. This gives us the chance to see at least some of it.

 

[RockiesFan]

With the current conditions of the reefs around the world, I often hear that we do not need more divers. To some extent that might be true. The less reef traffic the better it is for the reefs.

However if we look at the average of the frequent diver (not a vacation diver doing one or two trips a year and not diving locally) we will see many of them are aging.

Let me say it this way, I am a machinist and CNC programmer by trade although now I work in the scuba industry. The biggest issue in machine shops is the 60-70 year old guys that have forgotten more about machining than I would have ever learned. These guys are retiring or sadly passing away. Kids these days are not going to trade schools. They do not want to work in machine shops. You have a massive gap in knowledge when you do find one you can hire. In order to keep the trade alive you need to bring in as many as you are losing. This is the same with diving.

If we do not find a way to market to or bring in new divers, the sport will fade away and be part of history. "Remember when people used to attach cylinders to them and dive in the ocean?"

So the argument that more divers is not a good thing is a bit more complicated than that.

Maybe that is what the environment needs. More people aging out and fewer entering.

 

[drbill]

Having worked with Jean-Michel on-and-off since the mid-70s, I am a bit saddened to read this. I would like to hear a more complete explanation of what he will be doing to (hopefully) make this sad project more environmentally friendly.

The Captain (JYC) did a lot of questionable things early in his career on Calypso, but to judge them by today's standards and knowledge is some disingenuous. He later came to a better understanding and exposed millions to the ocean and its issues.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

Maybe that is what the environment needs. More people aging out and fewer entering.

I see the argument you are making and understand it. Reefs are likes roads, the less traffic they get, the longer they last. However my counterpoint would be that we can't get people to become defenders of the ocean unless we get them under the surface.

I have found that many people look at the ocean from land and think it is beautiful. They love the sounds of the waves and the colors. Yet many of these people will still litter or throw things into the ocean. Many won't even wade out into to water when they see plastic in order to retrieve it. This is because they see it as a giant bathtub or swimming pool. Yes they know life exists below the surface but it is not until we can show them the beautiful and awe-inspiring marine life that their view changes.

 

[mi000ke]

Cousteau claims comments ‘misconstrued’ - Cayman Islands Headline News


But it sounds like he's still waffling.