Jean-Michel Cousteau

Becoming Cousteau

Adventurer, filmmaker, inventor, author, unlikely celebrity and conservationist: For over four decades, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his explorations under the ocean became synonymous with a love of science and the natural world. As he learned to protect the environment, he brought the whole world with him, sounding alarms more than 50 years ago about the warming seas and our planet’s vulnerability. In BECOMING COUSTEAU, from National Geographic Documentary Films, two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus takes an inside look at Cousteau and his life, his iconic films and inventions, and the experiences that made him the 20th century’s most unique and renowned environmental voice — and the man who inspired generations to protect the Earth.

Sonic Sea

The devastating impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life.

The Current: Explore the Healing Powers of the Ocean

The Current tells the story of individuals from all walks of life that have faced incredible obstacles, found the drive to overcome their disabilities, and have through water sports become real everyday heroes. - Bethany Hamilton, Missy Franklin, Mallory Weggemann, Anthony Robles, Jesse Murphree

My Father the Captain: Jacques-Yves Cousteau

My Father, The Captain: Jacques-Yves Cousteau revisits the adventure and the legacy of Captain Cousteau not only through intimate stories from his family but also from some of the people whose lives he influenced. In rediscovered footage of the earliest days of scuba diving, Jean-Michel Cousteau shows how his father brought the great unseen ocean into focus and into our homes. Jean-Michel and the next generation of Cousteau children, now adults, describe the legacy they have taken upon themselves to carry and cast a meaningful light on the life and work of a man who inspired millions to reconsider our relationship with the sea and its creatures.

Exploring the Reef

Jean-Michael Cousteau's documentary about the Great Barrier Reef keeps getting interrupted by characters from Disney's Finding Nemo.

Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina

Beginning with William Wrigley's acquisition of the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919, the history of the island is explored with archival footage, stills, interviews of residents, historians and celebrities.

Cousteau: Alaska: Outrage at Valdez

On March 24, 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in the pristine waters of Alaska's Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil. Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau, takes us on a voyage to investigate first-hand the devastating impact of the U.S.'s largest oil spill. Amid the majestic mountains and ice floes of this serene setting, the leaking oil spreads like a virus staining and often killing everything it encounters. Harbor seals, sea otters, and bald eagles fall victim to the tragic accident.