About The Cousteau Society
About The Cousteau SocietyAbstract: This is a page intended to familiarize people with the Cousteau Society. Information is provided on how to become a member of the society, as well as some news, trivia, and related issues.
Disclaimer: This page has no official relationship to The Cousteau Society. Its keeper, Robert Simms, is merely a member of the Society, and a long time fan of the TV show The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau; he provides this page solely as a convenience to Web users looking for Cousteau Society-related materials. If you know of Cousteau Society pages or related pages that should be cross-listed here, please drop Robert a line at: rsimms@clemson.edu. The information on this page is correct to the best of his knowledge. Due to school work, this page may at times not be as up-to-date as one would like it to be most of the time.
Several books about the sea have been written by Jacques Cousteau, among them are The Silent World (1953), The Living Sea (1962), and World Without Sun (1964). It was in 1961, that he started exploring the world's oceans with the research vessel Calypso. With that vessel, from 1968 to 1976, Cousteau's television series, "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau," documented underwater exploration and stressed the importance of ocean conservation. Not so important are the awards Jacques Cousteau has received, but the environmental consciousness he has helped to raise around the world.
As part of that effort, the Cousteau Society
drafted the Bill of Rights for Future Generations, which
was presented to the United Nations General Assembly in October 1994.
The Cousteau Society is an organization that serves to raise funds for ocean exploration, research, and conservation. Jacques Cousteau founded the Society in the U.S. in 1973.
With offices in Hampton, Virginia and Paris, this organization is responsible for raising funds for environmental research around the globe. With two ships Calypso and Alcyone, the group visits places around the world and documents what they find as well as try to influence environmental politics to "improve the quality of life on the Water Planet." Cousteau himself has commented that the analysis of life forms is not so important as acquiring a sense of how they all interact and present themselves as a living force.
I believe one of the most important things that the Couteau Society does is to educate the people of the world about the environment; to let everyone know how special our planet is and how we can keep it in good working order for all that dwell on it. It is important that this message finds its way from people to their governments.
There are various membership levels. For joining, you may get a bi-monthly log of the organization's activities. Another option is the Family Membership which includes an additional Dolphin Log for children. For dedicated society members there is the option of a monthly contribution, an amount that you determine and are free to discontinue at any time. For that you may receive a thank-you gift of a replica of Calypso's flag. These options are subject to change. Mention of a practice here is not a guarantee that things are still done that way today.
To sign up, contact:
The Cousteau SocietyAsked what people who want to volunteer can do, Clark Lee Merriam said that the Cousteau Society only uses volunteers at the Chesapeake, VA office for clerical-type work -- not for field work. For that, use the 800 number and ask for Sabina Thurman, head of Membership. For people wanting to go on expeditions, she refers them to programs like EarthWatch.
710 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA 23669
(757) 722-9300 or (800) 441-4395
email cousteau@cousteausociety.org
Equipe Cousteau/The Cousteau Society
92 avenue Kleber
75116 Paris, France
(331) 44-34-06-06
telefax (331) 44-34-06-07
Alcyone is among a new breed of ships. Its 33 foot tall aluminum sails shaped like airplane wings significantly boost the twin diesel engines for an average one third power savings. A small fan in each sail draws in air increasing wind speed over the leeward side giving a forward lift. She took her maiden voyage from La Rochelle, France to New York Harbor in April 1985. Alcyone is named for the daughter of the Greek god of wind.
Calypso II is to be a research vessel totally funded
by members of the Cousteau
Society that will work beside and someday replace Calypso.
More information may now be found at the offical Cousteau Society web page.
Quoted from a Society letter:
According to Greek mythology, Calypso was a sea nymph in Homer's Odyssey who gave shelter to an exhausted Ulysses during his long, arduous attempt to reach home after the Trojan War. Calypso detained Ulysses for seven years on her island Ogygia before he could return to the sea and continue his journey.Calypso is also the name of the 360-ton, YMS-class minesweeper I found while looking for a ship to use for ocean exploration.
Built in Seattle, Washington for the British Navy in 1942, the ship had been christened Calypso in honor of the mythological sea nymph, and following maritime tradition, I did not change her name when I acquired her in 1950.
Calypso was transformed into a research vessel, and the final touch was painting her black, streamlined funnel with her insignia: the sea nymph Calypso swimming with a dolphin on a field of green.
The insignia was designed by a famous French painter Luc-Marie Bayle, while we sat in a restaurant. As we talked about the adventures in store for the ship, Bayle sketched a design he felt symbolized all of the mystery, excitement and joy of ocean exploration. I liked it immediately, and the Calypso logo became a firm part of the Cousteau tradition.
Here's my scan (two colors) of a window decal I received when I signed up in 1993. Click on the picture to see the full-sized version.
We can make changes in our own lives that benefit nature. But when we teach others how to make those same changes, we're being activists. I don't consider myself to be an activist, but I'd like to be. Consider this list of ideas a search for activism...
Fix those gaskets or replace stripped bolts that allow oil to leak from your car or truck. Also put forth the extra effort to take your used oil to a safe disposal site. If you think such sites aren't well known in your area, tell others about them.
Oil washes into streams then to rivers, and finally to marine habitats.
Engine oil as runoff is a big polluter:
Oil Pollution
Dive into the WWW via my Cousteau and related links
There are suppliers of home videos that have a number of Cousteau Society Home Video Releases available.
Oct 52, Jan 54, Jul 54, Apr 55, Aug 55, Feb 56, Mar 58, Apr 60, Jul 61, Apr 64, Apr 66, Dec 81
Fall '98
I received a message from someone who found a remote control model of
Calypso. text of the message
These sites are very informative and possibly entertaining and awe-inspiring too.
My follow up on a dolphin research inquiry.
References