Welcome to my fourth and final post on the history of the 1985 weekly collection Cousteau's Secrets of the Sea, published in Spain by Urbión and in Argentina by Hyspamérica, and distributed in Peru by Riguse. Here I'll be showing you some of the additional materials which were included in the collection.
Let's start with the huge folder which came with the release of the first two issues from the collection. First, here's the front cover, which I've had to scan in three parts due to its size:
And this is the back cover, similarly scanned in three separate parts:
Sorry for the scratches on this one, but it's been sitting at the top of my shelf, where it's been rubbing against all my books whenever I take them out of the shelf or put them back in it... still, for something I bought 40 years ago, it's in a pretty decent shape.
And this is the inside of the folder, after opening it:
And the reason for that oversized folder, as you may have noticed already, was the inclusion of a cardboard model of the Calypso for cutting, gluing and assembling, which came in 4 sheets, shown here, and also scanned in three parts each:
As you can see, I've kept it unbuilt all these years on the shelf...
The other additional materials which came with the collection were 280
photographic slides from 14 of Cousteau's expeditions (20 slides from each
one). Those were dropped altogether in the later 1993 re-release by Folio
consisting of 36 hardbound volumes, and are mostly unknown to the general
public, so, in order to preseve them, I decided to scan them and present them
together with their corresponding descriptions as sets of "trading cards" like
those which were common at that time, similarly to what I did for
The Mysterious Island. I wasn't going to translate the descriptions,
but Google's Gemini AI again offered to do it for me, so I went with it. I've
organized them into seven decks of 40 "cards" each, comprising two
expeditions, divided across 5 pages with 8 each, plus 5 pages with the
descriptions.
Deck 1: I. Canada / II. The Amazon
During the summer of 1980 and the winter of 1981, the crew of the Calypso, led by Commander Cousteau, visited the coasts and rivers of northeastern Canada. A large part of their research focused on the animals that inhabit these freshwaters.
Card 2: JACQUES Y. COUSTEAU
A life dedicated to the sea. His brilliant future as a French naval officer was set aside when, at the age of 40, he decided to devote himself to world oceanographic research. From his "marriage" to the Calypso, a great deal of the knowledge we possess about the oceans today was born.
Card 3: AT NIAGARA FALLS
The world's most famous waterfall, which forms the border between the United States and Canada, was also studied by Cousteau's team. To allow ships to bypass the falls' dramatic drop, an artificial canal was constructed on the Canadian shore.
Card 4: HEADING UP A CANADIAN RIVER
The Calypso is likely the vessel equipped with the most advanced technology for oceanographic research in the world. Originally an American minesweeper and later converted into a ferry boat, it reached its current state after undergoing extensive remodeling.
Card 5: LIKE A FISH IN WATER
Humankind has always aspired to emulate animals capable of thriving in environments forbidden to us. Some—recalling the legend of Daedalus and Icarus—failed; others, like Cousteau and Gagnan, brought about sensational breakthroughs for humanity.
Card 6: A. FALCO WALKS TOWARD THE GUILLEMOTS
One can tell whether a coastline is inhabited by humans simply by observing the behavior of its seabirds; usually, they are trusting birds that do not shy away from human presence. However, this trusting nature is entirely reversed in bird colonies located close to human settlements.
Card 7: ICE FISHING
Jean-Michel Cousteau—the Commander's son—observes the traditional fishing method used by Indigenous peoples. Following intense cold spells, most fish lower their metabolism and become inactive; however, others, like pike, fiercely strike at any lures presented to them.
Card 8: ARCHAEOLOGY IN LAKE SUPERIOR
One of the many possibilities opened up by the invention of the Aqua-Lung was the recovery of remains from ancient shipwrecks. This activity has proven so profitable that today there are quite a few companies dedicated exclusively to this purpose.
Low-flow lagoons and rivers hidden within the dense forest are a paradise for beavers. Jean-Michel Cousteau and two Calypso crew members closely examine one of the dams built from tree trunks by these great architects of nature.
Card 10: PREPARING FOR A COLD DIVE
A. Falco and J. M. Cousteau give final instructions to E. Coll before he dives beneath the ice sheet. Diving in polar waters would be impossible if the divers were not equipped with specialized cold-protection suits.
Card 11: AFTER THE STORM
The crew works hard to clear the port side of snow that fell overnight. Cousteau's team cannot forget some of the hardships endured during their long journey: the 1955 tropical cyclone or the avalanche of ice blocks in Antarctica in 1972.
Card 12: DIVING SAUCER
The greatest challenge engineers faced when building a craft to navigate the seabed was the intense pressure it would be subjected to. After several failed trials, the diving saucer was perfected, and it has now successfully surpassed one thousand dives.
Card 13: "ZODIAC" BOAT AMONG THE ICE FLOES
The sudden freezing of waters in these latitudes poses a severe risk to whales, which can become trapped beneath the ice and unable to breathe. When this occurs, conservationists work to cut holes in the ice to prevent the cetaceans from perishing.
Card 14: BEAVER
A team led by the late Philippe Cousteau studied the wintering habits of beavers in Canada in 1969. Thick ice layers, low temperatures, and a scarcity of food reserves stored by these rodents were the primary causes of a relatively high number of beaver deaths during the cold season.
Card 15: MONARCH BUTTERFLY
There is no doubt that Cousteau is one of the world's pioneers in underwater research. However, his activities are not strictly confined to ocean life. This beautiful snapshot, taken by members of his team in Point Pelee National Park, serves as proof.
Card 16: PUFFINS
These birds have a comical appearance and a special ability to dive and catch fish, reminiscent of Antarctic penguins. The fundamental difference between them is that puffins can fly; in fact, they undertake long migrations, reaching as far as the Mediterranean coasts.
Despite the severe nuisance of mosquitoes, the Calypso crew ventured to the coasts and islands of southern Alaska to study the largest bears in the world. A large part of these giants' diet consists of salmon, which they catch with a swift swipe of their paw as the fish swim upstream to spawn.
Card 18: YOUNG SEALS
The worst enemy of these defenseless little animals is their own fur. In the past, the Eskimos harvested these pinnipeds to make use of their pelts, blubber, and meat. Today, however, the demands of the fur industry have led to the slaughter of seal pups only a few months old.
Card 19: WHALES IN THE RIVER
A pod of belugas was spotted swimming in the waters of the Saguenay River. These cetaceans can reach up to 4 meters in length and weigh nearly a hundred kilograms. Like most whales, as the bitter cold sets in, the belugas leave the river and migrate southward.
Card 20: BALD EAGLE
Despite being skilled hunters and even better fishers, bald eagles seize the opportunity to feed on salmon that die, for the most part, shortly after spawning. In autumn, coinciding with this massive die-off, bald eagles gather in large numbers along the rivers of Alaska and Canada.
Card 21: AT THE SOURCES OF THE AMAZON
From the melting of these snows emerges what will later become the widest and most voluminous river in the world. Having surpassed 40 years of studying and exploring the oceans, Cousteau turned his sights toward the Amazon and other great rivers of the Earth.
Card 22: NAVIGATING THE FIRST RAPIDS
In order to conduct a comprehensive study of the entire Amazon basin, the Calypso crew split up: the land team, commanded by Jean-Michel Cousteau, focused essentially on studying the Amazonian Indigenous peoples and their relationship with the rainforest.
Card 23: ANACONDA SKELETON
It is rare for any rainforest animal to dare kill these gigantic serpents. However, after swallowing large prey, anacondas remain in a semi-torpid state for several days, leaving them vulnerable to any predator.
Card 24: CRUSHING BARBASCO
The toxic roots of certain plants are used in many parts of the world to stun fish. Jean-Michel Cousteau prepares the barbasco extract, which is the substance traditionally used by the Ashaninka people for fishing.
Where the fury of the torrents finally subsides, the members of the land team embarked on the raft that bears this name. The Amazon takes shape thanks to the waters of its 1,100 tributaries. The explorers traveled down the Apurímac, Ene, and Ucayali rivers.
Card 26: THE CALYPSO IN THE AMAZON
The massive amount of suspended particles carried by the river is the reason it acquires a chocolate-like color, which prevented Cousteau from filming underwater. It is estimated that the Amazon carries one billion tons of sediment to the sea each year.
Card 27: FRESHWATER DOLPHINS
Throughout much of its course, the Amazon spans several kilometers in width, allowing its waters to host species typically found in the sea, such as these dolphins or "inias." R. Coll assists two river dolphins that were caught in native fishing nets near Manaus.
Card 28: THE SWEET SEA
Astonished by the vastness of the Amazon, the first Spanish conquistadors did not hesitate to call it the "sweet sea." In addition to holding the world record for volume, one of its two main tributaries carries as much water as the second largest river on the planet: the Congo.
Card 29: SCIENCE ABOARD THE CALYPSO
To collect water samples at various depths without mixing the layers, "Nansen bottles" are used. An automatic mechanism controlled from the ship seals all the bottles when they reach their respective depths.
Card 30: FISHING BY POISONING
The crushed roots of the barbasco plant thrown into the water cause the temporary stunning of the fish. The Ashaninka built a dam—from where J. M. Cousteau is filming—where the stunned fish eventually drift.
Card 31: ENCOUNTER IN IQUITOS
After traversing a large portion of the Andes, the raft Piraruccu transported the land team members to the Peruvian city of Iquitos. There they met up with the Calypso, which, for its part, had navigated more than 3,500 kilometers upstream from the river's mouth.
Card 32: DO FISH TALK?
Fish leap wildly into the air as the motorboat driven by A. Falco passes by. One of the most astonishing findings of the journey was provided by certain underwater recordings, revealing a surprising variety of sounds produced by the fish.
Card 33: THE AMAZON BASIN
The Amazon should not be understood merely as a river, but as the largest rainforest system in the world, spanning parts of nine countries. The clearing of vast areas of jungle threatens the preservation of this natural paradise.
Card 34: SLOTH
Instead of refining their senses and increasing their agility as other animals evolve to escape predators, sloths rely on remaining unnoticed for survival. They achieve this through their incredibly slow movements and the camouflage of algae and lichens that grow on their fur.
Card 35: INSECT
The Amazon rainforests are often called "the lungs of the world" under the belief that they supply oxygen to a large part of the planet. However, this is not the case. While vegetation is highly abundant, so are the animals and bacteria, which convert the oxygen produced by plants back into carbon dioxide.
Card 36: HERONS IN THE SWAMP
The tropical rainforest is by no means the kind of zoo we might have once imagined. Startling noises echo constantly, yet the animals making them are nowhere to be seen. In pools and open areas, however, birds are frequently observed.
Card 37: VICUÑAS IN THE ALTIPLANO
This snapshot was captured at an altitude of 4,500 meters, where the Amazon is still a fierce torrent that can be crossed in a single leap. The vicuñas live in a semi-domesticated state and are herded by descendants of the Incas, who utilize their meat and wool.
Card 38: JAGUAR
In addition to being exceptional hunters, jaguars are highly fond of water and possess a rare fishing skill: wading a couple of spans into the river, the feline gently and intermittently taps the surface with the tip of its tail until a fish is lured in, betrayed by its own curiosity.
Card 39: RAINFOREST INHABITANTS
The population of Indigenous peoples living in the jungle has never been high, as hunger and disease keep numbers in check. However, the weapons and new infections introduced by Europeans in past centuries alarmingly decimated the population.
Card 40: BOW FISHING
The bow and the blowgun are the preferred weapons of the natives. The river is a remarkable source of resources, home to more than 700 fish species, including specimens—such as the arapaimas—that exceed three meters in length and weigh over 100 kilograms.
Deck 2: III. The Caribbean / IV. The Mediterranean
Card 41: THE CARIBBEAN
Tropical seas, and specifically the atolls that dot the serene and transparent waters of the Caribbean, have been visited on numerous occasions by the Calypso crew, who have filmed the extraordinary variety of life sheltered within the coral reefs.
Card 42: COUSTEAU RESEARCHING
When the mating season arrives, certain fish species, such as groupers, gather to facilitate their reproduction. Cousteau observes the breeding behavior of a pair of captive groupers, which barely differs from their conduct in the wild.
Card 43: SEABIRD PARADISE
The abundance of fish schools, the favorable climate, and the minimal human presence are the factors responsible for the Caribbean's seabirds being numerous and trusting; this pelican, a friend of Philippe Cousteau, intends to prove just that.
Card 44: CALYPSO II
This is the name given to the Cousteau team's seaplane, specially equipped for their expeditions, which on this occasion flies over Isabela Island, piloted by Philippe. Fate would have it that, a few years later, the young Cousteau would lose his life in a plane crash.
Card 45: BARRACUDA
This fish, measuring over two meters in length and armed with fearsome jaws and several rows of sharp teeth, possesses a well-deserved reputation as a fierce hunter. Despite the legends, it rarely attacks humans and feeds on the numerous schools of fish that inhabit the reefs.
Card 46: BREEDING COLONIES
The terns are barely disturbed as Jacques and Philippe Cousteau walk through their breeding colonies. These birds, magnificent fliers, spend a large part of their lives traveling over the ocean, undertaking two annual migrations from one polar circle to the other.
Card 47: "PIRATES OF THE SKY"
This is the nickname given to frigatebirds, as they routinely attack other birds to steal the fish they have just caught. When the mating season arrives, the males inflate their intense red gular pouch—flushed with blood flow—to proclaim their bachelorhood to the four winds.
Card 48: SHARK FISHING
Using a chain instead of a fishing line, along with a considerably sized hook, the Caribbean locals engage in shark fishing. To avoid the danger that bringing a live shark on board would entail, the fishermen finish it off with a hammer.
Card 49: THE WALL OF FISH
Grunts form large schools that pack densely together at the presence of any intruder. These schools act as a superorganism, holding distinct advantages over isolated individuals when it comes to reproduction, defense, and foraging.
Card 50: STILT HOUSES
The fishermen of Belize live above the water during the season when groupers gather to spawn. After being caught, the fish are placed in an enclosure to finish their breeding cycle; later, they are removed from the water and sun-dried for trade.
Card 51: BROWN PELICANS
To catch fish, pelicans soar between 3 and 25 meters high before dropping, spinning around, in a spectacular plunge-dive. One of the main causes of mortality among young pelicans lies in the difficulty of mastering this challenging technique.
Card 52: GRAY ANGELFISH
Many reef inhabitants are adorned with vivid colors that serve as a warning mechanism or camouflage. This angelfish is a territorial species that displays its shimmering colors to ensure no other member of its species enters its domain.
Card 53: UNDERWATER EXPERIMENTS
Sponges feed by filtering massive amounts of water and retaining the food particles found within it. Cousteau's team verifies this process using a substance that dyes the water expelled by the sponge.
Card 54: TOWED BY A MANTA RAY
A Calypso crew member accompanies a manta ray on its "flight." This animal, the largest of all rays, uses its powerful fins to generate a water current toward its mouth, filtering out the small fish and tiny invertebrates floating within it.
Card 55: SEARCHING FOR WRECKS
The reefs dotting the coast of the Gulf of Mexico have historically posed a severe risk to sailors venturing there. One of the Calypso's campaigns was dedicated to recovering the remains of an old Spanish galleon.
Card 56: LOBSTERS
Cousteau investigated the mysterious migration of lobsters near Contoy Island. The extraordinary abundance of these crustaceans has dwindled due to fishermen employing modern, highly efficient methods, such as SCUBA gear.
Card 57: LIFE ON THE REEFS
Coral reefs, formed by the skeletons of thousands of animals that deposit onto the seabed each year, are like multicolored cities where representatives from almost every major group of the animal kingdom coexist.
Card 58: SPONGES
For centuries, sponges were believed to belong to the plant kingdom; however, they are actually the most primitive animals. Lacking a mouth or defined organs, they possess only specialized cells known as choanocytes. Calcareous sponges actively contribute to the formation of the reef.
Card 59: CHRISTMAS TREE WORMS ON CORAL
Two tubeworms, which build protective burrows in sheltered spots, have chosen the surface of a brain coral. The crown-like branches extending outward are their gills, unfurled to capture oxygen from the water.
Card 60: GREEN SEA TURTLE
These gigantic reptiles, which lay their eggs on tropical beaches, were once highly abundant. However, turtle soup—made from an internal substance of the plastron called calipee—became fashionable, causing their populations to suffer a severe decline.
Card 61: THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The coasts of this sea, today largely threatened by desertification, sustained the most influential civilizations in human history. Currently, the Mediterranean suffers the consequences of growing and truly alarming pollution.
Card 62: STUDYING THE ROUTE
During one of the Calypso's many voyages through the Mediterranean, A. Falco and Commander Cousteau study the most suitable route to approach a shipwreck of exceptional archaeological interest that they intend to explore.
Card 63: UNDERWATER SEA ANCHOR
In the Strait of Gibraltar, the crew of the Calypso uses weights to submerge a parachute-shaped sea anchor to a depth of 300 meters. The deep current flowing from the Mediterranean into the Atlantic thus drags the vessel westward at a speed of two knots.
Card 64: SYMBIOSIS
The jellyfish and the small jacks swimming around it represent a prime example of a symbiotic relationship based on mutual benefit. With its stinging tentacles, the jellyfish protects its companions, while they attract larger fish upon which the jellyfish feeds.
Card 65: RED CORAL
This species of coral is characteristic of the Mediterranean, where it hangs from the ceilings of underwater caves and crevices. Its extraordinary beauty has meant that, since antiquity, it has been eagerly sought after for use as decoration. For this reason, it has become very rare.
Card 66: EXPLORING THE REMAINS OF A SHIPWRECK
Divers from Cousteau's team explore the remains of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. Research activities of this type were frequent in these waters, particularly throughout the year 1977.
Card 67: SEA URCHINS
Although their appearance might not seem very welcoming, these sea urchins are actually peaceful herbivores that inhabit the shallow depths of the Mare Nostrum. There they gather in large numbers, especially during the breeding season, when they form genuine spiny mounds.
Card 68: HERMIT CRAB
A crab of the genus Pagurus and an orange sea sponge maintain a symbiotic relationship. The crab finds a home that protects its vulnerable abdomen, and the sponge is thus able to move from place to place. Both grow simultaneously, making their association permanent.
Card 69: DIVING BELL
Sophisticated instruments like this one were required to rescue the cargo of the ship Cavtat, which sank off the Italian coast carrying 900 drums of a highly dangerous substance in its holds: tetraethyl lead. The drums were already corroded.
Card 70: SEA SLUG
The sea slug crawls in search of the hydroid polyps upon which it feeds. Far from deterring this predator, the stinging cells from its victims' tentacles are incorporated into the crest on the slug's back, turning them into its own defensive weapons.
Card 71: DOLPHINS
Of all the cetaceans that frequent the marine waters around us, the most well-known, without a doubt, are dolphins. In recent years, the media has successfully popularized their image and characteristics, such as their echolocation system and intelligence.
Card 72: BENTHIC DREDGE
A Calypso crew member hoists aboard a benthic dredge that has been trawled to collect marine specimens from the ocean floor for subsequent examination. Benthic communities constitute ecosystems of varying complexity, but they are always deeply interesting.
Card 73: RED SCORPIONFISH
On the rocky and muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean, this astonishing fish, also known as the cabracho, lies in wait. Its unsettling appearance reflects reality, as the spines on its head and fins carry venom. Despite this, its meat is considered an exquisite delicacy.
Card 74: SWALLOWTAIL SEAPERCH
A common inhabitant of the shallow depths of the Mediterranean, this species, belonging to the serranid family, is also known as the "tres colas" (three tails). This name is somewhat inaccurate, as it simply describes the way the lower lobe of its caudal fin extends into a long filament.
Card 75: SHELLFISH FARMS
Today, fishing faces a severe crisis as a consequence of human overexploitation of the sea. For the future, aquaculture must be considered a rational method of "farming" the ocean. This approach will help prevent the destruction of marine ecosystems.
Card 76: STATIC PREDATOR
Although it may resemble a plant, this tube-dwelling polyp (Cerianthus membranaceus), anchored to the bottom, is an animal. It can even be classified as a predator, since it uses its tentacles to capture and drag into its mouth any small fish and tiny crustaceans that venture near.
Card 77: SEAHORSE
Everything is unusual about this fish, which hardly looks like one at all, but its strange reproductive system is undoubtedly a highlight: the female deposits her eggs into a pouch on the male's abdomen, where they are incubated and nourished through blood capillaries for a month.
Card 78: PROFUSION OF LIFE
On the coastal sea floors of the Mediterranean, life manifests in a pletoric abundance of shapes and colors. This colony of Parazoanthus axinellae—very primitive animals—settles on a sponge within a cliff cavity. Their tentacles open wide to capture drifting plankton.
Card 79: THE TWILIGHT OF A SEA?
This twilight could symbolize the death of the Mare Nostrum if the severe pollution it suffers is not halted. The Mediterranean is remarkably vulnerable because it is an almost enclosed sea; its waters take about ninety years to fully renew.
Card 80: GROUPER
Groupers take refuge in underwater caves along coastal cliffs, where this specimen was photographed. These large fish were once highly abundant and could be caught just a few meters from the surface. Today, spearfishing has driven them to near extermination along the Mediterranean coasts.
Deck 3: V. Galapagos / VI. Antarctica
Card 81: JOURNEY TO THE PAST
Lava and reptiles. For a moment, any scholar arriving in the Galápagos feels as though a strange time tunnel has transported them back to the Mesozoic Era. On these islands, where nothing compares to the rest of the world, our usual standards of measurement become useless.
Card 82: WELCOME
Perched upon a cyclopean lava cliff, a Nazca booby taking flight seems to flap its wings to welcome the Calypso. Commander Cousteau's team could not miss its appointment with the lands and seas that hold the greatest interest for any naturalist.
Card 83: RED-FOOTED BOOBY
The red-footed booby, one of the three booby species nesting on these islands, allows humans to approach remarkably close. Such behavior is by no means an exception in the Galápagos, as all its vertebrates display an identical lack of fear toward humans.
Card 84: EXPLORING THE DEPTHS
The diving saucer SP-350 joined the rest of the Calypso's sophisticated equipment to explore the seabed surrounding the Galápagos. These waters harbor a surprising wealth of life that amazed the veteran divers of the famous oceanographic vessel.
Card 85: MARINE IGUANAS
When they are not diving to find the algae they feed on, marine iguanas usually gather in groups—sometimes virtually piled on top of each other—basking in the sun on coastal rocks. These lizards are currently the only ones whose existence is entirely bound to the sea.
Card 86: UNDERWATER ENCOUNTER
The men of the Calypso dedicated the greater part of their research efforts to marine iguanas. Indeed, the biological peculiarities of these creatures fully justify that preference. The reptiles were studied both on the beaches and beneath the surface of the ocean.
Card 87: BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Aboard the Calypso, Dr. Bartholomew, a specialist who joined the Galápagos expedition, performs an electrocardiogram on a marine iguana. The tests conducted on these animals revealed numerous aspects of their biology that had previously remained in the dark.
Card 88: WET SUBMERSIBLE
Among the equipment used during the exploration of the Galápagos waters, the wet submersible stands out. This craft was utilized to facilitate the tracking and study of various fish, and to an even greater extent, to investigate everything related to marine iguanas.
Card 89: GALAPAGOS PENGUINS
Finding animals so closely linked to Antarctic environments as penguins right at the equator is something that could only seem natural in the Galápagos, where any surprise is possible. The presence of these birds is due to the cold Humboldt Current.
Card 90: DARWIN'S FINCH
As a biologist aboard the English brig Beagle, Darwin visited the Galápagos in 1835. There he found 13 species of finches and realized they all descended from a single ancestor. This was the critical turning point in the genesis of the theory of evolution.
Card 91: SWALLOW-TAILED GULLS
Characteristic of the archipelago, the slender and high-contrast silhouettes of these birds—considered by some to be the most beautiful of all gulls—are frequently seen silhouetted against the most common elements of the Galápagos landscape: lava and the sea.
Card 92: GRUNTS
Grunts receive this name due to the somewhat surprising noises they emit. The sounds are produced by the grinding of their pharyngeal teeth, with the swim bladder acting as an amplifier. These fish live in tropical waters and belong to various genera.
Card 93: GIANT TORTOISE
Here is one of the animals that gave the Galápagos Islands their name. These tortoises can reach a weight of 300 kilograms and a lifespan of two centuries. Harvested by the thousands in the past, feral pigs now devour their eggs and hatchlings, threatening their future.
Card 94: GALAPAGOS HAWK
This bird of prey carries its tameness to the extreme of allowing itself to be touched by people who venture into its territory. Such behavior in a raptor seems to prove right whoever originally baptized these islands with the name "Encantadas" (Enchanted Islands).
Card 95: SALLY LIGHTFOOT CRABS
The bright red color of these crabs, abundant on the coasts of the Galápagos, stands out against the black crashing waves. Indifferent to the presence of iguanas, they search the tide pools for the algae they feed on, skillfully using their claws.
Card 96: FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP
Iguanas and sea lions maintain a friendly relationship wherever they meet on the coasts of the archipelago. Not only do the otariids make no attempt to prey upon the reptiles, but they often pretend to chase them in an obvious game that does not frighten the iguanas.
Card 97: SEA LION
The beaches of the Galápagos Islands are graced by the presence of sea lions. Fortunately, this species maintains a healthy population, unlike the other otariid inhabiting the archipelago: the Galápagos fur seal, which has historically been hunted for its pelt.
Card 98: FLIGHTLESS CORMORANT
The absence of natural predators and a specialization in diving to capture its prey led to the loss of a bird’s most defining characteristic—flight—in this astonishing cormorant, which is endemic to the Galápagos.
Card 99: LAND IGUANA
Far less abundant than marine iguanas due to persecution by humans and domestic animals, land iguanas live in the interior of the islands. Several subspecies have been described. All of them feed primarily on cactus fruit.
Card 100: ENCHANTED ISLANDS
The Archipiélago de Colón is the official name of the cluster of seven large islands, 23 islets, and around fifty reefs universally known as the Galápagos. Melville gave them the name "Enchanted Islands," and he was perhaps the most fortunate of all when it came to naming these lands.
Card 101: APPOINTMENT WITH THE ICE
For Commander Cousteau, the seas and lands of Antarctica presented a challenge that appealed both to his scientific drive and his conservationist concerns—one that he could not leave unanswered. Finally, in December 1972, the Calypso kept its appointment.
Card 102: THE REALM OF COLD
The area of Antarctica chosen by Cousteau and his team to conduct their research during the austral summer of 1972–73 was the Antarctic Peninsula, along with the numerous islands dotting the western zone of that desolate region.
Card 103: SAILOR-MOUNTAINEERS
Under the leadership of Michel Laval, second-in-command and an experienced mountaineer, an expedition scaled the volcanic zone of Deception Island. The risk was immense at every moment. Four days later, Laval tragically lost his life here in a helicopter accident.
Card 104: ICE OVER FIRE
The glaciers of Deception Island cover a world tormented by volcanic fire. Crevasses thirty meters deep open in the ice, allowing smoke and gases to escape as they rise from the depths of the earth.
Card 105: UNUSUAL SPA
A result of the clash between ice and fire on Deception Island is the existence of this lake, with surface waters reaching 50°C (122°F). Philippe and Prèzelin attempted to take a dip, but the water remained freezing cold just thirty centimeters below the surface.
Card 106: A NATURALIST'S PATIENCE
Lying motionless on the frozen ground, impassively enduring the blizzard and surrounded by trusting gentoo penguins, Cousteau demonstrates the patience so vital to field naturalists and characteristic of good ethologists.
Card 107: REMNANTS OF THE SLAUGHTER
Following the instructions of Professor Raymond Duguy, who was aboard the Calypso, Cousteau and his men gathered the scattered bones to assemble a spectacular blue whale skeleton—both a witness to and a symbol of an irrational slaughter.
Card 108: SILENT OBSERVATORY
Philippe Cousteau utilized a hot-air balloon bearing the Calypso emblem to drift silently over the ice pack, allowing him to observe, without startling them, the animals resting on ice floes or swimming confidently at the sea surface.
Card 109: ADÉLIE PENGUINS
Adélie penguins were repeatedly spotted by the expedition, and several of their populous colonies were studied by the men of the Calypso. This penguin, noted for its unique reproductive biology, occupies one of the southernmost breeding ranges of any bird species.
Card 110: CLIMBING AN ICEBERG
Equipped with specialized suits designed for submerging in freezing waters—which also serve for walking on ice—a group of Calypso divers, turning once again into mountaineers, scales and explores the subaerial portion of an iceberg.
Card 111: SUBMERGED ICE
In the context of their research into the Antarctic world, and carrying out what can truly be described as pioneering activities, the Calypso divers explore the perilous submerged walls of a gigantic iceberg whose shape resembled a castle.
Card 112: ORCAS
As was to be expected given the indiscriminate hunting these animals have historically faced, large cetaceans were barely glimpsed during Cousteau's Antarctic expedition. On several occasions, however, family pods of orcas led by a large male were observed.
Card 113: CHINSTRAP PENGUINS
A group of rest on the ice, completely indifferent to the cold; like their peers, they are so well-adapted to the polar climate that their main challenge is actually figuring out how to release excess body heat.
Card 114: WEDDELL SEAL
A Weddell seal seems to demand answers from the divers for invading its remote territory. This pinniped occupies more southerly regions than any other mammal and, being perfectly adapted, never abandons these areas even during the depths of the polar winter.
Card 115: KELP GULLS
Judging by their geographic distribution, gulls seem to be more in their element in the Arctic than in the Antarctic. Nevertheless, one representative of this opportunistic group reaches the coasts of the frozen continent: the kelp gull.
Card 116: GREAT SKUA
The absence of birds of prey and scavengers on Antarctic coasts is balanced by the presence of the great skua, which preys upon the eggs and chicks of colonial birds and devours any carcass it encounters while flying over its domain.
Card 117: ELEPHANT SEAL
A male southern elephant seal, the largest pinniped in existence, displays a low-intensity aggressive ritual at the strange human presence, which is essentially nothing more than an invitation for the invader to retreat so that its peace remains undisturbed.
Card 118: IN THEIR LAST REFUGES
The southern elephant seal has seen its territories severely reduced following the destruction that whalers inflicted upon its populations. This group of females and juveniles rests on the beach of a subantarctic island, their final refuge.
Card 119: THREATENED LANDSCAPE
Pollution has reached even these remote places, and major global powers calculate the riches they hold alongside their geostrategic potential. The threat to the fragile Antarctic ecological balance is severe. There is an urgent need to reach agreements that preserve Antarctica.
Card 120: DRESSED IN ALL WHITE
Not without difficulty, and subjected to the effects of the blizzard—the terrible Antarctic wind—the Calypso left this region so hostile to life. From the air, the helicopter searched for a navigable route for the vessel among the blocks of ice.
Deck 4: VII. The Nile / VIII. Clipperton
Card 121: WITH ALL THE EQUIPMENT
A seaplane—the Calypso II—two all-terrain vehicles, two inflatable boats, filming and diving gear, and delicate monitoring and measuring instruments made up the equipment for the Cousteau Nile expedition in 1978. The journey lasted ten months.
Card 122: COUSTEAU DIRECTS
From source to mouth, and always under Cousteau's direction, his team traveled the Nile, studying its waters, flora, and fauna, the impacts of various forms of pollution, and both the historical and contemporary relationship between humans and the river.
Card 123: LAKE ALBERT
During the past century, the mystery of the Nile's source mobilized many explorers who substantially expanded geographical knowledge of Africa. Lake Albert, where Philippe Cousteau and Dominique Sumian navigate among hippopotamuses, was discovered in 1864 by Baker.
Card 124: RUWENZORI
In the very heart of the African continent, between Lakes Edward and Albert, the Ruwenzori mountain range rises like a silver jewel, its 5,119-meter altitude crowned with snowfields above the lush tropical rainforests and vast savannas that embrace it.
Card 125: MURCHISON FALLS
In a formidable vortex of foam and deafening noise, the Victoria Nile plunges down a 45-meter-high drop: Murchison Falls (now Kabalega Falls). Today, they are protected within a vast national park in Ugandan territory.
Card 126: SIMPLE ECONOMY
The Indigenous peoples inhabiting the region drained by the Upper Nile are known collectively as Nilotic peoples. They are characterized by their dark skin and, above all, by their very tall stature. Some tribes in the region rely on fishing, while others are pastoralists.
Card 127: NILE CROCODILES
Ninety million years, along with their dramatic sequence of environmental shifts, could not wipe out this relic of the Mesozoic Era. Nevertheless, just a few decades of the fur trade have effectively restricted the presence of this species to areas where it is strictly protected.
Card 128: RESTRAINED POWER
Among lions, daily periods of activity are brief. Following a short nocturnal hunting expedition and the subsequent meal, the day passes from one nap to the next. Their immense potential for strength remains restrained, with only the cubs breaking the stillness.
Card 129: A MATTER OF SPACE
Human greed and a misguided notion of sport have erased elephants from most of the African landscape, except within areas designated as national parks where they are protected. However, the presence of these colossi within confined spaces poses severe ecological challenges.
Card 130: WHITE RHINOCEROS
Two small populations, located in the Upper Nile and in Southern Africa and separated by three thousand kilometers, make up the remaining numbers of this species, which goes by the absurd name—apparently due to a mistranslation—of white rhinoceros.
Card 131: THE SAVANNA
During the rainy season, the savannas of the Upper Nile valley are blanketed with abundant, tender grasses shared by species such as Grant's zebras, impalas, and topis, which avoid competition through their distinct dietary specializations.
Card 132: PASTORALIST PEOPLES
Among the Black African peoples known as Nilotic, those who inhabit the savanna rich in seasonal pastures, such as the Dinka, base their economy on herding a breed of cattle highly adapted to the tropical environment.
Card 133: GATEWAY TO THE DESERT
As the Nile flows northward, it crosses regions where rainfall gradually diminishes. The Islamized inhabitants of central Sudan herd sheep and camels across steppes that already signal the proximity of the desert.
Card 134: FERTILIZING SILT
The Blue Nile, the primary tributary of the Nile, gathers waters from the mountains and highlands of Ethiopia. It is responsible for the flooding of the great river and the deposit of fertilizing silts that made the historical existence of Egypt possible.
Card 135: TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE
Respecting the ecological boundaries imposed by nature, yet utilizing an exceedingly primitive technology, Egyptian farmers have long practiced a traditional form of agriculture wherever the Nile allows, which today faces a profound crisis of transition.
Card 136: AVENUE OF SPHINXES
Herodotus famously defined Egypt as a "gift of the Nile." Within the vast desert expanse, this river artery fertilized a corridor that enabled the rise of an ancient and wealthy civilization that successfully elevated mystery to the status of art.
Card 137: ASWAN DAM
Though compared to the most monumental pharaonic works, many believe that because this dam traps the fertilizing silt, the newly irrigated lands will not compensate for the loss of soil fertility or the cost of the artificial fertilizers that must now be used.
Card 138: RELOCATED TEMPLES
The Aswan Dam flooded, among many other lands, the valley of Abu Simbel, where Ramesses II had ordered the construction of two rock-cut temples. To save them, and with the support of UNESCO, these masterpieces of Egyptian art were moved stone by stone.
Card 139: HIDDEN ART
Jean-Paul Cornu films the frescoes of an underground tomb (hypogeum) from the Theban New Kingdom, located near the modern-day village of Deir el-Medina. The Cousteau expedition carried out cultural activities of great interest alongside their strictly scientific research.
Card 140: THE LAND RETREATS
Ninety percent of the sediment that the Nile used to carry to the Mediterranean is now trapped by the Aswan Dam. As a result, the natural balance has been disrupted, and the sea is advancing over the delta at an average rate of one to five meters per year.
Card 141: CLIPPERTON ISLAND
Located in the Pacific Ocean, 1,100 kilometers southwest of Acapulco, Clipperton Island is a small, isolated coral atoll spanning about five kilometers in diameter. It is a French possession, although Mexico has historically claimed this territory.
Card 142: A UNIQUE ATOLL
The ecological importance of Clipperton is exceptional. This atoll encloses a freshwater lagoon, a unique phenomenon in the entire Pacific. For this reason, Cousteau and his team conducted a scientific expedition to the island—which they had previously visited—in the spring of 1980.
143: DIVING PLATFORM
From a diving platform, divers submerge into the waters of the Clipperton lagoon. At Cousteau's request, Canadian, French, and American scientists collaborated with his team to study the environment of this atoll over a period of six weeks.
Card 144: NANSEN BOTTLE
The deepest section of the Clipperton lagoon was named the "bottomless hole" by Cousteau's men. There, the water is toxic due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide. A Nansen bottle containing a sample is hoisted aboard the platform.
Card 145: COUSTEAU IN THE LAGOON
Cousteau insisted on personally exploring the lagoon and descended into its depths, undeterred by the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Despite their goggles and masks, the divers surfaced with watery eyes, headaches, and a burning sensation.
Card 146: IN THE "BOTTOMLESS HOLE"
Equipped with a camera fitted with a device to improve visibility in the murky water, the diver films inside the "bottomless hole." The lagoon is rich in vegetation thanks to the abundant guano that washes into it.
Card 147: GREEN WATER
The highly abundant fertilizer that the lagoon receives in the form of guano is responsible for an excessive proliferation of phytoplankton. Consequently, in certain areas, the waters are dyed an intense green color, giving the divers a ghostly appearance.
Card 148: BEACHED WRECKAGE
Commander Cousteau observes the rusted remains of a shipwreck that have been washed onto the beaches of Clipperton and stranded there. The oceanographer holds a toy boat in his hands, which likely crossed the Pacific Ocean all the way from the coasts of Asia.
Card 149: BACKLIGHT
In the magical atmosphere created by the backlight, a diver approaches a manta ray. This species, as massive as it is harmless, is becoming increasingly difficult to find in the open ocean. However, near Clipperton, the Cousteau expedition spotted several specimens.
Card 150: THE FACE OF THE MANTA
Everything is singular about this peaceful giant, including the striking
cephalic lobes on its face, which aid in feeding. Manta rays can reach a
wingspan of up to remembrance eight meters and a weight of three thousand
kilograms.
Card 151: REEF SHARK
In contrast to the few species that inhabit the land of Clipperton, the marine waters surrounding the island possess a rich fauna. The divers observed a multitude of sharks like this one—a Carcharhinus menisorrah—which forms schools along the reef.
Card 152: VORACIOUS CRABS
On the dry land of Clipperton, only crabs and seabirds abound. The former, being highly voracious, are responsible for the near-total absence of vegetation. Upon the coral ground of the atoll, only a few clusters of coconut trees manage to survive.
Card 153: FILMING CRABS
Jean-Paul Cornu films a group of crabs, while behind him, boobies incubate eggs in their shallow nests. The majority of the island's crabs spend the day hidden in crevices to protect themselves from the blazing sun, emerging at dusk.
Card 154: BROWN BOOBY
The brown booby is a seabird widely distributed throughout the tropical regions of the Pacific. On Clipperton, it is the most abundant bird, and it is virtually impossible to photograph the ruins of a pier or the remains of a shipwreck without individuals of this species appearing.
Card 155: MASKED BOOBY
The masked booby ranks second in numerical importance on the island after the brown booby. In addition to these two species, frigatebirds, sooty terns, and brown noddies are found on the atoll. In total, the Cousteau team counted more than 25,000 birds nesting on Clipperton.
Card 156: TRAGEDY
A small Mexican garrison, including women and children, once existed on Clipperton. Coinciding with the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, the garrison was forgotten. Some perished from starvation; others drowned in the breaking waves while attempting to escape. Cousteau seems to meditate on the tragedy.
Card 157: AT THE SCENE OF THE DRAMA
Invited by Cousteau, Ramón Arnaud—born on the island and son of the commander of the tragically lost garrison—arrives at Clipperton from Manzanillo, Mexico. He is one of the eleven survivors rescued from the atoll in 1917.
Card 158: ROCKY OUTCROP
The environment of Clipperton is exceptionally harsh. Devoid of vegetation, the land—a narrow strip of consolidated coral—rises only between 1.5 and four meters above sea level. This volcanic rock is the sole exception, soaring to a height of 19 meters.
Card 159: POSTHUMOUS TRIBUTE
Ramón Arnaud sprinkles holy water on the cross he has placed in memory of his father, who died in the breaking waves surrounding the island. The cross also serves as a tribute to the other members of the Mexican garrison who lost their lives here.
Card 160: HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
Although the hostile environment of Clipperton excludes many species, life persists there. The scientific data gathered by the Cousteau expedition must serve to safeguard this ecosystem, which is as unique as it is fragile, and, lately, threatened.
Deck 5: IX. Conshelf / X. The Indian
Card 161: "CONSHELF I"
The Calypso leaves the port of Marseille towing the underwater habitat baptized as Diogène, a clear allusion to the barrel of the Greek philosopher. This laboratory was to be inhabited for seven days. On September 14, 1962, the Conshelf I experiment officially began.
Card 162: READY
The Diogène habitat measures five meters in length and 2.50 meters in circumference. It was anchored 10 meters beneath the surface of the Mediterranean. Falco and Wesly, from Cousteau's team, would serve as the oceanauts—the first humans to live for several days deep within the waters.
Card 163: LABORIOUS DESCENT
The Diogène capsule descends from the stern of the Calypso, assisted by ballast weight and the oceanographic vessel's entire diving team. The operation proved to be delicate and arduous, but at last, the house-laboratory rested, securely anchored, on the seabed.
Card 164: AN ORIGINAL TEST
In order to understand the effects that these strange living conditions have on the oceanauts, the physicians monitoring the experiment designed tests and trials that Falco and Wesly carried out within a context so extraordinary it seemed surreal.
Card 165: A VISIT
To personally assess the psychological state and challenges faced by the oceanauts, Commander Cousteau visited them and shared a memorable breakfast inside the habitat. He found that Falco and Wesly's morale was excellent. The Conshelf I experiment concluded as a complete success.
Card 166: "CONSHELF II"
The successful outcome of Conshelf I encouraged Commander Cousteau to develop a far more ambitious project: Conshelf II. This time, it involved a genuine underwater village to be established in the Red Sea. The structures were transported in pieces aboard supply ships.
Card 167: ASSEMBLING THE PIECES
Following a series of preliminary scouting missions, Cousteau selected the coral reef of Sha'ab Rumi as the precise location to deploy the various components of Conshelf II. Before heading to this ideal setting for the experiment, the habitats were pre-assembled in Port Sudan.
Card 168: FAREWELL
June 15, 1963. The moment arrived for the Conshelf II oceanauts to move into the underwater houses, where they would live for a month. From the deck of the Calypso, Cousteau waved farewell, wishing them the best of luck.
Card 169: UNDERWATER VILLAGE
The entire layout of the Conshelf II experiment consisted of a main house (the Starfish), the deep station, the diving saucer garage nicknamed the "Urchin," a equipment hangar that housed the scooters, and an aquarium.
Card 170: UNDERWATER SCOOTER
From their base, the Conshelf II oceanauts conducted research of all kinds, but focused primarily on the fauna of the Red Sea. At times, to move about, they utilized underwater scooters kept in the hangar, which was the only structure designed to flood with water.
Card 171: WATCHFUL PREDATOR
The divers focused on capturing specimens of the local fauna for study by Professor Vaissière, a specialist who participated in Conshelf II. Here, a bluestripe snapper is drawn to fish placed inside plastic bags.
Card 172: HOMELIKE ATMOSPHERE
A game of chess can serve as excellent entertainment to pass the free time. In this instance, one wonders whether the surgeonfish swimming outside are being watched by the humans, or if the humans themselves are the objects of curiosity for the animals.
Card 173: WITHOUT DECOMPRESSION
The primary objective of the Conshelf II operation was to prove that it is possible to live beneath the surface for extended periods. The oceanauts performed tasks in the sea for six hours a day, freed from decompression concerns.
Card 174: WORLD OF SILENCE
The main house, the diving saucer garage, and the aquarium shown here were positioned at around -10 meters. The deep station was located 15 meters further down. During their excursions through the area, the divers reached depths of -100 meters.
Card 175: COLLECTION OF SAMPLES
Of all the activities carried out by the Conshelf II oceanauts, the most common and enthusiastically undertaken was the collection of biological specimens, such as plankton, coral, invertebrates, and fish. All were teeming along the reef.
Card 176: DIVING SAUCER
The diving saucer SP-350, designed and built by Commander Cousteau himself, was deployed in service of the Conshelf experiments. The oceanauts later recalled the moral boost they felt from having this agile craft operating alongside them.
Card 177: "CONSHELF III"
The Conshelf III operation, the culmination of Commander Cousteau's houses-under-the-sea experiments, consisted of a habitable sphere six meters in diameter mounted on a 14-by-8-meter chassis. This structure was deployed at a depth of 100 meters in the Mediterranean.
Card 178: DIFFICULT MISSION
A team of six people, including Philippe Cousteau, occupied the Conshelf III sphere for nearly a month during September and October 1965. They carried out delicate research and precision work, including mock tasks on an oil wellhead.
Card 179: EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL
Such a prolonged stay beneath the sea, breathing an artificial atmosphere, poses a great number of challenges. However, all were successfully resolved. Here, André Laban, one of the Conshelf III oceanauts, undergoes a series of monitoring tests.
Card 180: PATH TOWARD THE FUTURE
Through the Conshelf experiments, Cousteau demonstrated the possibility of accessing a new dimension previously forbidden to humans. It now falls to others to widen the path opened by the commander toward the future.
Card 181: COUSTEAU IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
The Indian Ocean has been repeatedly traversed by the Calypso. Cousteau and his team have visited nearly all the islands dotting this ocean, conducting major research and filming three movies either on their beaches or beneath their surface.
Card 182: CORAL ATOLL
Spanning roughly 75 million square kilometers, the Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean on the planet. Like jewels set in blue tropical waters, several archipelagos abundant in coral atolls adorn its vast horizons.
Card 183: MALDIVES ISLANDS
Composed of 2,000 islands and atolls totaling 298 square kilometers, the Maldives archipelago stands as one of the most beautiful corners of the Indian Ocean. The Arabic influence can be seen in this local fishing vessel.
Card 184: "SEA FLEA"
Due to its small size, the Calypso crew nicknamed the SP-500 single-passenger minisubmarine, designed by Cousteau, the "sea flea." Enormemente maneuverable, this diving saucer descends to 500 meters, putting the continental shelf entirely within its reach.
Card 185: FIN WHALE
The clear and calm coastal waters of the tropical Indian Ocean are pierced by the immense body of a fin whale. Just a few weeks ago, this leviathan was in the freezing Antarctic seas, feeding to its heart's content on the highly abundant krill.
Card 186: MEETING THE FIN WHALE
Showing no fear toward its nearly 25-meter length and 75-ton weight, the diver swims out to meet the fin whale. This species primarily inhabits the South Atlantic, which is why it is rarely sighted in the Indian Ocean.
Card 187: TOWED BY THE FIN WHALE
The diver has grabbed hold of the fin whale's dorsal fin, allowing himself to be towed by this peaceful giant. Whales are generally curious animals that enjoy observing humans; if undisturbed, they do not shy away from human proximity.
Card 188: FACING THE SPERM WHALE
The inflatable boat maneuvers just inches away from a sperm whale's head. These images demonstrate the "heroism" of ancient whalers—to say nothing of modern ones, who drive species to extinction merely to turn them into dog food.
Card 189: CORAL FORMATIONS
The shallow reefs of the Indian Ocean present this very view. Sunlight allows life to flourish, highlighted by diverse coral formations. In the foreground are fire corals, whose polyps possess terribly stinging cells—hence their name.
Card 190: SOLDIERFISH
Nocturnal by habit, soldierfish hide during the day beneath corals of the genus Acropora. During the breeding season, they can be seen in pairs carefully protecting their eggs. The rest of the year, they are solitary, and their beautiful red color deepens when defending territory.
Card 191: LIONFISH
The lionfish or scorpion fish receives this name because the rays of its dorsal and pectoral fins are venomous. Its beautiful colors act as a warning signal. This fish also uses its highly developed fins to corner its prey, which it captures with its enormous mouth.
Card 192: EMPEROR ANGELFISH
The emperor angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator, is one of the most common inhabitants of coral reefs. Endowed with a strong territorial instinct, the splendid coloration of its patterns serves to establish the boundaries of the area it considers its exclusive property.
Card 193: CLOSE-UP OF A GROUPER
A grouper like this one, Jojo, maintained a curious friendly relationship with the divers of the Cousteau team in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The disproportionate size of this fish's mouth indicates its status as a powerful predator.
Card 194: TERRITORIALITY
On the reef, groupers are territorial animals, zealous defenders of their home range. At Commander Cousteau's direction, a diver descended with a mirror and placed it in front of a grouper. Upon seeing its own reflected image, it attacked immediately.
Card 195: SEA TURTLE
Europa Island, in the Mozambique Channel, is visited every year by sea turtles. Driven by reproductive instincts, thousands of these reptiles journey to the island from very distant points across the Indian Ocean to lay their eggs on its beaches.
Card 196: CLOWNFISH
One of the most classic examples of a symbiotic relationship occurs between them. The anemone possesses stinging tentacles, yet these do not affect the multicolored little fish. There are several species of clownfish, and each "owns" its own specific species of anemone.
Card 197: ALCYONARIAN
Alcyonarians are soft corals. In this image, a close-up detail reveals the white spicules—the only calcareous part of the colony—and the flower-shaped tentacles of the polyps. A branch of this coral can be seen in image 192, beneath the emperor angelfish.
Card 198: GALEAZZI CHAMBER
After hanging the coral samples they have collected inside, the divers enter the Galeazzi decompression chamber, which will immediately be hoisted onto the deck of the Calypso. The divers will remain inside the chamber until their decompression is fully completed.
Card 199: SPOTTED MORAY EEL
Although their serpentine appearance can be unsettling to novice divers, moray eels—including this beautiful tropical species—are predators that are only aggressive toward their prey. In the presence of humans, they limit themselves to adopting a threatening posture with their mouths wide open.
Card 200: CARING PARENTS
Fish of the genus Apogon inhabit the shaded parts of the reef. They are nocturnal, and during the day, they gather in small schools to remain hidden inside caves. After spawning, the males hold the eggs inside their mouths until they hatch.
Deck 6: XI. Alaska / XII. Patagonia
Card 201: THE "CALYPSO" IN ALASKA
In its journey across all the world's seas, the Calypso has arrived in Alaska, a region that many will immediately associate with the realm of cold. The oceanographic vessel anchors in a fjord, an ancient valley once occupied by a glacier.
Card 202: FILMING AMONG THE ICE
During their stay in Alaska, Cousteau and his men primarily investigated the migrations of salmon and walruses, alongside populations of fur seals and sea otters, which have been heavily hunted for their pelts. They gathered crucial data on these topics and produced three films.
Card 203: CROWDED BEACH
A large group of Steller sea lions occupies a solitary beach in southern Alaska. Although this species does not possess a pelt as highly prized as the area's other otariid—the northern fur seal—it was subjected to brutal slaughters in the past. Today, its numbers are recovering.
Card 204: STELLER SEA LIONS
Two male Steller sea lions bask on the rocks. The recovery of this species will prove beneficial to the human economy, as these animals devour large numbers of lampreys—strange and primitive fish that parasitize salmon.
Card 205: DIVING BENEATH THE ICE PACK
Cousteau's divers prepare to submerge beneath the ice. The movie camera is first packed in snow to lower its temperature, preventing the lenses from shattering during the dive into the freezing waters.
Card 206: FILMING KING CRABS
The Calypso divers study and film the enormous sea spiders known in Alaska as king crabs. These crustaceans are abundant in the cold waters off the southern peninsula and nearby islands, supplying a thriving commercial canning industry.
Card 207: A GOURMET'S SNACK
Floating on the surface in a posture characteristic of this species, a sea otter peacefully devours a king crab. This large mustelid, a true gourmet, also enjoys other shellfish, cracking open their hard shells by using a stone.
Card 208: SEA OTTER
This sea otter appears next to the netting enclosing an area where, along with others of its kind, it was studied by the Cousteau team before being released. These intelligent and playful animals, capable of using tools, were hunted for their fur to the brink of extinction.
Card 209: UPSTREAM
On Kodiak Island, Cousteau, Omer, Falco, and Delemotte, positioned next to a river narrow, observe the sockeye salmon swimming upstream against the current. These fish arrive from the sea in massive numbers to spawn in the exact waters where they were born.
Card 210: FAILED TO MAKE IT
Driven by the reproductive instinct, salmon navigate upstream through freshwater currents without feeding, relentlessly battling rapids, waterfalls, and any obstacle in their path. Many, exhausted by the effort, perish without reaching their goal, just like the specimen photographed here.
Card 211: TRAPPED
Industrial salmon fishing using nets deployed in bays and estuaries constitutes one of the backbones of Alaska's economy. However, this male, caught by hand by a Calypso diver, was fortunate, as it will be released immediately after being studied.
Card 212: GOOD WORK
The Cousteau team filmed a movie about the sockeye salmon migration that has been widely regarded as extraordinary and a benchmark for nature documentaries. The filmmakers' love for their profession, revealed in scenes like this one, contributed to the excellent outcome achieved.
Card 213: READY TO SAIL
The men of the Calypso scan the horizon before putting to sea in the umiak shown in the foreground. This relatively large Eskimo watercraft is constructed from a framework covered in stitched sealskins. Today, it is generally propelled by outboard motors.
Card 214: WALRUSES
The close-up allows a clear appreciation of the characteristic features of walrus] heads. Their striking tusks and whiskers are used for foraging, aiding in the search and capture of mollusks on the dark seafloor. These specimens were photographed on Round Island.
Card 215: SUMMONING COURAGE
From Round Island, the southernmost point that walruses reach in their migrations, the Cousteau expedition traveled to St. Lawrence Island, south of the Bering Strait—a location heavily frequented by these large pinnipeds. There, at times summoning their courage, they filmed the walruses as well.
Card 216: STRANGE APPRENTICESHIP
Louis Prezelin teaches a small orphaned walrus to swim, as it fearfully clings to the diver. Adopted by the Cousteau team, it was named Burke. Interestingly, walrus calves do not possess an innate inclination for the water, and their mothers must initiate them into swimming.
Card 217: PRESENT AND PAST
From an umiak, the traditional Eskimo watercraft, a group of these primitive inhabitants of the Great North engage in walrus hunting. Paradoxically, ancient stone harpoons have been replaced by highly modern rifles equipped with telescopic sights.
Card 218: THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD
Following the hunt, large pieces of walrus meat are distributed, just as in the past, among the inhabitants of the Eskimo village of Gambell. Their clothing and the presence of snowmobiles provide a counterpoint reflecting a high degree of cultural transition.
Card 219: TRADITIONAL ACTIVITY
A woman from the village of Gambell tans a walrus hide using the traditional method. Following the hunt, every part of these pinnipeds is utilized; their population numbers will face no danger as long as the Eskimos only harvest them to meet their primary needs.
Card 220: SMILE OF HOPE
With clothing that hints at a shifting culture, yet bearing the striking features of his heritage, this charming Eskimo child could symbolize the hope of a people who successfully triumphed over the harshest climatic conditions on the planet.
Card 221: OFF THE COAST OF PATAGONIA
With their black-and-white plumage, which inevitably brings to mind the cliché of birds dressed in tuxedos, the Magellanic penguins seem to form a welcoming committee for the Calypso, whose silhouette is outlined on the horizon off the coast of Argentine Patagonia.
Card 222: SETTING THE COURSE
Commander Cousteau sets the course to follow on his journey through the regions located at the southern tip of the American continent: Argentine Patagonia, the Strait of Magellan, bypassing Tierra del Fuego, and Chilean Patagonia.
Card 223: ARGENTINE PATAGONIA
Argentine Patagonia is classified by geographers as a semi-desert. Here, it can be seen that the sparse shrub vegetation extends all the way to the coastline. Small beaches often open up among the cliffs, which sea lions and elephant seals utilize for breeding purposes.
Card 224: MAGELLANIC PENGUINS
On the arid coast of Argentine Patagonia, Magellanic penguins gather in massive colonies to breed. These birds nest inside burrows that they excavate themselves, fiercely defending a small territory surrounding it.
Card 225: A SPECIAL SUIT
In a moment of joviality, Dominique Sumian fully inflates his insulating diving suit, designed for submersions in extremely cold waters. These drysuits are indispensable for diving in seas such as those surrounding Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
Card 226: KELP FOREST
A Calypso diver ventures into a kelp "forest"—giant algae belonging to the laminariales group that typically grow in dense formations. Diving here can be highly hazardous, as one runs the risk of becoming entangled in the massive vegetative ribbons.
Card 227: SOUTH AMERICAN FUR SEALS
The South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) is popularly
known in South America by the highly curious name "lobo de dos pelos"
(two-furred wolf), an expression that highlights the fact that these animals
possess a dense, fine, and tightly packed underfur beneath their long, visible
guard hairs.
Card 228: UNDERWATER BALLET
In front of the Calypso divers, the South American fur seals engage in their playful games, which frequently call to mind a genuine ballet. These otariids are the survivors of a cruel persecution that brought them to the brink of extermination, as their pelts are highly prized.
Card 229: APPROACHING THE WHALE
Aboard respective inflatable boats, the Calypso divers and filmmakers approach a southern right whale, which they will study and film over several days. This peaceful coexistence with these cetaceans resulted in an abundance of scientific and graphic documentation.
Card 230: FAITHFUL TO THE APPOINTMENT
The Cousteau team's encounter with the southern right whales was by no means accidental. Indeed, these animals arrive punctually at the Gulf of San José in Argentine Patagonia every year to give birth to their calves. Courtship displays and mating also take place there.
Card 231: "THAR SHE BLOWS!"
It was precisely at the cry of "thar she blows!" that thousands of these animals were killed, as it served as the whalers' announcement that a cetacean had been sighted. The southern right whale can be identified from afar by the v-shaped blows of vapor bursting from its double blowhole.
Card 232: INDIVIDUAL MARK
The shape of the callosities—the anchoring ground for whale lice and other
parasites—that appear on the heads of right whales is as unique to each
individual as human fingerprints. Because of this, scientists can recognize
and track each specimen without any need for physical tagging.
Card 233: IMPERIAL SHAG
The Patagonian coasts are home not only to vast concentrations of Magellanic penguins; other birds that find their sustenance in the sea form bustling breeding colonies in suitable locations. Among these, the imperial shag (Phalacrocorax albiventer) stands out for its beauty.
Card 234: IN CHILEAN PATAGONIA
A humid environment that shapes an extremely rainy climate, a maze of islands and fjords, a labyrinth of marine channels, inaccessible rocky coastlines, and forests everywhere: the Calypso arrives in Chilean Patagonia, which possesses physical traits entirely opposite to those of Argentine Patagonia.
Card 235: ABOUT TO SUBMERGE
Although Cousteau's primary wish during his journey to Chilean Patagonia was to meet the Indigenous Kawésqar people, he naturally did not neglect exploring the underwater world of that region, which is so remote and therefore unknown. Here, a dive is prepared using the diving saucer.
Card 236: SOUTH AMERICAN SEA LIONS
The South American sea lion (Otaria byronia) is commonly referred to in the South American Cone as the "lobo de un pelo" (single-furred wolf) to distinguish it from its relative, the South American fur seal, since, unlike the latter, it lacks a dense underfur. For this reason, the species was less targeted by the fur trade.
Card 237: BUILDING A BOAT
The Calypso reached Puerto Edén in Chilean Patagonia so that the Cousteau team could study the Kawésqar, a tribe of Fuegian Indigenous people whose ancestral lands once extended all the way to Tierra del Fuego. Today, only 27 survivors remain. One of them builds a boat
Card 238: GATHERING MOLLUSKS
The Kawésqar traveled in boats through the channels of the hostile territory they inhabited. While the dry land, with its nearly vertical and densely forested shores, repelled them, the sea provided this community with everything they could possibly need. These women gather shellfish, taking advantage of the low tide.
Card 239: KAWÉSQAR CHILDREN
In ancient times, newborn Kawésqar children were placed in the snow to accustom them to the cold. Their resistance to the harsh Patagonian climate was so extraordinary that these Indigenous people traditionally lived entirely naked, diving into the freezing marine waters to gather food.
Card 240: SELLING HANDICRAFTS
A group of Kawésqar people approaches a vessel to sell their handcrafted products to the passengers. The few remaining survivors of this ethnic group, whose traditional way of life was severely threatened following contact with outsiders, still preserve their exceptional skills for navigation and woodworking.
Deck 7: XIII. Red Sea / XIV. Greece
Card 241: THE RED SEA
The warm and transparent waters of the Red Sea have always held a special attraction for Commander Cousteau. The Calypso has frequently sailed the surface of this terrestrial rift which, slowly—as fits a geological process—is widening and growing. A new ocean is being born.
Card 242: PHILIPPE IN THE BALLOON
In the course of the Cousteau team's research in the Red Sea, Philippe repeatedly used the Calypso's balloon as an elevated observatory, allowing him to gaze at the panoramic view of the shallow coral reefs, which are as abundant there as they are rich in life.
Card 243: ACROPORA CORALS
The absence of severe storms in the Red Sea allows for the development of highly delicate structures in stony corals, forming genuine gardens. The photograph features acropora corals—primarily Acropora cervicornis—growing at very shallow depths in the sunniest part of the reef.
Card 244: STRANGE COEXISTENCE
It is unusual to find two moray eels, even of different species, occupying the exact same shelter. However, the exuberance of life on the Red Sea coral reefs is so great that it allowed for the capturing of this scene of strange and peaceful coexistence.
Card 245: CRINOID
Although its appearance heavily resembles a plant, this crinoid is an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and starfish. Its feathery arms are used to filter the plankton it feeds on. It is generally found anchored to corals, but it can move by swimming short distances.
Card 246: DECORATED WRECKAGE
Two floodlights unveil the vivid colors of the alcyonarians covering the interior of a ship wrecked near the island of Dahlak Kebir. This underwater wreck was baptized "White Hair" due to the appearance of its exterior, which has been colonized by corals.
Card 247: PRECISE INSTRUMENT
On the deck of the Calypso under a relentless sun, Albert Falco, Maurice, and Christian Bonnici prepare to release a kytoon—a helium balloon fitted with a radar reflector. The data provided by this instrument allows for the drafting or revising of seabed charts.
Card 248: TAGGING SHARKS
Among the research projects conducted by the Cousteau team in the Red Sea, studies on sharks stand out. Here, two divers, within the safe interior of a cage designed for this work, prepare to tag the sharks drawn in by bait.
Card 249: HAMMERHEAD SHARK
This large shark with the strange head that gave it its name—a common though not very abundant resident of warm seas—has traditionally been considered a man-eater. Cousteau and his divers, after several experiences with this species, do not share that opinion.
Card 250: SHARK AND PILOT FISH
A blue shark majestically glides through the waters accompanied by several pilot fish. Today, scientists reject the old belief that pilot fish guide sharks to their prey; they merely accompany them to feed on the leftovers of their feasts.
Card 251: SWARMING IN
Protected by the anti-shark cage, Serge Foulon attracts these felines using a previously caught barracuda as bait. On a similar occasion, the sharks, small in size and highly excited by the blood, squeezed between the bars. Fortunately, it ended as nothing more than a scare.
Card 252: SURROUNDED
On the Abu Marina reef, a diver keeps a group of blacktip reef sharks at bay armed with a shark billy, while protecting his back with the shark-scope. The latter was designed by Jean-Michel Cousteau to temporarily hold these animals captive and study their behavior.
Card 253: "ARTURO"
The Calypso divers hold upright a dummy they crafted by stuffing a diving suit with foam rubber and pieces of fresh fish. With Arturo—as they humorously named the dummy—they sought to study the reactions of dangerous sharks toward humans.
Card 254: ATTACK!
A large silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus), likely well-fed judging by the roundness of its belly, circled the diver several times and finally made its move: the attack was lightning-fast, tearing off a leg and returning for more. Fortunately, the diver was Arturo, the dummy.
Card 255: FASCINATING WORLD
The divers of the Cousteau team move along an impressive drop-off on the reef. The corals have created formations that sometimes recall an oriental rug and other times can be awe-inspiring. Yet, they always constitute a fascinating world.
Card 256: DIADEMA SEA URCHIN
This echinoderm is by no means defenseless against predators. Its long spines are covered in a venomous mucus capable of inflicting painful wounds on a diver; furthermore, these highly agile, mobile spines actively shift to concentrate toward whichever part of the sea urchin is being threatened.
Card 257: POLYP COLONY
In this colony of polyps, extended during the night from a stony coral, one can appreciate in detail the structure of these invertebrates. They are endowed with a crown of tentacles surrounding the mouth, which they use to trap the tiny planktonic particles that serve as their food.
Card 258: GORGONIAN
Someone might doubt it, but the species photographed here is an animal; or rather, it is a colony of animals: octocorallian polyps, whose horny-structured skeletons frequently form large "forests." This gorgonian inhabits the shadiest parts of the coral reefs.
Card 259: PICASSO TRIGGERFISH
This triggerfish with its spectacular patterns is known in America by the expressive name of Picasso triggerfish. An inhabitant of coral reefs and highly territorial—hence its striking coloration—it possesses very strong jaws used to crack open the shells of sea urchins and crustaceans, its main food source.
Card 260: NEW MINDSET
The sea turtle allows itself to be patted by a diver from the Cousteau team. For the very interest of our own species, it is essential that humankind changes its relationship with nature. The seas must regain their transparency, clarity, and the immense wealth of life that naturally belongs to them.
Card 261: THE "CALYPSO" IN GREECE
At Cape Sounion, south of Athens at the tip of the Attic peninsula, the Calypso passes before the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, the Hellenic deity of the sea. The Cousteau team traveled to Greece to conduct underwater archaeological excavations.
Card 262: COUSTEAU, ARCHAEOLOGIST
Cousteau took his first steps in the field of underwater archaeology in 1952, when he recovered thousands of amphorae and other artifacts from an ancient shipwreck next to the islet of Grand Congloué. Since then, a lifelong passion for this type of research was awakened in the commander.
Card 263: DELOS ISLAND
According to classical mythology, the small island of Delos was the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis. The famous sanctuary dedicated to the Sun god was erected here, featuring a vast sacred precinct filled with temples and other structures. Today, only ruins remain of all that splendor.
Card 264: ROMAN MOSAIC
The photograph displays a pavement constructed in the Roman style. The overlapping of cultures within Hellenic territory and the immense significance they held for human development make Greece one of the most important locations in the world for archaeological practice.
Card 265: REVEALING PHOTOGRAPHS
Albert Falco, accompanied by two Greek archaeologists, Dr. Kritzas and Dr. Kolomas, examines and discusses photographs provided by an artificial satellite. These graphic documents led to the discovery of a large concentration of amphorae in St. George's Bay.
Card 266: RECOVERY OF ARTIFACTS
Following a basic pre-sorting of the uncovered archaeological remains, a diver places the finds into a basket divided into two compartments: one for small items and one for large artifacts. Frequently, however, the basket would tip over, mixing its contents.
Card 267: SUCTION DREDGE
Having already been utilized by Cousteau at the Grand Congloué shipwreck, the suction dredge—or airlift—proved to be the most useful of all instruments when searching for underwater archaeological remains. Acting as a gigantic vacuum, it cleared vast areas in just a few minutes.
Card 268: AMID CLOUDS OF SILT
Guided by a diver amid thick clouds of silt, the suction dredge begins to vacuum up the sediments that have accumulated over centuries on top of archaeological remains from various eras. Small objects and fragments are also drawn into it.
Card 269: A FINE SIEVE
The suction dredge discharged into a type of metal basket that acted as a sieve. In this manner, even the tiniest underwater find could be recovered, starting with modern items, followed by medieval ones, then classical period artifacts, and finally, Minoan remains.
Card 270: STRONG MOORINGS
The Calypso had to be tightly secured with cables to prevent its hull from sustaining damage against the rocks of the small island of Psira, a location frequently battered by heavy winds. Meanwhile, the divers proceeded to explore the marine depths.
Card 271: UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY
In the waters of Antikythera, a diver recovers an ancient vessel. The men of the Calypso took on the duties of underwater archaeologists with an immense sense of responsibility, carefully and meticulously recording the position and characteristics of every object they discovered.
Card 272: EXAMINATION OF THE FINDS
Under the watchful eye of Cousteau, Albert Falco and a Greek scientist examine amphorae recovered from a Hellenic ship wrecked in the waters of the Aegean Sea. At all times, professional archaeologists supervised the recovery operations carried out by the divers.
Card 273: VENETIAN ANCHOR
Among the thousands of objects of every kind and of the most varied sizes that were brought aboard the Calypso during this mission, the enormous anchor shown here stands out. It belonged to a Venetian ship that had been resting on the seafloor for more than three centuries.
Card 274: ON THE SUMMIT OF DIA
Dr. Kritzas and Cousteau stand at the highest point of Dia Island, near Crete, at an altitude of 268 meters. On their way up to the summit, they gathered interesting artifacts from the ancient cultures that once dominated this region.
Card 275: WITNESSES TO HISTORY
Aligned on the deck of the Calypso are some of the remains rescued from the silence and darkness of the underwater depths. Cousteau and his team rendered an invaluable service to science by bringing to light these mute witnesses of historical events.
Card 276: THE "TROIKA"
A crew member mounts one of the cameras onto the troika. This underwater exploration instrument, named after its resemblance to the Russian sled, glides across the ocean floor towed by a cable that simultaneously prevents it from capsizing when encountering obstacles.
Card 277: SEXTANT FROM THE "BRITANNIC"
On November 21, 1916, the British vessel Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, was sunk near the Greek island of Kea by a German mine while serving as a hospital ship. The Cousteau team explored the wreck and recovered, among other items, this sextant.
Card 278: KILLER PROPELLER
A diver swims next to one of the Britannic's propellers. As the ship sank, its three propellers, each weighing 38 tons, kept spinning. This created a whirlpool that sucked in several lifeboats, tearing them to pieces and killing their occupants.
Card 279: RETURN TO THE "BRITANNIC"
Mrs. Sheila Macbeth Mitchell, aged 86, emerges from the diving saucer following a submersion that allowed her to closely observe the Britannic. Mrs. Mitchell effectively traveled sixty years back in time, as she had been a nurse aboard the vessel when it was sunk.
Card 280: THE SUN SETS OVER MYKONOS
The mission that brought Commander Cousteau's team to the Greek seas and islands—the theater of a history that shaped the destiny of the Western world—has come to an end. In a symbolic gesture, the sun sets behind the island of Mykonos.
And so concludes this journey back to 40 years ago, looking at the things which my mind fed upon in those days I hope sharing these with English-speaking readers will allow them to see what it was like growing up here in Peru in that age. Don't worry, I'll keep posting other stuff from my past whenever I have enough spare time to do so...
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