Ocean’s Best Friend:
Jean-Michel Cousteau Soldiers On
in Santa Barbara

Ocean Futures Society Weekend
at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara
Honors Cousteau’s Work as
a Voice for the Ocean

By Leslie Dinaberg | Photos by Ingrid Bostrom
November 2, 2023

With 78 years of diving and discoveries under his well-used underwater equipment belt, 85-year-old Jean-Michel Cousteau enthusiastically embraces each day with a singular mission — to protect the ocean and educate people about its critical importance to our survival. The joy and delight he takes in his life is both palpable and charmingly contagious. 

When the team at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara (which has had an educational programming partnership with Cousteau and his Santa Barbara–based, globally focused nonprofit Ocean Futures Society since 2019) came up with the tagline “A Voice for the Ocean” for the weekend-long tribute and Lifetime Achievement Award to this legendary environmental activist, they weren’t exaggerating a bit. 

Cousteau founded the marine conservation organization in his adopted hometown in 1999, shortly after the death of his famous oceanographer father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, to carry on with the family legacy of advocating for the ocean. Originally trained as an architect in his native France, Jean-Michel Cousteau has dedicated his life to inspiring and educating audiences worldwide about the need to act responsibly and preserve the fragile underwater ecosystems that are so intricately tied to all life on earth. 

He first set foot in Santa Barbara about 50 years ago, he says, but it took another 17 years or so for him to make this place, which he calls “a beautiful paradise,” his home base. It’s from that base camp, a small office on State Street, that Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society colleagues fulfill their environmental mission by reaching millions of people around the world through their documentaries and TV series, IMAX and feature films, outdoor educational environmental programing, environmental campaigns, and projects.

We met at the Bacara, however, where Cousteau’s architectural background gives him an even greater appreciation for the beautifully unique setting. While sitting on the ocean-view deck of a room at the resort with the renowned humanitarian last week, watching him take audible delight in the seagulls, squirrels, and skateboarders strolling by, it was clear that Cousteau really is the living embodiment of someone who embraces the wonders of nature, along with the power of optimism, hope, and a whole lot of hard work! 

The love of the ocean runs deep in his veins. Among his earliest memories are his first dives with his family, at the age of 7. “I’m going to live to be 107,” declares Cousteau. He says he wanted to celebrate 100 years of scuba diving in the ocean, an activity he still does quite regularly. 

Like an eager diver, I dove right into our interview with what I thought was a tough question: “As someone who’s devoted so much of your life to marine conservation and environmentalism, how do you feel about where we are right now, at this point in our history?”

“I really believe that we have major problems to solve. But we are heading in the right direction, because we are more and more aware, and there are more and more people wanting to help,” said Cousteau. “And that’s why education and programs like the ones we have here at the Ritz-Carlton are critical.”

That particular program, Ambassadors of the Environment, is one of several hands-on outdoor education programs for people of all ages that take place all over the world, with the overriding idea being that the more time you spend in the nature, the more appreciation you’ll develop for it, which will ultimately result in positive steps to become better stewards. 

“And we’ll never stop working to spread the word,” said Cousteau. “For me, it’s a huge opportunity.” 

But how does he continue to stay optimistic when so much of the news is bad? 

“Because if there is a problem, and there are a lot of problems, we need solutions,” Cousteau offers. “And we need to sit down with decision-makers. I never, never point a finger. When you point a finger, there’s three fingers pointing at you. But everybody has a heart. Most people have families and children or grandchildren. And I want to help them make the bridge for making better decisions. I know that when you are in politics, you want to be educated. And you don’t think about five years from now; when you are in business, you want to make money, profit, profit, profit. But I say, ‘Wait a minute, guys. Think about it; you have families who have a heart; we need to help you make the bridge between your obligations now and in the future, which you’ll care for if you want to be reelected. Or if you want to continue having the business, you have to show the people who support you what you’re doing to make that happen.’ And there’s a lot of times where it works.”

Because he’s worked for more than seven decades to build awareness of the ocean’s vital importance and educating people worldwide to act responsibly for its protection, Cousteau does have a unique perspective on where we are as a society, and he believes we are moving in the right direction. 

Along with pure education, he spends a portion of his efforts directly on ecotourism. Fiji, where he’s been a partner in the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort since 1995, holds a special place in his heart. “I was diving over there and I fell in love, because the Fijians have survived for decades, if not centuries, to live on these islands without anybody from outside. They had food from the ocean, food from the land, all kinds of fruits…. And they were doing their own thing. They had their own language and song, amazing people, and I fell totally in love with one of the places, which they built and was all local materials,” he said. “I fell in love, and one thing led to another, and I became connected to the owners. … They have the pure, perfect coral reef places, and so we created a diving operation.”

He travels to many places all over the world — his educational programs and field work expeditions also encompass the Maldives, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Maui, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, South Africa, and the Arctic, among other areas — and says people are more connected to the ocean than they were 20 years ago. “There’s a revolution, and … we’re getting there,” he says. 

“There’s still a lot to be done because we need to slow down all the pollution that we make in the ocean. Plastic is one of them, but chemicals and heavy metals are very important. And all the oil that we take … but there are ways to do it,” says Cousteau, who works with scientists, technicians, marine biologists, and a whole host of researchers to stay up on understanding the latest developments in ocean science and related technologies. 

The young people he meets through the educational programs are what give him the most hope. “For me, it’s very important when they communicate with not only their friends or neighbors, but with their parents. And some of them have made their parents do a little bit of work, which is heading in the right direction,” he laughs. “And when it comes to protecting sea lions, and protecting whales, and dolphins, and so on, they’re very emotional about that, because they can relate to it. They are warm-blooded creatures like we are. And then a lot of kids communicate with their family. I’ve heard several parents say, ‘Oh, yeah, they won’t go away until we change what we’re doing.’ And some of them really are making a difference.”

In terms of making a difference, honoring Cousteau and his legacy is what the tribute weekend — formally titled Jean-Michel Cousteau, “A Voice for the Ocean,” Highlights of a Lifetime of Adventure & Discovery at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara November 10-12 — is all about: a lifetime of work to share with the world the critical connection between the quality of the ocean and the quality of our lives. 

“We’ve created this special weekend as an opportunity to welcome our local community with open arms as we celebrate our cherished native Jean-Michel Cousteau and all that he has done for our oceans around the world and locally, too,” says Gretchen Walker, marketing director of the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. “Every event spectacularly showcases our seaside village of Bacara through Mr. Cousteau’s eyes and expertise, and it will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The highlight of the weekend of activities is Saturday night’s “78 Years of Diving & Discovery Gala,” where Cousteau will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ritz-Carlton Brand and personally premiere and present a never-before shown original multimedia presentation with his acclaimed historic film footage. Additional activities include a Friday-evening welcome reception with Cousteau and the Celebration of Whales art exhibit, an eco-hike and breakfast with Cousteau on Saturday, and a Sunday whale-watching excursion with Cousteau and the Ocean Futures Society Team on the JMC Ocean Discovery Cruise.

All proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Ocean Futures Society, whose mission is to explore the global ocean, inspiring and educating people worldwide to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet. 

As for Cousteau himself, he’s quite humble about all he’s accomplished, with his eyes focused on all of the things he still wants to do. He keeps a map of all the places he’s been to dive and all of the places he wants to explore and explore again. “People always ask me, ‘What’s your best dive?’ And I always tell them it’s the next one.”

He reminds me again that he’s “only 85.” “And I want to live until I’m 107. So, to celebrate 100 years of scuba diving. And if I can stay longer, I will. Because I’m sure that I could do more. You know, I’m getting older, and I need more time, more time, MORE TIME! I wish I could say I’m going to live until I’m 200 years old or 150. Right now, I’m making it to 107.”

He continues, “I am always looking forward to connecting with things and people and to learning from them. … And if they’re interested, I want to share my experience with them — and that’s why we’ll never stop.”

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For more information about Ocean Futures Society, see oceanfutures.org. For more information about the Jean-Michel Cousteau, “A Voice for the Ocean,” Highlights of a Lifetime of Adventure & Discovery at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara events, see bit.ly/3Mjh9Tw.