Frequently Asked Questions

Since age seven, when his father, Captain Jacques Yves Cousteau, threw him over board, Jean-Michel has been exploring and diving the most remote places in the world, from the Amazon River in South America to the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, from Antarctica to the Arctic. Jean-Michel has even been around Cape Horn in South America by boat, zodiac, underwater scooter, SCUBA and swimming! When asked to pick his favorite dive site, he finds it difficult to choose only one.

Some of Jean-Michel’s favorite dive sites, in no particular order, are Fiji, Papua New Guinea, British Virgin Islands, Channel Islands National Park (California, USA), Ile Sainte-Marie (Madagascar), Anysberg (South Africa), Nosy Be (Madagascar), Seychelles, Bora Bora (French Polynesia), Dry Tortugas (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA), Chuuk Lagoon, Lake Titicaca (Peru), Maui (Hawaii), Tasmania (Australia) and Lake Superior (Michigan, USA).

Take a look at the AOTE section. Under each AOTE location you will find information under "Sign-Up".

From 1999 to 2003, Jean-Michel Cousteau and colleagues at the Free Willy Keiko Foundation were part of a pioneering effort to rehabilitate Keiko and give him the opportunity to return to the wild after more than 20 years in captivity. Thanks to this effort and support from millions of contributors as well as dedicated philanthropists, scientists and animal husbandry experts, we were able to advance our knowledge about killer whales through Keiko and to give him humane care for the rest of his life. Keiko was returned to his native waters in Iceland and lived free although with continuing husbandry and medical support until his death in December of 2003.

Keiko’s story is available in shortened form in Hour One of Call of the Killer Whale, available under on the Sea Ghosts and Call of the Killer Whale DVD at our online store.

Honoring his heritage of ocean exploration and protection, Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society in 1999 to carry on this pioneering work.

Ocean Futures Society is a non-profit marine conservation and education organization, and serves as a “Voice for the Ocean” by communicating in all media the critical bond between people and the sea and the importance of wise environmental policy. As Ocean Futures’ spokesman, Jean-Michel serves as an impassioned diplomat for the environment, reaching out to the public through a variety of media.

Stay informed on issues by becoming an Ocean Futures Society member for free at this link:

Become a Member

As a non-profit organization, we depend on your contributions, which are tax deductible, but membership is free. Please lend your voice to ours by becoming a member and enrolling at the website below for a free membership. Your membership gives us a greater voice to speak on behalf of the ocean.

Offering a free membership allows us to partner with other organizations that have common goals without competing for members or membership fees. In addition, it allows children, without financial resources, to have access to our information. Once you are a member, you will receive monthly newsletters, e-Alerts informing you about local and international issues and calls to action where you can show your support by emailing government officials.

You can also show your support by donating to OFS. $10, $15, $100--whatever you can afford is a welcome and generous gift. Your generosity helps to make our work possible.

Follow these links for free membership and/or to make a donation:

Become a Member

Donate Now

The Ocean Futures Society logo depicts two divers working as a team and is referred to as the “manfish.” The design represents the fact that we all depend on the ocean to sustain life and together we must all support the health of the ocean.

The OFS manfish logo is designed by Jean-Charles Roux, a longtime friend and colleague of Jean-Michel and his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Roux was instrumental in the design and look of the Cousteau Society on-camera dive team in "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" television series, which featured the "bumble bee" yellow/black dive ensemble, and later the distinctive look of the silver suits, helmets, and underwater scooters. He also designed the unique blue dive suits for Jean-Michel's OFS Expedition Team.

Please contact the Ocean Futures Society office at:
contact@oceanfutures.org

The Cousteau Society was founded in 1973 by Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel and his brother Philippe, and Fred Hyman. Following the death of Philippe in 1979, Jean-Michel and his father continued the work of The Cousteau Society and the films together until 1995, when Jean-Michel resigned to concentrate on many of the projects that became part of Ocean Futures Society in 1999. Since Jacques Cousteau’s death in 1997, there has been no official relationship between Jean-Michel and The Cousteau Society.