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Creature Feature

With an estimated 200,000 species identified in the ocean and many more expected to be found, there is no limit to the creatures that may be featured here. Drawing from the stunning footage that represent the personal experiences of Ocean Futures Society divers, you can expect a few surprises in this regular feature.

Sea Lions and Seals
Two of the more common marine mammals on the west coast of North America are sea lions and seals. Commonly mistaken for one another, it is easy to distinguish between the two once you know what to look for ...
Mata Mata Turtle
There are many animals in this world that have evolved into strange forms and images, the aardvark and the platypus, for example. Perhaps less known but no less weird is the mata mata turtle. Jean-Michel discovered that although the turtle looks bizarre to him, perhaps the mata mata feels the same about Jean-Michel ...
Manta Rays
In the waters off the Hawaiian Islands, odd, black-and-white creatures glide through the dark nighttime sea. These big, strange animals are manta rays, largest of the ray species. As the Cousteaus descended into the darkness to observe the manta rays, plankton were drawn to their underwater lights like moths to a flame ...
Mating Gray Reef Sharks
At the northern end of the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia lies Rangiroa atoll, a popular destination for divers due to its beautiful reefs, abundant fish and healthy shark populations. Jean-Michel Cousteau traveled with his team to document one of natures great wildlife gatherings at this far-flung island ...
Giant Anaconda
The anaconda, the largest snake in the world, lives in the Amazon River Basin and other parts of South America. In this short film, Ocean Adventures team members Céline Cousteau and Richard Murphy get up close and personal with this legend ...
Goliath Groupers
Goliath groupers gather annually in spawning aggregations at offshore reefs and wreck sites throughout the Caribbean and parts of Florida. During filming for Americas Underwater Treasures, a two-hour PBS special documenting all the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries as part of the Ocean Adventures series, Jean-Michel, Fabien and Celine Cousteau witness ...
The Penguin Versus The White Shark
What happens when a great white shark, that eats penguins like popcorn, and a small African penguin have an encounter off Dyer Island in South Africa? Find out here and be prepared for the unexpected.
Sunflower Sea Star

When people think of sea stars, they don’t typically think of voracious predators scouring the seabed, leaving carnage and fear in their wake, but this may simply be a matter of perspective.

Beluga Whales: Canaries of the Sea

Beluga whales are sometimes called canaries of the sea because they seem to sing. Jean-Michel Cousteau believes that belugas should be protected in part so that the sea will continue to be filled with the beauty of their songs.

Galapagos Sharks

In many parts of the ocean, shark populations have been greatly reduced through over-fishing and by-catch, but there are still some remote protected areas where one can view what the planet’s oceans were once like with these majestic predators. In this short film, travel with Jean-Michel Cousteau to the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument to see Ocean Adventures team member and marine biologist Holly Lohuis snorkel with these beautiful animals.