A&E - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau - Collection Two (1991)

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A&E - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau - Collection Two (1991)

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Between the years of 1966-1976, millions of viewers were held spellbound as audiences around the world would regularly tune in to see what new aquatic wonders had been captured on film by Jacques Cousteau and the crew of his ship, Calypso, on their decade-long adventure around the world. It was a truly pioneering programme that brought the hidden wonders of the world's oceans into their living rooms for the first time. A pioneer of marine biology as well as the technology involved in underwater exploration, Jacques Cousteau's work is a colourful, revealing window onto a world that few of us will ever see first-hand. This comprehensive 36-episode series follows the crew as they study life in every corner of the globe: from sharks in the Red Sea to penguins in Antarctica, from coral reefs to hippos, octopus to sea otters. Taking time to study the intimate behavior of a wide spectrum of animals in their natural environment, each new variety of marine life they encounter is approached with the same passion, deep interest and respect. A tough mission it may be, but whether they are swimming with whales or diving for sunken treasure, life on board Calypso is never dull.
The creators of the first underwater nature documentaries ever filmed, Cousteau and his crew wrote the rules as they went along. If they saw a creature struggling or suffering in the wild, they would be just as likely to intervene and lend a hand as to document the harsh realities of the natural world. Profoundly respectful of nature but never sentimental, the crew of Calypso and their amazing adventures reveal almost as much about the depths of human compassion as they do the depths of our verdant oceans.

Part 1: Octopus
The team explores the lifestyle of the octopus, from the smallest species at just an inch long to the largest, which have a tentacle span of 20 feet. At the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, a lab study reveals the creatures' remarkable intelligence.

Part 2: A Sound of Dolphins
In the Straits ot Gibraltar and Mauritania, Africa, the crew studies the sophisticated sonar system used by dolphins. Moving on to the Canary Islands, the team films villagers who communicate over great distances using a language of whistles.

Part 3: 500 Million Years Beneath the Sea
Captain Cousteau and his team explore the depths of the ocean, observinq rarely-seen primitive forms of underwater life including deadly sea snakes and the mysterious chambered nautilus, the oldest surviving marine animal.

Part 4: The Smile of the Walrus
The Calypso divers follow the migration of the walrus, examining the animals' relationship with the Eskimos. They also observe a walrus hunt, and even become surrogate mothers to a four-day-old calf.

Part 5: Hippo
While investigating the Great Rift Valley's rivers and lakes, the crew examines the hippopotamus in its natural habitat. The team attempts to film the hippos underwater but must re-think when they swim into a nest of crocodiles.

Part 6: The Singing Whale
The Cousteau divers swim with humpback whales, observing how the mother whales protect their babies and recording their plaintive whalesong.

Part 7: South to Fire and Ice
The Calypso sails into the freezing waters and active volcanoes of Antarctica, tracing the history of exploration in the region and investigating the deep waters beneath the ice. But an expedition to climb glaciers in search of fossils ends in tragedy.

Part 8: The Flight of Penguins
Captain Cousteau takes a close look at the penguin, from mating rituals and nest-building to protecting the newborn chicks. Slow-motion footage of penguins underwater is analysed to show how they 'fly' through the water with their wings.

Part 9: Beneath the Frozen World
Exploring the Antarctic Circle and the south polar seas, the crew of the Calypso launches the first hot-air balloon flight over the Antarctic, dives through holes cut in the ice, and explores the frozen depths in a mini-sub.

Part 10: Blizzard at Hope Bay
The Calypso runs into danger as ice blocks damage and trap the ship in Antarctica's Hope Bay. Having helped to rescue a lost adventurer, Captain Cousteau desperately calls NASA for assistance in escaping the bay as the ship gets close to capsizing.

Part 11: Life at the End of the World
The team travels to Tierra del Fuego, once thought to be the end of the world, to film the courtship and mating of the enormous right whales. Moving on to Puerto Eden, Cousteau interviews the threatened race of Qawashqar lndians: once 4,000 strong, only 27 remain.

Part 12: Beavers of the North Country
ln Saskatchewan, Canada, the crew films the local beavers as they prepare for winter, and build a lodge and feedbed for the homeless beavers of Foster Lake. As spring arrives we see the beavers' remarkable ability to adapt their environment to their own needs.

Part 13: The Coral Divers of Corsica
The Calypso travels to the Mediterranean to study the forests of red coral off the coast of Corsica, harvested by divers who must descend to extremely dangerous depths. The team follows one ot the most successful coral divers in the area, and meets a coral tycoon in Naples.

Part 14: The Sleeping Sharks of Yucatan
The team explores the unspoiled waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and investigates the mystery of the local 'sleeping' sharks that exhibit unique behavior. As well as swimming among giant manta rays, the crew films the fabled Mayan ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Part 15: The Sea Birds of Isabela
Captain Cousteau and his crew fly to Isla Isabela, off the western coast of Mexico, to study how the many birds there share the resources of the waters. After an extensive study, Cousteau recommends to the Mexican authorities that the island be designated a national park.

Part 16: Mysteries of the Hidden Reefs
Using time-lapse photography, the aggressive territorial behavior of coral is studied in the seas of Jamaica, site of the most varied and luxuriant coral reef system in the Caribbean.

Part 17: The Fish that Swallowed Jonah
The Calypso divers journey through underwater caves off Isla Mujeres near Yucatan, while a second team flies to the coast of Mazatlan, searching for groupers. The teams film the extraordinary sight of thousands of groupers gathered together in one place, as well as their dramatic capacity for camouflage.

Part 18: The Incredible March of the Spiny Lobsters
In the waters off the Yucatan Peninsula, Cousteau and his team document the annual migration of spiny lobsters as they walk along the ocean floor in lines varying from 3 to nearly 200-strong, on their way to an unknown destination.

Part 19: Bonus Episode : Conshelf Adventure
Captain Cousteau introduces his first made-for-TV documentary, commissioned by ABC in 1966. The programme charts the groundbreaking Conshelf III project, an experimental underwater habitat based over 100m deep in the Mediterranean Sea. Six divers lived in the specially constructed base for three weeks, paving the way for the future development of saturation diving. The programme was so successfuI that a series was commissioned: the epic, decade-spanning odyssey of 'The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau'.

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A&E - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau - Collection Two (1991)

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A&E - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau - Collection Two (1991)

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A&E - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau - Collection Two (1991)

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