The Undersea World of Alexandra Cousteau

The name “Cousteau” is traditionally associated with the men of the family: Jacques, the patriarch and worldwide symbol of marine exploration, who died in 1997, and sons Philippe, who died in 1979, and Jean-Michel, head of Ocean Futures and owner of a Fiji Islands adventure resort. Now Jacques’ 25-year-old granddaughter, Alexandra, is poised to claim a piece of the Cousteau legend.

She’s not the first female Cousteau to devote her life to the ocean. “Most people don’t even know that my grandmother Simone was on the Calypso and was also a diver when all those TV shows [‘The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau’] were being shot,” Alexandra says. “She went on all my grandfather’s expeditions. The crew called her ‘La Bergere’ [‘the Shepherdess’] because she took care of them.” Alexandra made many trips on the converted minesweeper as well, tagging along with her grandfather after her father Philippe’s death in a seaplane crash.

But the days of following are over; now Alexandra Cousteau wants to lead. Last spring she, joined by her mother, Jan, and brother, Philippe Pierre, created the Philippe Cousteau Foundation with the hopes of continuing Philippe’s research programs. In addition to being president and CEO of the foundation, which has raised money from private individuals and sponsorship programs, Alexandra was also appointed to the board of directors at Florida’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, a research and ocean exploration nonprofit that helped pioneer submersibles and works with government agencies such as the Smithsonian. (The Philippe Cousteau Foundation leases office space from HBOI, which, in turn, gets access to the Cousteau name.) HBOI’s eight divisions include aquaculture, biomedical marine research, dolphin research, and water and waste-water analysis.

HBOI spokesman Geoff Oldfather is not shy about Alexandra’s value: “To have the Cousteau name affiliated with HBOI is to our benefit,” he says. “We needed a higher profile in the industry. Alexandra wants to revive the old spirit of Cousteau.”

Oldfather isn’t the only member of Alexandra’s cheering section. The Wolper Organization (patriarch David Wolper produced the original “Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” series that began airing in 1967) is in the development stage of a new TV documentary series that will put Alexandra and a team of oceanographers on marine and land expeditions all over the world. Wolper’s son, Mark, will co-produce the show with Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros.

“Jacques Cousteau discovered the undersea world. Alexandra and her ‘Team Cousteau’ are going to change it,” says Mark Wolper, adding that the as-yet-unnamed show will be a good way to reach a young audience.

It won’t be necessary for Alexandra to outfit another “Calypso” because she will be joining other expeditions that have already been outfitted. (The original Calypso is owned by Jacques’ second wife).

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ALEXANDRA COUSTEAU WAS BORN IN SANTA MONICA AND lived briefly in Marina del Rey and Pacific Palisades. Her early life was one of constant motion: Monaco, Rwanda, Cairo, Paris. Her adventurer parents thought such a nomadic life would be a great experience for her.

She graduated with honors from Georgetown University in 1998 with a major in international relations, specializing in sustainable development, human rights and environmental affairs. At first she seems shy, but she quickly becomes animated and ardent when speaking of ocean resources.

“My grandfather used to say you can’t look at the ocean without looking at politics, people and culture.” In some cultures, Alexandra points out, a dolphin is a protected creature prized for its intelligence; in others, it’s a menu item. The purpose of the foundation, she says, is to get people to reevaluate their relationship with nature. “By using expeditionary filmmaking as a vehicle to inspire and disseminate information through films, books, lectures, educational programs from children, and the Internet, we will be able to better inform people about our ocean environment and alert them to the consequences of carelessness.”

It should be noted that she will be informing the planet without the aid of some of her closest relatives.

In recent years, the saga of the Cousteau family has seemed like an undersea verison of “Dynasty.” Alexandra is reluctant to discuss other family members, but admits that she and uncle Jean-Michel weren’t talking for a period of time. In addition, she has no connection to the Couteau Society, the undersea exploration organization founded by her grandfather.

“The family troubles are all well-documented. I don’t need to speak of them,” says Alexandra. And, indeed, they are.

When Jacques’ first wife died, he married his longtime, much younger mistress, Francine. When Jacques died, it was Francine who held the rights to his films, books and inventions. It was Francine who became head of the Cousteau Society. When asked about the Calypso, Jacques’ legendary exploration boat, Alexandra says she doesn’t have access to the craft.

“The Calypso is rusting in a French port,” she says. End of subject.

What’s it like being a Cousteau in the year 2001?

“My life is pretty exciting right now,” she says. In addition to her work at the foundation, she is a spokesperson for Aqua Lung. “I live part time in L.A., Florida, Paris and Washington, D.C. [Her boyfriend works at the French Embassy.] I get to travel and dive all over the world. It’s always been fun to be a Cousteau. But now I have a sense of purpose.”

And a very famous name. That, along with her age, education and telegenic looks, may propel the Cousteau legacy onto the world stage again.