So there I was, sitting in the Observation Lounge (the forward watering hole on the vessel 7 Seas Mariner), listening to Hal Fraser’s impeccable piano handling as he played and softly sang the old Aaron Neville hit ‘Louisiana’. We were en-route from Singapore to Bali, lunch was over, and I’d told Jean-Michel I’d meet him in the lounge. The weather was perfect and it was good to be alive and in possession of at least enough residual health to thoroughly enjoy myself. I was thinking about the next day’s diving in Bali: we’d been told it was an unusual dive and I was looking forward to it. My thoughts were interrupted by a heavy flumph! as Jean-Michel  dropped a thick printing proof on the round table in front of me. I picked it up and thumb-fanned through it, noting it was single-spaced, well-laid out, copied one side per page, and full of pictures. Well. Actually, that’s an understatement: it was not just “full of pictures” – it was chock-a-block full of terrific pictures! I glanced back at the title, ‘Americas Underwater Treasures’ and looked back up at Jean-Michel. “So, this is the Marine Sanctuary thing . . . finally?” He nodded, “Yes, it’s finally finished and even though I know that you are the senior editor of a delightful magazine, I hasten to assure you that it is fully and satisfactorily edited!” I grinned. “But,” he added, “I would like you to have a read of this final draft and give me your impressions.”

So it was that later, after a pleasant supper with Jean-Michel and the always-vivacious Nan Marr, my wife Mary and I made our way back to our cabin and hit the sack. At least my wife did. I made myself comfortable and began to read Jean-Michel Cousteau’s latest book – not just ‘hot from the printer’ but before it ever saw a binding press! As I said, it’s titled ‘Americas Underwater Treasures’. It’s written by Jean-Michel and Julie Robison, with photography by Carrie Vonderhaar, and published under the auspices of the Ocean Futures Society. It was well planned as a companion to a two-hour Public Broadcasting Station television special ‘Americas Underwater Treasures’, co-produced by KQFD –TV.

It’s the story of a series of expeditions to dive and explore America’s 14 Marine Sanctuaries and to capture something of their beauty and mystique on high-definition video so that an appreciative world-wide audience could see, first hand, how incredible these ocean oases are. I was expecting something similar to what Jean-Michel’s famous father Jacques Cousteau did with his Calypso voyages and TV spectaculars, or, even more likely, something like Sylvia Earle’s book ‘Wild Oceans’ (a superb book , which also describes America’s marine sanctuaries, but from quite a different perspective).

As I got ‘deeper’ into America’s Underwater Treasures, I found that it was more than just a photo album of 21^st Century, state-of-the-art electronic imaging and a map of sanctuary locations. It became clear that this was a story about an old eco-warrior and his colleagues leading a new generation into the oceans that they love so fiercely – and have fought so long and hard to protect.

Jean-Michel had issued an interesting challenge to his young team at the start of the expeditions: he asked them to find a way to explain to 8^th graders in Ohio, or retirees in Arizona, why everyone should care about the National Marine Sanctuaries and support them with their tax dollars.

As most of the team lived near or on the oceans and worked in the ocean, they tended to take their personal, spiritual commitment to the ocean for granted.  As each team member, in turn, attempted to express themselves, it quickly became evident that it was not an easy task to explain their feelings about the sea in words that would be relevant to an 8^th grader in Ohio!

The book and the PBS television special leave no doubt that these 14 Marine Sanctuaries and Marine Monuments are, indeed, treasures. This book also explains how the team members were affected and moved in ways that they could not have anticipated. As one young team member said, “By the time we’d reached the end of the expedition, our exploration of these fourteen underwater treasures were date-stamped with personal meanings and experiences.” Those experiences are recounted in their own words through excerpts from the team member’s personal logs. After each sanctuary visited is described in words and images, the team members give their stories, anecdotes, and impressions in a section titled ‘Crew Story’ or ‘Reflections’. For my money this is the best feature of the book. (Well, alright, the photography isn’t too shabby, either!)

On board the 7 Seas Mariner, I read far into the night.

Over breakfast the next morning, Jean-Michel told of his plans to do an initial special edition; it would be personally autographed and produced in a very limited number. I thought that it would be an excellent fund-raiser for his Ocean Futures Society. I said, “It’s a hell of a book. I’d like to do a review of it for ‘DIVER’ Magazine when Ocean Futures has it available for sale.” Nan said, “Don’t tell me you read the whole thing last night?” I looked sideways at my wife and she was nodding her head up and down and rolling her eyes. “How do you know?” I said to her. “Because I woke up at 3:00 AM and the light on your side of the bed was still on”. “So, maybe I fell asleep with the light on.” Mary smiled and said, “No . . . it was reasonably quiet (pause) so I knew you must be awake!” I couldn’t argue with that, so the talk turned to our upcoming dive in Bali. And how was the dive? Glad you asked: Check out ‘Bali’s Across-the-Street Shipwreck’ in the next issue of DIVER magazine.

Conclusion:

‘America’s Underwater Treasures’ is a great book – Dr. Sylvia Earle calls it “magnificent” – and I wouldn’t take issue with that description. The many images in the 300 pages are skillfully acquired and the scenes seem to define the term ‘Sanctuary’. The crews reactions and, most particularly, their reflections, create a consistent sense of “This is wonderful – and there is still a chance – how can we help?”

The autographed, limited edition hardback is a great idea. For the cost of a nice supper out for you and a companion, you can own something special that you can pass to your children or grandchildren – something that shows that you really cared. And, at the same time, you are doing something special.

For information on ordering ‘America’s Underwater Treasures’ from Ocean Futures Society, see: www.oceanfutures.com

And, if you’d like to take a different look at America’s Marine Sanctuaries, get a copy of ‘Wild Oceans’ – written by Dr. Sylvia Earle and Henry Wolcott, published by National Geographic Society in 1999 (hardcover ISBN-10 # 0792274711).

And/or check out the National Marine Sanctuary Agency’s website at:

www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov