Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air New York | Spring 2015 23 PHILANTROPHY "e biggest hardship of scuba diving is the time when you realize that you have to go back up to the surface," says Fabien Cousteau, grandson of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. A dedicated philanthropist and environmental activist, the aquanaut recently spent 31 days living in the world's only underwater marine laboratory, 63 feet under the sea in the Florida Keys. "For Mission 31 specifically, what was probably the most jarring part was going from a cacophony of life, this fireworks display of life in front of your face 24/7, to piercing the surface and finding silence and an empty sky," he reflects. "And the only thing waiting for us was a boat and a few human beings." Today he is relishing the silence at his home in the woods a couple of hours outside New York City, following a non-stop few weeks. "It's a fortress of solitude, I guess you could call it," he says of the house surrounded by fall leaves turning shades of pumpkin and gold. "It's literally one of the few unknown places left in Connecticut. It's good for the soul." is is his retreat from his hectic schedule, which has most recently included speaking at the TEDGlobal conference in Rio de Janeiro and at the Bloomberg Link Next Big ing summit in New York, where he has been discussing exploration, conservation and environmental initiatives. "It's been a whirlwind, but it's been a wonderful, wonderful experience," he says of the past three months since he stepped into the global spotlight with the groundbreaking Mission 31. When you delve into what drives 47-year-old Cousteau, the urge to immerse himself in the ocean and all its mystique was fueled from a young age. Some of his earliest memories are of being aboard his grandfather's ships, Calypso and Alcyone, and he learned to scuba dive on his fourth birthday. He certainly takes after his grandfather in his commitment to braving what he calls the final frontier on our planet. "ere are two things that drive me..." says Paris-born Cousteau. "A childlike curiosity that I inherited from my grandfather and my father [ Jean-Michel Cousteau], and secondly, the insatiable desire to do good for future generations." He continues: "We've explored less than five percent of our oceans. I have a very optimistic vision for discovering a lot of secrets that the oceans still hide." What was the biggest secret that found out during Mission 31? "Well that's the one I'm not telling you about," he smiles. "I can't tell you all of my secrets." e expedition honored the 50th anniversary of his grandfather's 30-day Conshelf II underwater living trials in the Red Sea in the early days of saturation diving. Cousteau and his team lived in Aquarius ("the size of a bus") for a full lunar cycle, with daily diving trips of up to nine hours and education initiatives such as Skype classroom sessions that reached 70,000 students worldwide. Despite such a packed timetable, he says, "ere were certainly moments when I was elated, when I would just thank my lucky stars that I was blessed enough to have my eyes opened by the previous generations of what an amazing world this is." He surpassed his grandfather's mission by not only staying down longer, but going 30 feet deeper and by using new communication technology which meant that every moment was broadcast on multiple channels globally. "It's the first time on a Cousteau expedition that we've been able to invite the world in live," he says. As well as conveying the magic of the ocean to the outside world, there was a deeper narrative to Mission 31. ree years' worth of scientific data was collected, with areas of study including climate change, ocean pollution and the decline of biodiversity — all pertinent to our everyday lives. For example, the team could provide very tangible visuals on what pollution does to a coral reef system, which affects the network of biodiversity and in turn our health through what we eat. "All these things were served through the lens of adventure and exploration, and pushing the boundaries of not only our knowledge but the boundaries of our physiological and psychological abilities," he explains. Photography By: Kip Evan

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