More on the Cousteau Fake Shark

by Erik Olsen on

I am so enthralled with this Fabien Cousteau fake shark idea that I
posted about earlier that I have to follow up with some more information about it. It is just too amazingly cool not
to.

So first of all I discovered this interview with Cousteau
over at Deeper Blue that is worth a read. But the best piece is the
one over at the Apple Pro site where the effort is discussed in much greater detail. The article talks about the
young (he’s 37) Cousteau’s upbringing (he is the son of famed explorer and environmentalist
Jean-Michel Cousteau and the grandson of the even more famous Jacques
Cousteau) and the use of the fake shark (affectionately known as “Troy”) to make an upcoming film called Mind of a
Demon (working title).

Cousteau says he was inspired to build the shark after reading a Tintin story called ‘Rackham le Rouge‘ when
he was seven years old. In the story, Tintin makes a sub in the shape of a shark to explore underwater. Interestingly
(and perhaps ominously) for the young Cousteau, his father also built a fake shark vehicle in 1989 and deployed it
underwater. That vehicle, we find out, was attacked by a large female Great White and demolished. One can only imagine
what would have happened if someone had been inside.

As a geek who uses Final Cut Pro for work, I was also very interested in the
technical discussion of how the film is being made
and cut using the Apple editing program. This is an all-around terrific article.

ScubaCore III

by Erik Olsen on

A while back we took a look at the first edition of ScubaCore’s DVD series
on diving and we liked what we saw. I got my hands on edition
three and, man, is this stuff good. I am experiencing one of the strongest “diving jones” I’ve ever had right now,
partly because it is raining here in New York, and partly because I am enjoying this DVD so much.

The DVD’s various and numerous segments are hosted by Anat Grant, the pretty and witty diver and ScubaCore co-owner.
The DVD is divided into portraits, reports and profiles, each with numerous sub-segments featuring video and (often
clever) commentary.

One segment on Kailua-Kona at the big island of Hawaii covers several excellent dives from the Kona Agressor II live
aboard, the only live aboard in the area. The segment not only shows off the fabulous diving there, but offers an
excellent introduction to live aboard life, and would be a great way to see what diving/living aboard the Kona Agressor
II is like. Another segment in the profile section on the Manta (aka: the Soul of the Ocean) features some of the
better manta footage I’ve seen.

The segment on night diving Provo (in the Turks and Caicos) had some cool shots of octopuses that made me regret I
didn?t night dive the T&C when I was there. This was followed by a dive from West Caicos, where the viz was superb,
the trumpetfish were plentiful and their camera caught some beautiful shots of the deep, deep blue.

In the Reports section called Divers, Sharks and People, Grant talks about sharks and the opportunities out there for
divers to dive with them, but it also takes an environmental angle, providing interviews with scientists and experts
who discuss shark behavior (apparently they are like students diving on a pile money?were money to be dropped in front
of them) and the dangers sharks face in the world today.

The Profiles section gives highlights from previous ScubaCore issues (again, more excellent videography), as well as
glimpses of future ScubaCore issues.

All in all, after viewing two full versions of these programs, I have to say these are terrific DVDs. The shooting and
the writing is professional and sometimes exhilarating. If you are an avid diver, or know someone who is, you can?t go
wrong adding these DVDs to your library or giving them as gifts.
There?s enough stuff here to keep you long entertained and/or to provide you with the inspiration you need to plan your
next diving trip. Three episodes into this project, I am now waiting for what comes next. Kudos to ScubaCore.
 

Fabien Cousteau Films Inside Fake Shark

by Erik Olsen on

Willy over at Divester
posted an
interesting bit about how Fabien Cousteau,
Jacques Cousteau’s grandson is studying shark behavior in Guadaloupe and Australia. Cousteau, who is also the son of
well known Sea Explorer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau, has been making a name for himself in underwater
exploration for some time now.

He is (and you
have
to see this) filming from within a twelve-foot, one-person submarine designed to look like a Great White shark. He
calls the sub “Troy”, and says that the local sharks consider it one of their own. It is a really ballsy, and amazingly
cool idea…but then again, that’s what people said about
Timothy Treadwell. Not that I’m directly comparing the
two, mind you, but you do have to wonder about someone’s sanity a little bit if their swimming with sharks and nothing
separates you from their sharp, gnashing teeth but a fake shark designed by a Hollywood engineer.

Travel Lady

by Erik Olsen on

Travel Lady, a quirky online mag dedicated to travel and (you guessed it) women, has got several decent features on
travel. Here’s one that follows celeb Angie
Ruiz and her humantarian efforts in Africa. While
this one on Islas Secas takes a gander and
this privately owned archipelago of 16 small islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui off Panama’s Pacific Coast. It also
features a recipe for Jenny’s Islas Secas Cold Cream of Carrot Soup. And finally, if you’ve ever wanted to see Niagara
Falls, or to ride a barrel over the edge,
this might whet your whistle (OK,
forget the barrel). The magazine could use a redesign, but articles aren’t bad.

Giant Squid Caught on Film

by Erik Olsen on

Wow, is the word that came to mind when I read this article in

today’s New York Times. If you are/were a fan of Jules Verne novels…or if you remember riding the submarine ride at
Disneyland…or if you just are plain interested in this kind of stuff, then you will be blown away by the images that
were captured recently by two Japanese scientists who were working approximately 600 miles south of Tokyo off the Bonin
Islands.

The scientists attached a camera to a line that dangled some 3,000 feet below the surface. They waited. And they
waited. And finally, the monster came along…a 26-foot long beast that grabbed the bait and struggled for over four
hours to rip the food away. The struggle was so severe that the squid left behind an 18-foot length of tentacle, which
was immediately cut up and made into sushi (just kidding about that last part).

But seriously, this is really cool.