Tan DingXiangHe was only 9 when Pierre-Yves Cousteau came face-to-face with a shark more than twice his size. In 1963, Rodney Fox, then 23, nearly became the happy meal of a Great White shark and miraculously survived.
Both men are celebrated as heroes and activists and earn The UrbanWire’s double admiration for not being scarred and scared away by their unique encounters to give up their study of these magnificent if terrifying marine animals. It was a great coincidence that the 2 men also recently made a stop by our sunny island and UrbanWire got to meet them on separate occasions. Mr Cousteau was here for the first time to promote his upcoming documentary, ‘Secrets of the Mediterranean: Cousteau’s Lost World‘, while Mr Fox was supporting the first shark exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre.
Making its premiere in June on cable television channel Nat Geo Wild, new series ‘Secrets of the Mediterranean: Cousteau’s Lost World’ coincides with the 100th birth anniversary of Cousteau’s late father, Jacques Cousteau.
The man has not only pioneered but championed marine conservation, bringing the sea’s discoveries to millions the world over through over 120 documentaries, but has been credited for being co-developer of the aqua lung, the very underwater breathing equipment which allows for modern-day deep sea diving to happen.
But does the younger Cousteau, born when his late father was 72, feel overshadowed by the titan’s stellar lifetime accomplishments? “That not something that I feel concerned about,” said Cousteau in American-accented English. “I’m a huge fan of his work and I’m honoured to speak for him and continue his work.”
And it was apparent that love for marine life runs in the family, as the 29-year-old, who directed and filmed the documentary himself, is an avid diver who also runs his own diving community, aptly named Cousteau Divers, which shares information about marine ecosystems and dive sites among its members.
Still, Cousteau has had his fair share of hair-raising moments under the sea. On only his second diving trip, he encountered a Great White Shark. “It was a big shark – either that, or I was small,” recalls Cousteau with a laugh. “I was torn between running away from the shark or swimming towards it. I was afraid, but at the same time curious,” Cousteau said how he felt before swimming away from the shark.
Cousteau was lucky, compared to Rodney Fox. The 70-year-old South Australian was spear-hunting fish in 1963 when a Great White Shark suddenly lunged at him. Although the incident happened 48 years ago, it’s no surprise that it’s still fresh in Fox’s memory.
“This Great White shark came at me from behind. It felt like I was being hit by a train,” said Fox. He went on to describe the struggle that ensued with the colossal beast, “I tried stabbing at its eye with my spear, but ended up grazing my arm against its teeth,” he said cringing.
The next few minutes, Fox described, were “miraculous”. “After bashing its snout, it momentarily turned away, only to come back at my direction. I thought I was going to die.” Fortunately for Fox, this was not meant to be, as the shark lunged towards the fish on his reel. He was dragged underwater for a minute, before the reel broke and he found himself breaking free and shooting to the surface.
By then, the shark had done its damage to Fox. His spleen and major heart artery were exposed and a trail of huge bite marks was visible along his back. His wetsuit was the only thing keeping his body together.
After his miraculous escape from death’s clutches, many would assume Fox would never set foot in the water ever again. But Rodney proved them wrong, as within 3 months of recovery, he was back in action, going on to become a marine life advocate and advisor to the producers of the movie Jaws, which has spawned 4 movies and even a theme park ride.
Despite having vastly different experiences, both men share similar views when it comes to marine conservation. “Trawl fishing, in my opinion, is a greatly harmful practice to marine ecosystems,” Fox says. Cousteau concurs, “Besides trawl fishing, which is extremely destructive, dynamite fishing and chemical fishing are other terrible threats to marine wildlife.”
“We have to realise that the oceans provide us with a life support system, with over 50% of oxygen coming from the sea. We need to be thankful and respectful to the life in ocean,” Cousteau said gravely.
Secrets of the Mediterranean: Cousteau’s Lost World premieres on Jun 24, 8pm on Nat Geo Wild (Starhub Channel 413).
Planet Shark : Predator or Prey – The Exhibition runs from Apr 16 to Aug 21 at The Annexe, Singapore Science Centre.