Original subtitles

Hello.

Now throughout the years,

I've done so many different kinds of work,

but never this kind.

A narrator of a documentary film.

So why now?

Why this film?

Well, because it is an important film

with an important message

created by a man that I've admired for years...

Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Now, when I first saw the footage,

I have to admit, I was blown away.

So I knew I wanted to be involved in some way.

And that's precisely Jean-Michel's aim,

to get people involved.

Jean-Michel reminds us

that we all need to contribute

to the change that must come,

that the decisions our leaders make

and the choices we individuals make

will determine the future of the ocean

and our own survival on planet Earth.

As governor and now as a private citizen,

I, too, have been fighting for change

and for a clean environment

and to make people aware of this very important issue.

So, I am pleased to lend my voice

to this unique film experience.

Jean-Michel has created a declaration of love

to the living beauty of the ocean.

Because like his father Jacques Cousteau,

Jean-Michel believes that you only protect what you love,

and he's absolutely correct in that.

So let's get started and fall in love

with the "Wonders of the Sea."

Hmm?

Jean-Michel: He was Cousteau.

Jacques Cousteau.

A pioneer of the ocean.

Back in the 1940s,

when diving gear was clunky and confining,

Cousteau co-invented the aqualung,

allowing divers to dive longer,

deeper, and more freely...

free to discover and document.

He also made great strides

in the art of underwater filming.

Together, these innovations meant that Cousteau's team

could go where no one had gone before,

capture images previously unseen,

and share them with millions around the world.

We are all in debt to the pioneer work of Jacques Cousteau,

and in a sense, modern divers are all his children.

But I was his first.

I am Jean-Michel Cousteau.

I was only seven, skinny, like my dad,

when my mother Simone slid fins on my feet

and my father strapped a scuba tank on my back

and pushed me overboard.

And my life changed forever.

From there on, I, too, was a diver.

I, too, was a Cousteau.

(music playing)

And my children, Céline and Fabien,

without a doubt, they, too, are Cousteaus,

working to raise awareness to affect opinion

through their own expeditions and their own films.

But this time, it was important for me to invite them along,

to combine forces, you might say.

Céline: It's actually been years

since we did a project like this together.

Fabien: It's big and ambitious

and important.

Who could say no?

Jean-Michel: Ahead, a voyage of over 8,000 miles

to explore some major ocean habitats.

And we start here in Fiji.

I think we're gonna have an opportunity to show...

Marine biologist Holly Lohuis

and cinematographer Gavin McKinney

round out the team

and are practically family as well.

Holly: Jean-Michel is really excited about the new technology.

That's a big part of his motivation this time around.

Gavin: The aim is to capture not only large sea life,

but also the smallest creatures and tiniest movements

and behaviors that even divers have never experienced.

Arnold: Here, and all around the tropics,

is the pulsating heart of the ocean...

the coral reef.

If we compare the endless waters of an ocean

to the endless sands of a desert,

then the coral reef is its oasis.

When the reef is healthy and thriving,

it is a haven full of life.

(music playing)

But what are coral reefs?

They look like stone,

but they are alive.

They look like plants,

but in fact, they are all animals.

Tiny sea creatures called coral polyps

huddle together in colonies

and form a common limestone skeleton

for protection.

Skeletons build on skeletons,

and over centuries, grow into great rocky structures.

We know of about 800 different species of coral,

and different they are.

Some build rigid limestone castles around themselves,

and some are soft and sway gently

like grass in a breeze.

And yet others, like these sea fans,

remind us of the leaves of some exotic vegetation,

or this curled up basket star.

But they're all animals.

They are, in fact, gentle predators

that move and hunt in their own subtle way,

not only to survive,

but to secure the survival of the ocean.

Céline: The variety of form and color of the corals is stunning.

Their motion may seem like the passive swaying

of straw in the breeze, but what you see

is in fact the deliberate reaching,

grabbing, and devouring of a hungry hunter.

Jean-Michel: We are so easily impressed by the larger species,

the darling dolphins, the scary sharks,

the whales and walruses.

But this time, I also want to capture the tiny wonders,

not only for their beauty,

but for their significance.

Meet the Christmas tree worm.

Céline: They are tiny and timid and flamboyant.

The Christmas tree worm,

like so many other sea creatures,

have a name inspired by their particular appearance.

But the Christmas tree worm

is more worm than tree.

For its meals, in unfurls its feathery plumes

and filters plankton from the passing current.

Arnold: Plankton means "wanderer" of "drifter."

They're small, often microscopic organisms.

But for many of the stationary reef dwellers,

like the coral clam or these feather duster worms,

food that delivers itself is a necessity.

(music playing)

Jean-Michel: It's so large, it may be hard to spot

in its surroundings here on the sea floor.

Right before me is a giant clam.

Arnold: The clams we eat for dinner

may each weigh one or two ounces.

But a giant clam can weigh over 500 pounds

and live for a century.

It's impressive that an organism

that can't hunt or gather

and that can't move around at all

manages to attain such proportions.

Two items are on the menu,

the plankton it filters from the currents

and the food produced by algae that lives

within its fleshy interior.

Although it's both male and female,

it can't inseminate itself.

The giant clam discharges both sperm and eggs

into the ocean currents

and never meets its mate.

Céline: Survival at its most fundamental level

is dependent on two factors,

eating and not being eaten.

Nature has provided its creatures

with survival strategies

of endless variety and creativity,

often involving unlikely alliances.

Arnold: A sea anemone looks harmless,

even inviting, as it sits there on that reef.

But when small creatures venture too close,

they're quickly disabled by stinging tentacles

and then captured and consumed.

With the exception of this fish, the clown fish.

Clown fish wear mucus coating

that makes them immune to the venom.

In exchange for a safe haven,

the clown fish guards the anemone

and chases away fish that may try to eat its tentacles.

It's one of many mutual defense alliances

we will find on the reefs.

Céline: A similar symbiosis occurs

between another anemone species

and the colorful crustacean of the Atlantic

known as Peterson's shrimp.

This cleaner shrimp is not inherently immune

to the anemone's poison,

but rather works up a tolerance

by rubbing itself against the tentacles

for increasing amounts of time.

Arnold: This cleaner shrimp sways on the deadly tentacles

as if to taunt anyone passing by

by saying, "My domain, your doom."

Jean-Michel: As a child, I dreamt of building fantastic underwater cities,

and even studied architecture to realize that dream.

But what can compete with the beauty of the reefs?

Of nature's masterful design

of even the smallest details?

Behold the humble flatworm.

Céline: They are the small,

multicolored magic carpets of the reef...

and their equally colorful reef companions,

the nudibranchs.

Arnold: Nudibranch means "naked gill,"

which is the plume that we see on their backs.

There are over 2,000 species of nudibranchs,

none of which are particularly speedy.

(music playing)

Nudibranchs lay eggs

in a variety of fascinating shapes.

The white spiral is an egg case

which is attached to the rock.

The egg case provides nutrition and protection.

Fabien: We gather here to examine another

of the reef's curious inhabitants,

the banded coral shrimp.

Arnold: They dine on scraps that no one else wants,

plus the parasites, fungi, and damaged tissue

they pluck off the fish that come to them for grooming.

The survival strategy of the banded coral shrimp,

like all cleaner shrimp,

is to make themselves indispensable

by providing a unique service

they advertise with their super-sized antennae.

When they find a suitable spot,

they settle there for up to a year.

And when they find a suitable partner,

the two remain together for the rest of their lives.

Fabien: The health of the coral reef is dependent

on a delicate ecological balancing act.

Altering one parameter can have unforeseen consequences.

Take, for example, the crown-of-thorns starfish.

Arnold: With up to 21 thorny arms and a venomous spine,

it creeps along,

molding itself perfectly to the reef's contour.

The crown-of-thorns starfish then proceeds to suck out

the living flesh of the coral polyps,

leaving behind a white scar and a wounded reef.

Fabien: Normally, these starfish pose no danger.

But recently, their population has grown alarmingly,

threatening the health of many reefs.

One reason for this is the disappearance of animals

that normally feed on them.

So where are these predators?

Arnold: Maybe on your bookshelf.

The beautiful Triton's trumpet,

a popular boardwalk souvenir,

is one of the few reef dwellers

that feeds on crown-of-thorns starfish.

But as long as it is collecting dust for you,

it's not contributing to nature's delicate balancing act.

Jean-Michel: We await a new arrival.

He's a marine ecologist,

a colleague of mine from countless expeditions

through the years, and above all a good friend...

Dr. Richard Murphy.

He joins us here in Fiji to prepare us for a night dive

and a confrontation at the bottom...

the bottom of the food chain.

First time Jean-Michel and I did that was...

Richard: Well, at the very bottom are the phytoplankton,

tiny and humble.

And yet, in terms of biological

and environmental significance, they are giants.

There are thousands of varieties of phytoplankton,

which nearly all marine life is dependent upon,

But so are we.

Globally, phytoplankton produce

more than twice as much oxygen

and devour twice as much CO2

as the Amazon rainforest.

In all, over half the planet's oxygen

comes from these tiny organisms.

Jean-Michel: That means that every other breath of air you take

is a gift from the ocean.

Richard: The next step up in the food chain

is zooplankton,

bizarre and mysterious creatures

that we hope to encounter tonight.

Céline: Night dives are very special.

It's not exactly fear,

but there's an extra attentiveness,

an extra thrill.

The ocean floor is 6,000 feet below us.

So on this moonless night,

there is absolute darkness in every direction.

You only see what you point your light at.

You can sink deeper than intended without noticing,

and an attack would come with no warning.

Why would we do this?

To witness, of course, something like this.

(music playing)

Arnold: It is the largest migration

of any animal group on Earth,

and it happens each and every night.

The zooplankton float up from the very depths of the ocean,

submit themselves to the will of the currents

and the appetites of the sea creatures

above them on the food chain.

Richard: Like the phytoplankton they feed on,

many zooplankton species are microscopic.

Others aren't, like these comb jellies,

whose hair-like cilia refract our dive lights.

In fact, they are probably

the most delicate animals in the world.

Céline: Sparkling constellations.

Nebulae.

Sputnik.

I wonder, is this the final frontier?

More humans have walked on the moon

than the bottom of the deep sea.

We know more about the surface of Mars

than the submerged surface of our own planet.

And life-forms?

Millions of species

waiting to be discovered

from the depths of this inner space.

Gavin: In this state,

it's easy to lose track of time.

The zooplankton is not only mesmerizing,

but challenging to film as well.

So we spent more time down there

than was anticipated, which meant that we needed

an even longer safety stop on the way up.

Arnold: A safety stop is a planned pause during an ascent

to avoid decompression sickness or death.

Jean-Michel: And luckily, there was a lot to see

at 50 feet while we waited.

Remoras are classic freeloaders.

With a front dorsal fin that acts like a suction cup,

remoras can attach themselves to larger marine animals

for a free ride, free lunch,

and the security a big host can provide.

Fabien: The turtle seems displeased,

but he might just be a squeamish patient

as the remora removes a parasite

or dead tissue from his eye.

Treatment for one and a treat for the other.

Jean-Michel: Even during the turtle's dance

of courtship and seduction,

the remoras hang on.

(music playing)

Céline: In daylight,

there's almost too many impressions.

In darkness, you can focus.

Colors are richer

and the familiar looks new.

Here, nestled in the branches of soft coral,

we find a true creature of the night

that can be found here in Fiji,

the Atlantic, and many other waters...

the basket star.

Arnold: They have no heart,

no blood, and no brain.

But they have a mouth,

and the good sense to fill it

with the passing plankton.

(music playing)

And if they must,

the basket star uses its many arms

to crawl to a better spot along the stream of nutrition.

Jean-Michel: Just nearby, an enigmatic encounter occurs

between two arrow crabs.

It made us wonder,

is this about love or war?

Céline: A duel or a dance?

Showdown or showing off?

Whether it was courtship or combat,

the outcome seems to be friendly.

So, how about dinner?

Jean-Michel: And when the reef is healthy,

there is abundance for all.

Céline: We leave the coral reefs

and tropical waters of Fiji.

We cross the equator,

the International Date Line,

and nearly the entire Pacific Ocean,

towards the cooler waters off of California,

and the next ocean habitat

my father has chosen to explore.

Jean-Michel: And the dolphins escort us,

as they did the "Calypso" of my youth.

They are like the ocean's goodwill ambassadors...

playful, friendly,

and with smiles that seem to say,

"Come with us, but come in peace."

"Okay, we can watch you play a bit,

but then we must be off again.

I have an important date to keep."

"What kind of date do you have?"

"Ah, you shall see."

Our next destination will show

just how diverse the habitats are.

The coral reefs are colonies of small,

slow-growing sea animals.

The kelp forest is in fact

a fast-growing underwater forest

of giant sea algae.

Arnold: Off the coast of California,

the conditions are just right.

Cold, relatively shallow waters,

and plenty of nutrients and sunlight.

The coral reefs we saw in Fiji

can grow two, maybe four inches a year.

The kelp that we see here

can grow over 18 inches in a single day.

The largest can be up to 175 feet long.

Now that's about the length of a giant sequoia tree.

Fabien: Kelp provides food and shelter

to a huge variety of species,

from sea urchins and snails to seals and sea lions,

and even the occasional gray whale.

The gas-filled bladders keep the kelp's leaf-like fronds

afloat near the surface.

Through photosynthesis, kelp transfers energy

and nutrients to the sea.

Jean-Michel: A bit farther out to sea

from the kelp forest of Santa Catalina Island

is the sight of an incredible squid mating frenzy.

I first witnessed it with my father

right here over 50 years ago.

It happens only once a year during winter,

and I feared we were either too early or too late.

But was incredible luck,

we were right on time

for this reproductive ritual.

(music playing)

Arnold: These squid live for less than a year,

so this is their only shot at procreation.

The mating frenzy is hugely successful.

The sea floor is carpeted with millions of egg cases.

Each capsule contains hundreds of eggs.

Many species, including us,

are dependent on squid for food.

Fishing practices are improving in some places,

but the ultimate goal

is sustainable squid harvesting globally.

Jean-Michel: The ultimate goal is sustainability, period.

When I look out on this vast ocean

and pristine coastline,

it reminds me of other seas,

other shores,

and other times of innocence,

and, quite frankly, ignorance.

When my dad first pushed me overboard,

we all believed that we could push anything overboard,

that the oceans were bottomless receptacles

for whatever waste we didn't want on land.

But our expeditions uncovered a completely different truth.

Seas and waterways everywhere were imperiled.

We have come to realize that our blue planet

is in fact a rocky sphere with a thin,

thin surface layer of saltwater,

and an even more finite supply of freshwater,

and those precious drops stand between us and extinction.

We follow the Pacific coastline down and around

to the fabled Sea of Cortez in Mexico.

With unrivaled biodiversity,

it was a place my father once described

as the world's aquarium.

Fabien: There are 6,000 cataloged species from the Sea of Cortez,

and possibly thousands more waiting to be found.

But also here, appearances deceive.

Industrial fishing has depleted these waters

of tuna, red snapper,

and shark that were so plentiful not long ago.

Céline: The contrasts are striking.

From our wet, wet world, we climb out

onto the semi-arid steps of San Jose Island.

From a dive in the abundant vegetation of the kelp forest

to a hike through these somber cactuses,

the presence or absence of water

determines nearly everything.

Jean-Michel: These giant cactuses approach heights of up to 60 feet

and survive in this unforgiving climate

for as long as 300 years.

So, these cactus might have been around

when George Washington was born.

Fabien: They're greedy and efficient,

grabbing every drop of rain

and storing them for even drier days.

Jean-Michel: All life is connected with water across the planet.

There is only one water system.

The rains that fall on the highest mountaintops

carve the landscape of Earth

and make their way back to the sea.

Céline: Suddenly, it's all smaller and simpler...

a rubber dingy and snorkel gear

and the three of us together.

My thoughts wander to the web of narrow rivers deep in the Amazon

where I've been on expeditions lately.

In every way, far from a Cousteau's open ocean,

my father's, my brother's,

and my own independent projects

are so different,

and yet somehow connected,

maybe a bit like the separate arms of these inlets,

always coming from and leading back to the ocean.

Jean-Michel: Tucked in these marshes

on the southern tip of San Jose Island

is a hidden world teeming with life.

Here we find our next habitat, the mangrove.

Arnold: Lining the edge of the water here are mangrove trees.

Now, the mangroves survive in sea water

because their roots have evolved to filter out salt.

These roots tangled and exposed above and below the waterline

offer an intricate, nutrient rich haven and nursery.

Some creatures will never leave this habitat,

but for many other species, life begins here

and continues out on the reef or open ocean.

(music playing)

These delicate creations are single-celled organisms

known as the mermaid's wineglass.

The study of these plants

advanced our understanding of DNA

nearly a century ago.

Sea cucumbers are the recyclers of the sea,

combing the seabed in search of the debris.

Their mouths are surrounded with tentacles

which probe and gather whatever organic leftovers they might find.

The sea cucumber can be as short as a tenth of an inch

or as long as nine feet.

(music playing)

Fabien: We can watch, but not touch.

Maybe make eye contact carefully,

because the stone scorpion fish

is one of the most venomous fish on Earth.

Jean-Michel: How easy it would be

to step on a scorpion fish,

mistaking it for a bit of rocky terrain.

It will sting and discharge its venom

that is potentially fatal.

Fabien: This is a conch, a large sea snail

native to the tropical northwestern Atlantic.

Strong currents have rolled him over.

This is a hermit crab.

There are over a thousand varieties worldwide.

What they have in common is their inability

to build their own shells.

So, they occupy empty ones.

But as they grow,

they must constantly hunt for larger vacant ones.

The hermit crab eyes the upended conch.

Only a very few species of hermit crab

are willing to kill for a bigger shell.

Could that be what we're about to witness?

The hermit crab needs to act fast

if it wants to change addresses.

The conch needs to protect itself

by tipping its shelter back into place.

The crab is making a move.

The turnover is successful.

The conch is safe,

and for the hermit crab, moving day must wait.

Jean-Michel: With infinite variety of form and function,

they are like the pieces of an intricate puzzle.

When all the species are present,

the ecosystem is complete.

And when all the ecosystems are thriving,

then the ocean is complete.

Complete and healthy.

Fabien: But many pieces of those puzzles are missing today.

Jean-Michel: It's true.

Big pieces are missing,

but my belief is that they are not lost forever.

The ocean is forgiving.

Céline: Papa is growing impatient.

He knows it's time to move on.

Fabien: He keeps saying he has an important rendezvous.

Jean-Michel: The sun sets in the west,

and on our Pacific adventure.

We must move onward and eastward.

I have an important rendezvous.

Fabien: Like that.

Jean-Michel: I'm anxious and excited.

It happens only once a year,

so I cannot miss it.

Fabien: What could it be?

Jean-Michel: Come on, Fabien.

Next stop, Nassau.

It will be February. Think big.

You only pretend not to know, right?

Fabien: Sure, of course.

Céline: Yeah, right.

Jean-Michel: It does feel like coming home

when we've now reached our final destination,

the Bahamas.

We've all dived here on countless occasions.

Gavin is a native

and knows every square inch of these waters.

Gavin: It's true. We spent our days in the water.

The ocean was my childhood's playground.

Jean-Michel: And Fabien filmed his first TV documentaries

on sharks right here.

Céline: My brother is a very skilled diver

and completely fearless,

and he loves sharks.

Fabien: Yeah, sharks have fascinated me

since I was a kid.

And ever since I saw "Jaws,"

I wanted to set the record straight

about this incredible animal.

Céline: Well, then please do.

Fabien: It's true that sharks occasionally attack humans.

But these are rare exceptions.

Basically, we are not on their menu.

Céline: Fabien, give us the numbers.

Fabien: Okay. Shark attacks resulting in human fatalities... 12.

On average 12 humans killed by sharks per year.

Céline: And shark fatalities?

Fabien: Through overfishing and by-catch...

Arnold: By-catch is the collateral damage of fishing.

- It's senseless death. - Fabien: Right.

And most horrifically, for use in shark fin soup...

100 million sharks per year.

Céline: That number is almost too big to fathom.

Fabien: So, think of about a third of the US population

slaughtered every year.

Céline: Yeah, think about that.

Jean-Michel: There live thousands of miles of ocean

and millions of years of evolution

between the plankton at our journey's start

and these sharks near our journey's end...

the bottom and top of the food chain.

Arnold: Sharks are amongst the world's most ancient predators.

Through the ages, they've honed their hunting skills

and overcome every environmental challenge except one...

industrialized humans.

(music playing)

Fabien: Another threatened inhabitant of the reef

and amongst its most important predators, are groupers.

This one here is a permanent resident of this sunken ship.

Céline: Through their selection of prey,

top predators like sharks and groupers play a critical role

in balancing the complex web of life.

Jean-Michel: It's not long now,

maybe only a day or two

till my special meeting.

These waters around Nassau are teeming with reef life,

so there's plenty to watch while we wait.

We are not alone.

Who's this lurking on the sandy bottom,

also watching, also waiting?

Céline: It's difficult to view a stingray

swimming over the sea floor and not think of flight,

of huge wings,

a majestic bird gliding,

cruising in slow motion over a lush terrain.

Jean-Michel: I never did build the submerged structures

I dreamt of as a child.

But I always marveled at how the ocean colonizes wreckage,

rebuilds, and renovates with life.

Moray eels may look like snakes,

but they simply a very long, thin fish.

They are found in warm ocean reefs worldwide

with a variety of size, colors, and patterns.

They can reach a length of up to 14 feet.

The gaping mouth is not a threat.

It's just breathing.

This cleaner shrimp grooms the Moray

in exchange for scraps it removes.

The eel seems generally grateful,

like I generally appreciate my dentist.

Arnold: Life expectancy on the reef diminishes dramatically

for creatures that just hang out in the open,

so finding a suitable shelter is vital.

And some species, like this spiny lobster

or the slipper lobster,

need to find a new hiding place every single day.

Some days, they may compete for the same nook or cranny.

(music playing)

The spiny lobster finds a suitable spot first

and backs in.

The slipper lobster stops,

maybe hoping that the spiny lobster will sublet.

His entrance blocked...

"No vacancy, man."

(chuckles)

And the slipper drudges on.

Jean-Michel: Come, I want to show you some of the biggest,

scariest, most ruthless predators in these waters.

- Fabien: Papa. - Jean Michel: By burrowing into the reef,

these sea monsters make perfect hiding places.

- Fabien: Papa, we're grown-ups. - Céline: Oh, just let him.

Fabien: We're not buying that silliness.

Jean Michel: Beware, my friends, these terrors of the deep,

gobies and blennies.

(music playing)

Fabien: Maybe not big and scary, but big in number,

these tiny creatures can make up a third

of the population on a reef.

So, they are an important staple for the larger fish

like cod, haddock, and flounder.

They usually burrow into rock

or coral themselves or in pairs,

but sometimes get help from a willing shrimp.

(music playing)

Jean-Michel: Speaking of insatiable terrors of the deep...

Céline: Okay, papa, enough.

Fabien: No, this time it's true.

Jean-Michel and Fabien: The lionfish.

Arnold: Their extravagant beauty is meant to confuse predators

and prey alike.

The lionfish is an unstoppable hunter with a big appetite,

consuming up to 40 small fish in an hour.

Céline: Inside their fins are venomous spines

which discourage would-be predators.

For humans, the poison can cause convulsions,

heart failure, and even death.

(music playing)

Lionfish sneak up slowly

and then attack with lightning speed.

Jean-Michel: The lionfish is a native of the Pacific Ocean

and was accidentally released in the Atlantic.

Arnold: Because it has no predators in these waters,

the lionfish population has exploded here,

seriously reducing the juvenile reef fish population.

Céline: So even small, unintentional actions

can have great consequences,

disturbing the sensitive balance of nature.

Jean-Michel: My all-time favorite animal always makes me think.

Like us, they are highly advanced.

But because our evolutionary paths

diverged 600 million years ago,

we developed in radically different ways.

In fact, we may never come closer to alien intelligence

than this... the octopus.

Arnold: A formidable hunter,

an octopus ambushes its prey by covering large areas

with its parachute-like body.

Below, tentacles will grab

and a venomous bite will kill.

Fabien: They shift colors and patterns

to match their surroundings with astonishing speed

because their skin can think.

Octopuses recognize faces, can tell people apart,

and even in identical dive suits,

they can grow fond of certain humans

and hold grudges against others.

And in an environment where shelter equals survival,

they are the ultimate contortionists.

It seems that no space is too tight or uncomfortable.

Jean-Michel: My father called the octopus

the soft intelligence of the sea.

Fabien: I think it's time to explain

about this rendezvous you've hinted at

for the last

Jean-Michel: Okay.

The migration of the great hammerhead shark

is largely a mystery route,

except for this place and this date.

Every year, they pass through these waters

for a few days in February.

(music playing)

You see, the hammerhead population here in the Atlantic

has been cut in half only since the 1990s.

In Africa and in Asia, it's even worse.

So, I'm a bit nervous about these encounters.

When will be the last time?

We need to feel confident of her future,

which is so fundamentally connected

with the well-being of the ocean,

that this rendezvous can repeat itself

for years and years to come.

We almost want to hear her say...

Céline: Arnold, please?

Just this once.

Arnold: Okay.

"I'll be back."

Jean-Michel: I hope so, my friend.

Arnold: Yeah.

Céline: My father and my grandfather

were not born environmentalists.

Fabien and I were not born environmentalists.

But if you spend time underwater like we have,

you fall in love.

You start to care deeply,

and you feel the need to protect and defend.

Jean-Michel: When we fail to do so,

the reality is far scarier than a school of sharks.

This is a dead reef.

All life is gone.

It is no longer the home

of countless life-forms

as in the reefs we saw earlier.

According to the United Nations

about 20% of the world's coral reefs are now dead.

Many more are damaged or endangered.

Arnold: This desolation is overwhelming.

It should be required viewing

for decision-makers everywhere.

Jean-Michel: Coral reefs are not important to save

because they are pretty.

They are important to save

because they are crucial to the health of our planet.

Arnold: And we know why this is happening.

Ocean warming is one major cause.

Another is ocean acidification,

which is caused by greenhouse gases.

Jean-Michel: All the habitats we visited;

coral reefs,

kelp forests,

sandy bottoms,

mangroves,

where the greatest abundance of marine diversity thrives,

all have one thing in common... they are near land.

They are near their most fortunate beneficiary

and biggest threat... us.

Arnold: We spill oil.

We dump chemicals,

raw sewage, and plastics,

and unimaginable waste into her.

Meanwhile, land and air pollution

are equally damaging for the oceans

and ultimately, mankind.

Jean-Michel: This is the ocean we dream of,

and it can be a reality

even where there is desolation today.

Because life returns when the conditions are right.

The ocean forgives.

Arnold: Today, environmental organizations,

activists, and ordinary citizens around the globe

are championing an array of environmental causes,

among them, the establishment of marine-protected areas.

Jean-Michel: Marine-protected areas

are like the national parks of the ocean.

Governments around the world are beginning to listen

and to act... slowly.

Arnold: So far, only about 4% of the oceans

are marine-protected areas,

but it is an important step in the right direction...

one of many.

Jean-Michel: Ultimately, this is about our will to survive

through our ability to adapt.

The ocean survives without us.

We don't survive without the ocean.

Or, as my good friend Sylvia Earle once said,

"No water, no life.

No blue, no green."

Arnold: You know something?

I couldn't have said it better myself.

(music playing)

Jean-Michel: For me, this voyage has been about connections...

connections between habitats,

between the ends of the food chain,

the ends of the Earth,

between us and the ocean,

and between generations.

That's why we are all here.

Fabien: I kind of picked up on that.

Jean-Michel: I don't believe in dynasties

anymore than my father did.

But we have a family passion

that is hard to escape.

Céline: Impossible, I'd say.

Fabien: Well, your father entrusted you with a certain legacy.

Jean-Michel: He did.

And somewhere down the road,

I might do the same.

Céline: Take your time, Papa.

Out there are still so many wonders...

Jean-Michel: ...we may share.

(music playing)

♪ If we stand here ♪

♪ Side by side ♪

♪ We can bring her back ♪

♪ To life ♪

♪ And the heart of the ocean ♪

♪ Beats in me ♪

♪ Let the heart of the ocean ♪

♪ Set you free ♪

(vocalizing)

♪ It is not too late, not to late to change ♪

♪ Not too late to make a change ♪

♪ It is not too late, not too late to change ♪

♪ Not to late to make a change ♪

♪ It is not too late, not too late to change ♪

♪ Not too late to make a change ♪

♪ It is not too late ♪

♪ If we stand here ♪

♪ Side by side ♪

♪ We can bring her ♪

♪ Back to life ♪

♪ And the heart of the ocean ♪

♪ Beats in me ♪

♪ Let the heart of the ocean ♪

♪ Set you free ♪

(vocalizing)