Jacks are large, predatory fish that weigh upwards of 70 pounds (30 kilograms). Cousteau describes them as aggressive, territorial "control freaks." On several dives he has seen Galápagos sharks actively avoiding schools of jacks. "It's funny," he said, "because the jacks are in charge and sharks are subservient. It is very interesting to see this."
One jack in particular has followed the Searcher and been present for several of the crew's dives. Nicknamed "Black Jack," Cousteau said he will feature prominently in the film.
Other budding marine stars include spinner dolphins that migrate between atolls to keep their populations in balance, rare tropical fish such as masked angelfish (Genicanthus personatus), and a Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis) chick named "Lanai" whose flight feathers never fully developed. The crew is transporting Lanai to Sea Life Park in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she will serve as an ambassador of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Cousteau lamented the fact that his crew has encountered ample impacts from debris tossed or inadvertently lost in the sea by people the world over. Plastic toys, cigarette lighters, and derelict fishing gear smother the coral reefs and litter the island shores. Marine mammals entangle and drown on the fishing nets and sea birds constantly regurgitate indigestible bits of plastic.
"This is coming from the open ocean, coming from the rest of the planet, which means all of us. It is really an issue that needs to be addressed," said Cousteau.
The coral reefs, which are the northernmost and among the hardiest in the world, are also beginning to show signs of stress from global warming, said Cousteau. Scientists are investigating signs of coral bleaching—a loss of pigmented algae cells as a result of waters getting too warm. Coral bleaching has decimated reefs worldwide. Until a year ago, the phenomenon was thought to be absent from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Despite these impacts, Cousteau is optimistic that the tide of damage can be reversed and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands preserved for the benefit of both the wildlife that calls it home and humankind as a whole.
Sanctuary Protection
By law, once a Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is established it must be considered for designation as a National Marine Sanctuary, said Weiss. The process is rigorous, involving input from public and private interest groups and the development of management plans and environmental studies that must receive congressional approval.
Weiss said his agency has completed the public scoping process for the reserve management plan and is now shifting gears to develop the management plans and conduct the environmental studies required to designate the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a National Marine Sanctuary.
"[The Department of] Commerce and NOAA are committed to long-term protection of that area," he said. "That is the long-term goal… Our goal is to have a sanctuary out there, but we will let the process work."
Cousteau said he is ready to lend whatever support he can to see the process successfully completed. His Voyage to Kure aims to raise worldwide awareness of the remote seascape. For the crew privileged to work on the film, the expedition was extraordinary.
"It will remain something in the minds of those 22 people that they will never forget," he said.
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