What We’re Watching

Ocean Guardian
Just about anyone with a connection to the sea knows something about Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the Frenchman who spent a lifetime exploring the world’s oceans while documenting his adventures, discoveries and research on film. Some may remember his television series, “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” which aired from the late 1960s through the 1990s. A new National Geographic documentary film, “Becoming Cousteau,” chronicles the life of the explorer and his constant desire to decipher the ocean’s mysteries. The film was directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus and dives deep into Cousteau’s personal life, his iconic films and inventions, and the voice he used to inspire generations to protect the Earth and its oceans. The documentary premiered on the big screen in late fall last year and will stream sometime in 2022 on the National Geographic Channel and other streaming services. 

More salty reads

Moving Water

One of the most significant natural factors that impact how, when and where we enjoy our boats are tides—the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, and the rotation of the Earth. The phenomenon can cause swings as much as 40 feet or only a few inches. Whether you’re a powerboater, sailor, surfer, angler or simply enjoy the sea, Jonathan White’s Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean is an account of how tides change our watery worlds. White traveled to find tidal bores in China, monks who live in a tide-wrapped monastery in France and countries that use tidal current to generate power. Photographs and illustrations help tell the story. 

($25, Trinity University Press) 

Hurricane Warning

The last 15 years have brought some of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded to the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Storms with names like Katrina, Wilma and Irma wreaked havoc and destroyed prized cruising areas. Hurricanes have been around for, well, forever. Eric Jay Dollin’s book, A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes, looks into the history of these storms, from those that challenged Columbus’ New World voyages to Hurricane Maria, which unleashed its wrath on Puerto Rico in 2017. Dollin also weaves in bits of American history and how hurricanes influenced the nation’s course, such as when the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 killed at least 6,000 people. 

($30, Liveright)

What We’re Listening to

FISH TALK

Andy Mill, a former Olympic athlete who once was considered America’s greatest skier, has a competitive streak that doesn’t end on the slopes. After retiring from skiing in 1981, Mill’s passion for tarpon fishing took over. His wins at tarpon tournaments in South Florida gained him notoriety as a pro angler. Today, Mill still enjoys fishing, but also hosts a podcast featuring interviews with rock stars of the angling world—legends such as Flip Pallot, Stu Apte, Chico Fernandez, Tim Borski, Al Pflueger and others. You can watch the “Mill House” podcast on YouTube or listen through Google Play or Apple’s podcast app.