Cries from the deep

The first of a two-part series, this film records the journey undertaken by marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his 24-member team, and a Natianal Film Board of Canada crew. Working from the ‘Calypso’, a converted minesweeper transformed into a sophisticated oceanographic vessel, the team uses a helicopter, a diving saucer, inflatable boats and scuba diving equipment to explore the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, one of the world’s richest fishing areas. They discover shipwrecks, film icebergs, visit wildlife sanctuaries, where man is still an alien presence, and observe such endangered species as the beluga whale, humpback whale and harp seal. There is a fasscinating sequence showing ‘Calypso’ divers freeing a calf whale entrapped in a fishing net.