A precious pearl

On Mangareva Island in the Gambier archipelago, pearls are among the most valuable resources of the sea, especially the black Tahitian pearls. Robert Wan introduces Captain Cousteau and his team to the cultured pearl industry. Calypso anchors in Rikitea Bay, where her divers film the huge mesh cages loaded with irregular, round shells that can measure more than 20 centimeters in diameter. The luminous pearls growing inside these rough shells have become an economic mainstay in Polynesia, along with tourism.