BAYLESS COBB - INTERVIEW

Bayless Cobb - Entrepreneur Magazine Interview

Published January 3, 2022

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Ever wonder what Aquatic Chickens and Inland Lobster Farming have in common? We did too. So in December 2021, we sat down with Bayless Cobb, Inland Lobster Pioneer and President of Cobb Consulting Co. to find out. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Bayless Cobb it is a pleasure to sit down with you to learn more about the upcoming Pelagic Poultry Production IPO. If you can, let us know how you got involved with Aquatic Chicken Farming in the first place. 

Bayless Cobb: 

That is a very good question. In late February 2020 I was contacted by Zachary Hunter, CEO of Pelagic Poultry Production. Mr. Hunter had read the Time Magazine article detailing my experiences with Inland Lobster Farming. And although it had been nearly 20 years since I patented and sold my proven model for profitable inland lobster farming, Mr. Hunter believed that I could help realize his vision for Aquatic Chicken Farming.

Entrepreneur Magazine:

For those of us who have never heard of Aquatic Chicken Farming, please try to explain Mr. Hunter’s unusual vision.

Bayless Cobb: 

Right after the Global Pandemic began, Mr. Hunter called me and explained he was going to embark on an ambitious legacy-based philanthropic venture with the well being of future generations and the earth at stake.

Bayless Cobb:

As a Real Estate Mogul, world traveler and father, Mr. Hunter had come to the staggering realization that with human population, sea levels and global temperatures on the rise, traditional poultry production had quickly become absurd and morally indefensible. Mr. Hunter believed that through Pelagic Poultry Production he could help relieve some of the pressure on the earth, hunger, overcrowding, pollution, and global warming. And now that the company is issuing an IPO, it appears Mr. Hunter was right. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Why Aquatic Chickens? Why not something else to help reduce pollution, overcrowding and global warming?

Bayless Cobb:

Mr. Hunter believes it is obvious land will become too valuable for traditional Beef and Poultry Production Practices to continue. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Why Chickens? Why not another plant or animal? 

Bayless Cobb:

For Mr. Hunter it became apparent that pelagic free-range chicken farming was the only way forward. Decades ago Manatees were touted as potential candidates to replace the archaic beef industry. Yet no one had ever proposed a worthy candidate for the oceanic chicken.   

At first, Atlantic Puffin seemed to be an attractive poultry parallel but Puffin’s dwindling numbers and small stature, would never satisfy the world’s kitchens on a sustainable basis. 

In 2020 Mr. Hunter approached me to help consult and help find a solution to sustainable cruelty free pelagic poultry production. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

This may seem like an obvious question, but how do you raise chickens in the ocean?

Bayless Cobb:

When I was first hired to consult, Pelagic Poultry Production was working on converting existing Tuna Pens in international waters off of Papua New Guinea for Oceanic Chicken Farming. Tuna penning is a practice used in marine aquaculture, in which smaller tuna are caught off shore and moved back to large, in-water enclosures. The pens are typically located in the relatively shallow waters of sheltered areas, such as bays or coves. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Do Tuna Pens work for Oceanic Chicken Farming?

Bayless Cobb:

In short, no. By the time I was brought on, Pelagic Poultry Production had quickly realized the folly of their unwarranted bravado. Unlike ducks or other species of waterfowl, chickens do not float nor can they tread water. This is due to the obvious lack of water repelling oils in their feathers and lack of webbing between their toes. Also it was discovered, the popular Sumatra Black chickens quickly died from heatstroke and the populous Silkie White chickens got so sunburnt that their feathers fell out. 

Entrepreneur Magazine:

Excuse the pun, but it sounds like the company had egg on their face.

Bayless Cobb:

Yes. It was not looking good for Tuna Pens being the solution to Oceanic Chicken Farming. However, as part of my consulting contract, I was allowed to hire the same team I hand selected 20 years earlier that helped me conquer the Inland Lobster industry while working on Roatan Island located off of Honduras. 

Bayless Cobb:

After bringing on my team, our first goal was to address the chickens lack of buoyancy and foot webbing. Utilizing the same lightweight composite material we developed for our Inland Lobster Pens, we were able to adhere buoyant water flippers to the birds’ feet. 

Bayless Cobb:

After some struggle to adapt to the locomotion necessary in this new marine habitat, the more agile birds began to keep themselves upright and afloat. It was a proud day.

Bayless Cobb:

Sadly our celebration was short-lived. One by one the chickens died from starvation. The answer to this riddle was hiding in plain sight in the form of the Coot, an amphibious cousin of the duck. Chickens, unlike coots, lack what is called baleen, a microscopic filter-feeder system inside of their mouths. The baleen system works when a coot opens its beak underwater and takes in water. The coot then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and remain as food source for the coot. 

Bayless Cobb:

With investor confidence at an all time low we decided to go for broke. We converted a textile factory in French Rhodesia into a state of the art micro-manufacturing plant and began painstakingly creating beak implants that would fit like dentures into the beaks of our chickens.

Bayless Cobb:

The first chicken to successfully peck at the water and use the baleen to forage for sustenance was chicken number 223, or Alfonso as we called him. He and his more persnickety coup mates were soon gaining weight and motoring about the pen. With the addition of a robust enrichment program and an oily residue we rubbed on their feathers to provide buoyancy as well as to protect them from the sun, there were soon eggs floating about the pen ready for harvest.  

Bayless Cobb:

We now have over 300 working pelagic chicken farms. The fulfillment garnered from this adventure cannot be described through words. The celebrity it has provided has been a bit overwhelming but good fun too. Zachary Hunter and I were greeted by thunderous applause everywhere we went from the tall redwoods of the bohemian grove to the live taping of Hello North Korea. 

Bayless Cobb:

Zachary Hunter (CEO of Pelagic Poultry Production) and I were both knighted and given honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Phoenix. 

Bayless Cobb:

While at one of Elon’s cocktail parties aboard a converted riverboat steamer, and after a few too many hot toddies, the crown prince of Eastern Tasmania (an early investor in Pelagic Poultry Production) gave Mr. Hunter the moniker “The Golden Cocksman” which has since stuck. 

Bayless Cobb:

It is sufficient to say that this serendipitous journey with these remarkable birds has added another unbelievable chapter to my life's story. There were many critics that thought I was a one hit wonder after I was featured 20 years ago in Time Magazine's article “The Lobster Whisperer”. Being a part of the Pelagic Poultry Production IPO, and helping Zachary Hunter realize his vision has been one of the greatest honors of my life. 

BAYLESS COBB - PRESS

Ranch & Coast - “There’s A Whole Lot Shaking Downtown”

“You’ve started hearing people in L.A. and New York talking about the Gaslamp,” says Bayless Cobb, principal partner and visionary behind AD Nightclub, which opened this summer in the onetime Red Circle space on E Street. “San Diegans have become much more demanding and sophisticated when it comes to culinary and nightlife [offerings]. They’ve traveled to L.A. and Vegas, so they have expectations. They expect ‘A’ level.”

Pacific Magazine - “Join the Club”

Pacific SD: What are a couple of the coolest things that happened at AD Nightclub in 2014?
Bayless Cobb, owner and principal partner: The most amazing thing that happened (this year) was watching the evolution of live performances at our “AD On Wednesday” events. Seeing the biggest-selling recording artists in the country performing in front of sold-out crowds in such a small and intimate venue literally changed everything…

San Diego News Downtown - Posh new nightclubs are upping the energy level

“AD is exquisite [with] exceptional attention to detail,” said Bayless Cobb, principal partner. “Every nook and cranny has something new to explore — even if you come a dozen times, you haven’t seen all the details.”

Eater San Diego - “Religion-Themed New Nightclub Encourages Sinning”

The newest nightclub to descend on the Gaslamp takes inspiration from on high, creating a "modern cathedral"-themed stage , with archways, candles, columns and stained glass, for a nightlife experience that includes theatrical performers, multimedia religious iconography and staff uniforms topped with Roman collars. Owner Bayless Cobb and General Manager TJ Brown.

SanDiego.org - NEW NIGHTCLUBS SPICE UP SAN DIEGO AFTER DARK

AD Club opened its doors in August 2014 and since then has been offering a full nightclub experience with craft cocktails, synchronized areal theatrics, the latest in music, eleven bottle service booths and a small bites menu. The 4,000 square-foot space is decorated with traditional cathedral and religious elements that give the venue a unique bold and daring design. For those who worship food, exclusive dining “pop-ups” events are hosted with popular chefs who create special prix-fix menus for the occasion. AD Club is a creation of Coronado, California entrepreneurs Bayless Cobb, TJ Brown and Giana Loya.

Eater San Diego - “Red Circle Reopening As New Restaurant & Club”

Bayless Cobb, CEO of King Diamond, Inc. tells Eater that he's putting together a "dream team" of collaborators to help transform the 5,000-square-foot space to a stylish, full service restaurant and high end nightclub.

Corporate Inquiries: Bayless Cobb - ceo@kingdiamondinc.com