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Featuring:
Explorer Jacques Cousteau
Back to the main page of
Jacques Cousteau
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A page just about the great explorer/inventor, Jacques Cousteau and the
professional crew on the
research vessel Calypso.
Jacques Cousteau TV shows
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Jacques Cousteau & the professional crew onboard the research vessel
Calypso, unlocked the
mysteries of the sea for tens of millions of TV viewers in the 1960s and
1970s with his riveting documentary series, "The Undersea World of
Jacques Cousteau."
Scuba gear by Jacques Cousteau
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Jacques Cousteau co-invented the Aqua-Lung, a breathing device for
scuba-diving. Aqua-Lung was the original English name of the first
open-circuit, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (or "SCUBA")
to reach worldwide popularity and commercial success. This class of
equipment is now commonly referred to as a diving regulator or demand
valve. The Aqua-Lung was invented in Paris during the winter of
1942–1943 by the engineer Émile Gagnan and the lieutenant de vaisseau
(ship-of-the-line lieutenant) Jacques Cousteau.
Jacques Cousteau & the research vessel Calypso
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In 1950, Jacques Cousteau founded the French Oceanographic Campaigns (FOC)
and leased a ex Navy ship called "Calypso" from Thomas Loel Guinness for a
symbolic one franc a year. Jacques Cousteau refitted the ex Navy ship Calypso as a mobile
laboratory/research vessel for field research and as his principal vessel for diving and
filming. Jacques Cousteau also carried out underwater archaeological excavations in
the Mediterranean, in particular at Grand-Congloué (1952).
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Research vessel Calypso from Jacques Cousteau |
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The Silent world
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With the publication of his first book in 1953, The Silent World, he
correctly predicted the existence of the echolocation abilities of
porpoises. He reported that his research vessel, the Élie Monier, was
heading to the Straits of Gibraltar and noticed a group of porpoises
following them. Cousteau changed course a few degrees off the optimal
course to the center of the strait, and the porpoises followed for a few
minutes, then diverged toward mid-channel again. It was evident that
they knew where the optimal course lay, even if the humans did not.
Cousteau concluded that the cetaceans had something like sonar, which
was a relatively new feature on submarines. |
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Jacques Cousteau won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1956 for
86 minute film
The
Silent World co-produced with Louis Malle. With the assistance of Jean
Mollard, he made a
"diving saucer" SP-350, an experimental underwater
vehicle which could reach a depth of 350 meters. The successful
experiment was quickly repeated in 1965 with two vehicles which reached
500 meters.
In October 1960, a large amount of radioactive waste was going to be
discarded in the Mediterranean Sea by the Commissariat à l'énergie
atomique (CEA). The CEA argued that the dumps were experimental in
nature, and that French oceanographers such as Vsevelod Romanovsky had
recommended it. Romanovsky and other French scientists, including Louis
Fage and Jacques Cousteau, repudiated the claim, saying that Romanovsky
had in mind a much smaller amount. The CEA claimed that there was little
circulation (and hence little need for concern) at the dump site between
Nice and Corsica, but French public opinion sided with the
oceanographers rather than with the CEA atomic energy scientists. The
CEA chief, Francis Perrin, decided to postpone the dump. Jacques
Cousteau
organized a publicity campaign which in less than two weeks gained wide
popular support. The train carrying the waste was stopped by women and
children sitting on the railway tracks, and it was sent back to its
origin. |
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Jacques Cousteau on the Calypso highlights
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A meeting with American television companies (ABC, Métromédia, NBC)
created the series The Underwater Odyssey of Commander Cousteau, with
the character of the commander in the red bonnet (Red wool cap) inherited from standard
diving dress) intended to give the films a "personalized adventure"
style.
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In 1970, Jacques Cousteau wrote the book The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea with
Philippe Cousteau, his son. In this book, Jacques Cousteau described the oceanic white tip
shark as "the most dangerous of all sharks".
In 1973, along with his two sons and Frederick Hyman, he created the
Cousteau Society for the Protection of Ocean Life, Frederick Hyman being
its first President; it now has 300,000+ members.
3 years after the volcano's last eruption, on 19 December 1973, the
Cousteau team was filming on Deception Island, Antarctica when Michel
Laval, Calypso's second in command, was struck and killed by a propeller
of the helicopter that was ferrying between Calypso and the island.
In 1975 John Denver released the tribute song "Calypso" on his album "Windsong",
and on the B-side of his hit song "I'm Sorry". "Calypso" became a hit on
its own and was later considered the new A-side, reaching #2 on the
charts.
In 1976, Jacques Cousteau uncovered the wreck of HMHS Britannic. He also found
the wreck of the French 17th-century ship-of-the-line La Therese in
coastal waters of Crete.
In 1977, together with Peter Scott, he received the UN International
Environment prize.
Important external Jacques Cousteau url links: |
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On 28 June 1979, while the Calypso was on an expedition to Portugal, his
second son, Philippe Cousteau, his preferred and designated successor and with
whom he had co-produced all his films since 1969, died in a PBY Catalina
flying boat crash in the Tagus river near Lisbon. Cousteau was deeply
affected. He called his then eldest son, the architect Jean-Michel
Cousteau, to his side. This collaboration lasted 14 years.
Source: Parts from Wikipedia |
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The
Cousteau Society
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More about
Jacques
Cousteau on Wikipedia
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Calypso
(camera)
conceived by Jacques Cousteau)
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More about
the research vessel
Calypso
on Wikipedia
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Videos:
Jacques Cousteau
videos on YouTube
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Videos:
Jacques Cousteau
videos on Cousteau.org
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The official
Captain
Jacques-Yves
Cousteau site
Have a great day & take care of our planet!
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Please note:
Artwork created by Mad Dog Leo (www.MadDogLeo.com)
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The Jacques Cousteau & research vessel Calypso
photos are copyright of The Cousteau Society! The
artwork is created out of appreciation for the
Cousteau Society and are for personal use only and
promoting of the great work of the Cousteau Society
still does today! More about the Cousteau Society on
the official site:
www.Cousteau.org |
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