Jacques-Yves is a famous oceanographer, photographer, inventor (including the first scuba tank), and technician. In addition, this man is the author of many films and books. Today we will talk about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for.

Origin, childhood

The future ocean explorer was born on June 11, 1910 in France (Saint-André-de-Cubzac). Jacques-Yves's father was a lawyer. Cousteau made many trips in his youth and learned to swim from early childhood. However, due to his illness, he lost a lot of weight, so the doctor did not recommend the boy to do much physical activity.

The Cousteau family lived and worked in the United States from 1920 to 1922. Here Jacques-Yves learned English. These years of life were very eventful for Cousteau. Jacques-Yves Cousteau showed great interest in design and mechanics. At a summer scout camp, the future inventor made his first dives. Returning to France, he purchased the first movie camera and also designed a battery-powered car.

Studying at the academy, traveling

Jacques-Yves's training at the French Naval Academy dates back to the early 1930s. He was lucky, as his group went on a trip around the world on the ship "Joan of Arc". After some time, Jacques-Yves Cousteau ended up in Shanghai, at a naval base. A couple of years later, he also visited the USSR. In Soviet Jacques-Yves took a lot of photographs of the Union, but almost all of the photographs were confiscated from him.

Accident, work as an instructor, marriage

Cousteau wanted to become a pilot as a young man after completing his training at the Naval Aviation Academy. However, he was involved in a serious car accident and suffered many injuries, which forced him to give up this dream. Simone Melchior, Jacques-Yves's beloved girlfriend, helped him survive. In 1936, for the purpose of rehabilitation, Cousteau began working as an instructor on the cruiser Sufren. Here, in the port of Toulon, he explored the sea for the first time in his life wearing special glasses. Jacques-Yves realized that this was his destiny.

Cousteau married Simone Melchior (pictured above) in 1937. They had sons Philippe and Jean-Michel.

Snorkeling, founding of a film company and first films

Together with Philippe Taillet and Frédéric Dumas, Cousteau plunged into the water in 1938 with a snorkel, mask and fins. He later wrote of his first explorations of the ocean while wearing a mask that what greeted his eyes was a “stunning sight.”

Jacques-Yves became the founder of a film company called Shark Association in the early 1940s. In 1942, Cousteau's 18-minute film "8 Meters Under Water" appeared. It became one of Jacques-Yves' first paintings about the underwater world. Cousteau participated in the resistance movement in France during World War II.

Inventions of Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Speaking about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for, it is impossible not to talk about many of them - the creation of scuba gear. In 1943, the first prototype was tested. And it was successful. This model was developed by Jacques-Yves together with Emile Gagnan. In 1946, mass production of scuba gear began. During his lifetime, Jacques-Yves Cousteau also created lighting fixtures, an underwater television system and the SP350 (“diving saucer”), a small submarine with good maneuverability. It was intended for scientific exploration of the depths of the ocean. On behalf of the French Navy, immediately after the end of the war, Cousteau founded a school of scuba divers. Somewhat later, Jacques-Yves Cousteau became the head of the French Center for Underwater Research.

"Calypso"

In the early 1950s, this ship, which previously belonged to the British Royal Navy, but was decommissioned, became Jacques-Yves' naval "base". Cousteau converted it into a mobile laboratory. After this, Jacques-Yves Cousteau began to carry out research on it in the ocean. The discoveries he made on this ship are numerous. One of the first achievements made on the Calypso was photographing the seabed at depths of up to 7.2 km. Jacques-Yves was often accompanied by his wife on expeditions. And his sons, Philippe and Jacques-Michel, worked as cabin boys.

The first book, new films and world fame

By the beginning of the 1950s, Jacques-Yves Cousteau had already accumulated significant experience in studying the ocean. His research was to become public knowledge. To this end, Cousteau, together with Frederic Dumas, wrote a book in 1953 called “In a World of Silence.” In it, for the first time, readers were introduced to the world of the ocean, to the study of which Jacques-Yves Cousteau devoted many years of his life. The film based on this book, released in 1956, won an Oscar. It immediately brought world fame to its authors. Cousteau traveled across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in 1954. The result of this expedition was the series known to many of us - “The Odyssey of the Cousteau Team.” This is what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for throughout the world. The underwater explorer in 1957 became the director of the

"Underwater Houses" and "Cousteau Society"

The development of "Underwater Houses", an ambitious project of this researcher, dates back to the 1960s. Its implementation was the 1963 operation "Precontinent II" and 1965 "Precontinent III".

But we haven’t told you everything about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for. This researcher was a prominent public figure. In 1973, Jacques-Yves created the non-profit organization Cousteau Society, whose goal is to protect the marine environment.

The researcher carried out his expeditions, studying unknown zones of the World Ocean. Jacques-Yves designed new types of ships that are environmentally friendly. In 1985, its “fleet” was replenished with the yacht ALCYONE, which moves thanks to an electric wind system. In 1979, during the filming of another film, Jacques-Yves' youngest son, Philippe, died.

Cousteau Foundation, expedition to Antarctica, marriage to Triplett

In 1981, the Cousteau Foundation was created in Paris. Nine years later, the researcher went on an expedition to Antarctica. He took six children with him (one representative from each continent) so that the whole world could see that the Antarctic nature should be preserved for the younger generation.

In 1990, Simone, Cousteau's wife, died of cancer. A year after her death, Jacques-Yves married for the second time. Francine became his wife; even before marriage, she bore him a son, Pierre, and a daughter, Diana.

"Calypso-2"

The Calypso sank in 1996 as a result of a collision with a barge. This happened in the port of Singapore. The ship could not be restored. After some time, it was exhibited in the museum of La Rochelle. After its breakdown, Jacques-Yves Cousteau began construction of Calypso-2. His biography is marked by many sea expeditions carried out together with the crew on board this ship.

Death

The researcher died at the age of 87 on June 25, 1997. Death occurred after a respiratory illness that occurred with complications. Jacques-Yves died of a myocardial infarction. This happened in Bordeaux (France). He was buried in the Saint-André-de-Cubzac cemetery.

Jacques-Yves has received many different awards for his research. Among them, the Order of the Legion of Honor, which was received by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, was especially valuable. The books of his authorship, which are considered the most famous, are the following: “The Living Sea”, “The Life and Death of Corals”, “In a World of Silence”, “Sunken Treasures”, “A World Without Sun”, etc.

The Jacques-Yves case continues

And today the “Cousteau Team” and the “Cousteau Society” are working - organizations created by him. His children and grandchildren continue the work of the researcher, studying the World Ocean. Jean-Michel, his son, is an environmentalist, researcher, film producer, and teacher. His grandson Fabien (pictured below) also followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. He decided to become an oceanographer. In honor of Jacques-Yves, he undertook a 31-day underwater scientific expedition in 2014.

The dive took place at the Aquarius station. Thus, today the important work for humanity that Jacques-Yves Cousteau began continues. His biography inspires many people to explore the depths of the ocean and protect the environment.

On June 11, 1910, in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, in the French region of Bordeaux, one of the most prominent Citizens of the Ocean was born - Jacques Yves Cousteau

This extraordinary man always wanted to keep most of his life in general, and his work in particular, secret. In fact, in all his actions, public or not, there were two sides - visible and hidden. It was relatively easy to reconstruct the course of his life, compile his biography and present a catalog of his discoveries and works, and, on the contrary, in most cases it was quite difficult to understand why he decided to participate in a particular enterprise, to move in the chosen direction. The task was complicated by the fact that he discussed the strategy and tactics of his actions with practically no one, even with the people closest to him. He was the “pasha,” the “charismatic leader,” and he said, “We will go there,” and everyone else obeyed faithfully and obediently.

His father Daniel worked as a personal secretary for two Americans. The first was an insurance agent, the second an entrepreneur. His mother Elizabeth Duranton was the daughter of a local pharmacist. Due to his father's official duties, the family moved a lot from place to place and quite often lived in the United States, where Jacques Yves studied at one of the private educational institutions in New York.

When the time came to return to France, Cousteau was 13 years old. His father bought a movie camera to film family entertainment, but once it came into Jacques' hands, he took sole ownership of it. This was the beginning of a real passion: Jacques created “real films”, built sets, filmed and even developed the film himself. Soon he created his first film production society, Film Zix, Jacques Cousteau.

His studies, which he continued in France, were not marked by particular success. Domestic teaching methods were too different from American ones, and only within the walls of the Jesuit College in Paris did Cousteau begin to take his studies seriously. He received his bachelor's degree in 1930 - at the age of 20, passed the entrance exams to the Higher National Naval School and was accepted there with good results. In 1933, he was assigned to the cruiser Primogue, heading to the Middle East, and even then his comrades noted Cousteau’s tendency to talk about himself in a somewhat strange manner, as well as his desire for isolation and loneliness.

In 1936 he asked for an appointment to the Naval Air Corps and secured a transfer. That same year, fascinated by cars and high speeds, he took his father’s sports car for a ride and had an accident. Its consequences were truly terrifying for Jacques Yves Cousteau. He had many broken ribs, displaced vertebrae, a punctured lung and paralyzed arms. The career of naval aviation lieutenant Cousteau was over and only his exceptional willpower and the character of a fighter allowed him to leave the hospital in less than a year. Cousteau was weak, but stood on his own two feet and confidently controlled both hands. He was also in love. Simone Melchior became his lucky chosen one. Her mother was the daughter of Admiral Jean Baham, who was passionate about underwater research and organized an expedition to Tunisia, to Mahdia. The will of chance manifested itself in the fact that 12 years later Jacques Yves Cousteau returned to the same region on a ship to carry out underwater work.

Cousteau was assigned to Suffren and then to Codercel, assigned to the naval base in Toulon. In July 1937, naval lieutenant Jacques Cousteau married Simone Melchior in Paris and the young family settled down to live in Toulon. Simone was a charming young woman, an exemplary officer's wife, and attracted the attention of everyone who knew her, and especially those who later boarded the Calypso.

At the same time, there was an extraordinary man in Toulon, a naval officer of a higher rank than Jacques Cousteau, a poet, humanist and great lover of sports, in love with the sea. He devoted all his time outside of duty to the sea, and most of his free time was spent spearfishing in the waters of the Var department, in the south of France. His name was Philippe Taillet. His inseparable spearfishing friend was named Frederic Dumas, and it was he who later became the legendary Didi. In his book “Free Dives” (Plongees sans cables), Philip Taillet later described the character of Jacques Cousteau quite impartially. They met one day in 1938, and Philippe Taillet became Cousteau's godfather in free-diving. The equipment at that time was very simple and was limited to a pair of glasses (the so-called Fernez), which, by the way, were very uncomfortable.

Jacques Cousteau was shocked, his whole life turned upside down at that moment, and he decided to devote himself entirely to penetrating the underwater world. Philippe Taillet, Jacques Cousteau and Didi never parted again. They dived together and tried to adapt the existing systems for breathing underwater at that time. Such, for example, as the spacesuit of Captain Le Prieur. Jacques Cousteau's father-in-law, Henri Melchior, worked for I Air Luquide in Paris, where materials and equipment used for various types of gases were studied and developed. His support was invaluable to the three friends.

In September 1939, Jacques Cousteau was appointed gunner on the cruiser Duplelx, where he served until June 1940, the date of the armistice between France and Germany. As for Philippe Taillet, he served on the destroyer Valmy, while Didi was a mule driver in Northern Provence.

In early 1941, Jacques Cousteau, on orders from the Vichy government, participated in a successful raid on the Italian mission in Sète in order to obtain secret military fonts. For this operation he was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1946. Cousteau's participation in this operation was largely due to the position of his older brother Pierre Antoine. With all this, Jacques Yves Cousteau never lost his passion for cinema. With the help of one of his friends, Wesh, he made a 35mm camera, placed it in a waterproof box, and after several unsuccessful attempts he managed to take pictures of the seabed at a depth of about 20 meters.

After the sinking of the French fleet in Toulon in November 1942, Jacques Cousteau and his friends were left without their ships and practically without work. They returned to their underwater hobbies and began editing the episodes they had filmed earlier. The result of this work was the 18-minute film “18 Meters Under Water.” This film was first presented to the public on April 10, 1943 in Paris at the National Theater of Chaillot, as part of a screening organized by the then French authorities under the control of the propaganda department of the occupation authorities. Jacques Cousteau was introduced as the director of this film and received a warm welcome, especially in the pages of the collaborationist publication "I'm Everywhere", whose editor-in-chief is Pierre Antoine Cousteau. As a result of this screening and again thanks to the help of his older brother, Jacques Cousteau received permission from the occupation authorities for preferential conditions for filming, including permission to film in the militarized zone of the Mediterranean coast. In addition, he had the opportunity to receive film, which was strictly limited at that time. In 1942, Jacques Cousteau created his first film production company, the Cousteau Scientific Film Studio, before organizing the United Sharks, which later produced much of his films. We can say with complete confidence that it was at this time that Captain Cousteau’s “Odyssey” began.

The project experienced an unusually rapid takeoff thanks to a meeting arranged through the mediation of Henri Melchior's father-in-law between Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, an engineer from I Air liquide. Jacques Cousteau outlined his wishes regarding equipment to ensure air supply during diving. Engineer Emil Ganyan was working at that time on a prototype gearbox for a motor running on a gas mixture. He assembled such a device and conducted a series of tests on the Marne near Paris in 1943. Not too satisfied with the first results, Emil Gagnan modified the device, and in June 1943 the model, tested at sea, proved to be excellent in operation.

The three friends teamed up again, but this time at the insistence of Jacques Yves Cousteau. They were going to start filming again without any special restrictions thanks to a sufficient amount of film and passes provided with the participation of Pierre Antoine Cousteau. The footage they captured became the basis for the film “The Remains of Sunken Ships.” Among other places, filming was carried out among the sunken ships that covered the bottom of the Toulon roadstead.

After the liberation of France in 1945, officers Philippe Taillet and Jacques Cousteau returned to naval service. They began looking for work that would match their professionalism and technical training in the field of underwater work, and they were asked to develop and implement a mine clearance program for the Toulon raid. Friends took on this dangerous task. They created a specialized structure on the basis of the navy, G.E.R.S. (Underwater Research and Search Group), led by Captain Theis. Later they found a reason to officially accept the “mule driver” Dumas into their ranks.

In 1947, G.E.R.S. received its own ship, the Engineer Elie Monnier. The Department of the Navy provided G.E.R.S. funds for carrying out the works of Jacques Yves Cousteau. It agreed to support the resumption of archaeological excavations in Mahdia at a depth of more than 30 meters in difficult diving conditions. The ministry also proposed to continue experimental work on the creation of a deep-sea diving apparatus of the Swiss professor Picard near Dakar. This last experience was unfortunate, and greatly affected Cousteau, but it allowed him to learn an unforgettable lesson for the future.

A promotion to officer rank obliged Cousteau to change his position, and this prospect did not please him at all, as it forced him to leave the underwater activities begun within the framework of G.E.R.S. However, he was a candidate for several positions at once. Thanks to one of them, he could become the head of a new program for the development of the bathyscaphe. Cousteau decided to ask for a special status for himself, and his request was granted, after which Jacques Cousteau sought at all costs to achieve independence in order to do what he himself wanted without guardianship and coercion. That is why he wanted to be able to take advantage of the enormous economic potential that underwater developments had at that time thanks to “his” Cousteau/Ganyan gearbox, put into commercial production by Spiroteknik, a subsidiary of Air Liquide.

Later, the controlling company Aqua Lang International united more than 20 different companies and successfully produced and sold diving equipment worldwide under various brands. This company provided a trade turnover of about a billion French francs, of which Jacques Cousteau received 5 percent as the author of the patented invention.

Jacques Cousteau sought complete independence in order to try to realize his most daring plans - to be the first and largest explorer of the underwater world, to create and perfect technical equipment that would meet the specific requirements of the present and future. He did not want any kind of guardianship; he wanted to personally determine the goal in order to independently use the results of the work done. For this he needs his own ship. Cousteau fell in love with an old minesweeper belonging to the Royal British Navy, which he saw in Malta and which bore the fateful name "Calypso". But Cousteau did not have the funds to buy the ship. The famous beer manufacturer Guinness became a patron of the arts; it was he who contributed most of the required amount, while other potential investors participated in the costs: the French Oceanographic Societies association, created by Jacques Cousteau especially for this occasion, made a historic purchase, which took place in July 1950 of the year. Jacques Yves Cousteau turned 40 at that time.

The re-equipment of Calypso lasted a whole year. The most important of the ship's technical innovations was the arrangement under the stem, approximately 2 meters below the waterline. It was a special cabin for underwater observation. It had the shape of a sphere in which special portholes were installed. Jacques Cousteau was ready to pawn his body and soul in order to obtain the necessary subsidies for his first expedition to the Red Sea. The French Navy sent two mechanics and one sailor aboard the Calypso. All other crew members were volunteers, as was Simone Cousteau, who was appointed commissioner of the ship. Frederic Dumas was on board as assistant dive officer. Volcanologist A. Tazieff also participated in the trip on a voluntary basis and, together with the others, performed the necessary work on board, grumbling and swearing.

Three months later, the expedition returned, and a man later called the legendary "Beber" - Bernard Falco - boarded the Calypso. He left the ship only in 1996, during its crash off the coast of Hong Kong. In the same year, Cousteau became seriously interested in stories about amphorae shards and various objects that were often found by fishermen casting their nets opposite Marseille, in the area of ​​Grand Congluet, on the Friulian Islands. Having received the necessary information, he decided to take control of what would become the first and greatest underwater archaeological construction site. Cousteau did not finish it, leaving this concern to the passionate enthusiast Yves Giraud, who participated in all the work from the very beginning. More than 2,000 amphorae and other objects were brought to the surface. Some critics said that the excavations were carried out without any method and without special preparation, but these statements, formulated later by titled archaeologists, did not take into account the countless difficulties of deep-sea diving in difficult terrain, in a sea that was at times quite harsh. On the other hand, it was extremely difficult to ensure successful interaction between people and especially machines and equipment, including pumps that pump out sand and mud, which were inconvenient and dangerous to operate, especially since they were often used at a depth of about 50 - 60 meters.

Jacques Cousteau used his brilliant abilities, later honed to perfection, in working with the media. The press and television all over the world reported on the construction in Grand Congluet, National Geographic dedicated a large article to it, which gave Cousteau fame in English-speaking countries.

And at the same time, more advanced equipment for underwater filming was created. First of all, thanks to Professor Edgerton, the inventor of the electronic flash, and the brilliant engineer Laban, the author of cameras for filming. The most famous industrial firms sought participation in this technological breakthrough and willingly made investments. However, the vigorous activity was associated with high expenses, and Jacques Cousteau was forced to turn to solving problems that were less spectacular, but more profitable. The fashion for offshore oil had arrived, and its developers urgently needed trained teams to operate effectively. Having begun work in this area, Cousteau created the French underwater research company 1OFRS (1 Office Francais de Recherches Sous marines), which entered into contracts with oil companies and allowed Cousteau to take a short break before filming a feature film. The idea for the picture had long been ripening in his head; it should bear the same name as the book he wrote together with F. Dumas in 1953 - “The World of Silence”, which was a huge success all over the world, finally establishing the fame of Jacques Yves Cousteau .

At the same time, Cousteau took part in the experimental dives of the Trieste bathyscaphe of Professor Picard, forgetting the failures of 1948. The device successfully dived to a depth of 3200 meters with the professor and his son on board. During this operation, the command of the French Navy asked him to ensure underwater filming. Cousteau was convinced that his future lay in researching techniques for human penetration into the underwater world. Experiments with Precontinent were carried out to prove this.

In 1954, Jacques Cousteau went to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The young cinematographer Louis Malle was also on board the Calypso. Cousteau introduced him to diving, and the young man filmed a documentary series, which was later successfully shown to millions of television viewers. Cousteau had already realized that the medium of the future was television, which brought images into homes faster than potential viewers could get to the cinema. This series greatly increased his American audience and was produced by a new society founded by Jacques Cousteau, Les Requins Associes.

In early 1955, everyone gathered aboard the Calypso for the great sailing, heading for the Red Sea. Filming has begun for “The World of Silence,” which has become a cult film for all those in love with the underwater world. The Red Sea was filmed, then the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles with excerpts from Jojo le Merou, then numerous shots were made around the world in places unknown at the time.

The film was mounted and presented on an extraordinary scale in Paris in February 1956 at the Theater on the Champs-Elysees. All sorts of celebrities were invited, the President of the Republic, the chairmen of both houses of parliament, representatives of constitutional authorities, as well as ambassadors from more than 30 countries were present. The National Navy provided a guard of honor accompanied by naval marches. The triumph of the film is unimaginable; the audience gave a standing ovation for more than half an hour. Newspapers, radio and television called the film a work of the century.

The film was selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival, where for the first time the film received the Palme d'Or in the documentary category. In New York, the film received the same phenomenal reception. In 1957 he was awarded an Oscar, and the following year another film by Jacques Cousteau, The Story of the Red Fish, won another prize at the Cannes Film Festival and another Oscar in Hollywood. This confirmed that the success of his work was not accidental. Jacques Yves Cousteau managed throughout his life to maintain the halo of glory that “The World of Silence” brought him. And he took full advantage of all the opportunities provided by the media.

In 1957, Prince Rainier of Monaco invited Cousteau to become director of the Oceanographic Museum of the Principality. He accepted the offer, and this suited both parties: the state profitably used the cinematic fame of the researcher Cousteau, and Jacques Yves could congratulate himself on his appointment to a scientific position. In fact, he never called himself a scientist, but he acted and behaved as if he were one. It is enough to listen to his speeches and comments in his original films to be convinced of this. This state of affairs somewhat irritated some real scientists, but they did not have such practical underwater experience as Cousteau.

Cousteau's presence at the head of the Oceanographic Museum had little effect on the activities of this organization. Jacques Yves could not often be found in his office; he religiously observed the condition set upon his appointment to the position - to retain freedom of action in everything that related to the rest of his activities. He gave the opportunity to replace himself with Jean Aline, and then Philip Rowe, allowing them to resolve current issues. But he never delegated authority to resolve fundamental problems. Cousteau left his post only in 1989, 32 years after he settled in the principality.

In 1957, in between filming, Cousteau experimented with the first project of a “diving saucer”; he tested devices at great (about 2000 meters) depths. A year later, the researcher accepted a number of proposals to organize new work for OFRS that required diving to great depths. First of all, he studied the possibility of laying an oil pipeline. Already since 1959, the “diving saucer” has become a great help in the implementation of underwater projects.

The year 1960 brought Cousteau abundant income, which made it possible to finance the multifaceted activities of the companies under Cousteau's control, while he himself became interested in an extremely ambitious project that could be dubbed “Underwater Houses”. In 1962, Jacques Cousteau began his legendary experiment to study full life under water. During Operation Precontinent I, two swimmers Albert Falco and Claude Wesley lived for a week on the open sea off the coast of Marseille in an underwater house 10 meters deep and worked 25 meters underwater. The results of the work were encouraging, and in 1963 Operation Precontinent II was launched in the Red Sea, followed by Operation Precontinent III in 1965. Five people, among whom were “veterans” of the first “Precontinent”, participated in the second experiment and six in the third. Among them was Philippe Cousteau, the son of Jacques Yves Cousteau. But he had two sons. The eldest son Jean-Michel became an architect in 1960, and soon completed several sketches for his father. The younger Philippe, having received his bachelor's degree in 1961, entered military service in the French Navy, and after some time he entered the Higher Cinematic Courses. He took an active part in his father's research activities.

Cousteau's experiments made it possible to achieve certain scientific and technical results, to better study the characteristics of the human psyche in a closed space at depth, but were regarded by the authorities as too expensive. The stoppage of work greatly disappointed Cousteau.

Another result of Operation Precontinent III was an Oscar for the film The World Without Sun. The film was not as successful as The Silent World. Some critics did not fail to reproach the filmmakers for the frankly crude stunts, but Cousteau was upset by these reproaches mainly because they disturbed the working rhythm of the technical and scientific staff on Calypso. To cope with the difficulties that arose, Cousteau obtained from the French government the conclusion of a large contract for “carrying out underwater research work of a new type.” “Argeronet” is the name given to the imagination of French Petroleum Institute (FIN) engineer Pierre Wilma. The project was financed in half by FIN and CNEXO. Having drawn up and approved the initial estimate, they handed over the implementation of Argeronet to Jacques Cousteau's SEMA. The scale of the planned work is enormous. They were designed for more than four years. This period was the most difficult for the researcher from a financial point of view. But Cousteau could afford a lot, given his fantastic fame. In 1972, Cousteau left his homeland. In America, he met his youngest son Philip, the owner of his own film studio. The elder Jean-Michel also went with his father. He was responsible for the logistics needed to take Calypso around the world.

In the United States, Cousteau had an “alternate airfield.” His company, Requins Assoies, had a very important contract with a number of American television programs for five years. In many ways, it was this circumstance that made the face of Jacques Yves Cousteau familiar to television viewers all over the world. And above all, thanks to the television series “The Odyssey of Captain Cousteau”. He laughed when he heard that he had become a real TV star. He didn't care about criticism, whether it came from scientists or filmmakers. Jacques Cousteau always wanted to achieve more. It was not enough for him to remain only a researcher and documentarian, and he strives to expand his powers.

In 1977, the Cousteau Society was organized in the United States under the guise of a non-profit organization. Its goal was to “protect nature and improve the quality of life,” the father became the president of the society, and his son Jean-Michel was appointed vice president. New York was chosen as the location for the headquarters. The name Cousteau worked wonders. The society actively received contributions, members of the society received published works “Calypso Log” and “Dolphin Log”. The sale of goods at home was carried out in the American style - by mail. The success was enormous, and it prompted the creation of branches of the society in Norfolk and Los Angeles.

In Norfolk, the Cousteau Society wanted to build an oceanographic park with the help of municipal authorities, similar to the one that Jean-Michel and his father tried to create in Long Beach, but the project ended in complete financial failure and the loss of millions of dollars. But despite a caustic campaign launched in the local press against the project, he convinced the authorities of his trustworthiness. Unfortunately (or, conversely, fortunately for investors), due to a change in city authorities, this plan was not destined to come true.

In 1979, Cousteau's youngest son Philippe died. He participated in the filming of films with his father, filling the films with footage taken from the Catalina seaplane. On June 28, 1979, Philip went to Portugal, to the Rio Tejo delta, to check the quality of seaplane repairs carried out in local workshops. The tests went flawlessly, but during landing on the water, after the first contact with the surface, the nose of the car suddenly went under water. The tail of the seaplane was only filled with water, the entire crew remained safe and sound, only Philip was not on board, who was declared missing. His body was never found.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau with his sons Philip and Michel.

The death of his son greatly affected Cousteau. The failure of the plan to create a park in Norfolk had no effect on the popularity of Jacques Yves Cousteau in the United States. However, in 1981 he returned to his homeland, where he founded the Cousteau Foundation with the same structure and the same goals as his older “American brother”. The success was almost the same, and this society exists to this day. It was under the auspices of this organization that the first tests of the vessel took place on a fundamentally new, revolutionary wind propulsion - a turbosailer. The society purchased an old catamaran and repaired it. The director of the naval shipyard in Sanary became a loyal associate of Cousteau. Meanwhile, the authors of the turbosail concept, L. Malavar, B. Charrier and Jacques Yves Cousteau, decided that the catamaran would serve as a smaller model for the Halsion ship. The enterprise developed under the management of the naval architect Maurice, designer of the sailing ship France Z, which participated in the America's Cup, and the author of the initial conversion of the Calypso. The small ship was named "Windmill". At the end of 1983, she set off on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, where she was caught in a very strong storm, losing her mast and sail. But Jacques Yves did not despair. He contacted the investors and resumed the enterprise with renewed vigor. Alsion was ready in 1985, crossed the Atlantic in the spring and created a sensation with its controllability and efficiency. However, the overall result was still not in his favor, since the cost of operating the ship exceeded the price of the saved energy. In June 1989, Cousteau became head of the French Academy, almost simultaneously leaving his duties as director of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.

In December 1990, Simone Cousteau, whom everyone who knew this woman closely, affectionately called “shepherdess,” died suddenly. Her calm disposition certainly influenced the character of Captain Cousteau. Simone's ashes were scattered over the sea off the coast of Monaco. Cousteau married for the second time at the end of June 1991 to Francine Triplett, mother of Diana and Pierre-Yves Cousteau. Before this, Francine and Cousteau had a secret affair for 14 years. Jacques Yves Cousteau was 80 years old at that time.

The complex connections between the many societies founded by Cousteau sometimes served as a tempting lure for those who liked to fish in troubled waters. Tax services were increasingly interested in the management of a number of organizations. In particular, in the USA, the Cousteau Society was arrested for failure to provide accounts and for illegal recruitment into its ranks by mail, not provided for by law. Some divisions of society became so entangled in relations with the law that their activities ended with the confiscation of property. However, no one encroached on the good name of Cousteau himself.

Jacques Cousteau died on June 25, 1997 from a myocardial infarction as a result of complications of a respiratory disease and was buried in the family plot at the Saint-André-de-Cubzac cemetery.
In 2010, a documentary was made about Jacques Cousteau film "Ocean Citizen".

Some quotes from the Commander - Jacques Cousteau, which became famous.

If we obeyed logic, our future would be sad. There are things more important than logic, because we are people, and faith, hope live in us, and we know how to work.

We govern our Earth carelessly.

Childhood is the busiest period of life

Pioneers are driven by curiosity, followed by science.

Misfortune is ourselves, and happiness is others.

The happiness of a bee or a dolphin is to exist. For a person, happiness is knowing that you exist and experiencing admiration for this fact.

We must love life, even in its most unattractive forms.

If a person has the opportunity to lead an unusual life, he has no right to refuse it.

In a market economy, every thing has a price, but nothing has a value.

Only impossible tasks are successful.

A good ecologist is a type who sees far ahead and does not really believe in progress, science and technology

Used materials:

Materials from the site www.j-cousteau.ru
Materials from the site www.octopus.ru

Main events

in 1943, together with Emil Gagnan, he invented and tested scuba gear

Top career

oceanographer, photographer, writer, film director, inventor

Commander of the Legion of Honor

Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit

Military Cross 1939-1945

Officer of the Order of Naval Merit

Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters

Jacques-Yves Cousteau(fr. Jacques-Yves Cousteau; June 11, 1910, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Bordeaux, France - June 25, 1997, Paris, France) - French explorer of the World Ocean, photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films. He was a member of the French Academy. Commander of the Legion of Honor. Known as Captain Cousteau

Biography

early years

Jacques Yves was born in 1910 near Bordeaux in a town with the long name of Saint-André-de-Cubza in the family of lawyer Daniel Cousteau and housewife Elizabeth Cousteau. His father traveled a lot not only in France, but also abroad. Thanks to this, Jacques visited New York and Alsace, where he learned English and German. Due to moving, the boy studied in different schools. After receiving his certificate, he decided to connect his life with the navy and entered the Naval Academy. Despite the unsystematic nature of his secondary education, Cousteau passed the exams with flying colors and passed the competition - he was 22nd on the list of thousands of candidates applying for a place at the academy. While studying on the ship "Joan of Arc" he managed to circumnavigate the world. However, at that time the young man had not yet thought about traveling, especially for the purpose of research.

Military service

in 1930, Cousteau entered the Brest Naval School. He graduated from the military academy with the rank of ensign, and was assigned to a naval base in Shanghai. During World War II, Jacques Cousteau served in the artillery as a machine gunner, was a fighter of the French resistance, in particular, in the territory of France occupied by fascist troops in the city of Toulon, together with resistance scouts, he entered the commandant's office and stole important documents. At the end of the war, he was awarded the Order of the Holy Legion for his active participation in the anti-fascist partisan struggle.

Stages of life

In 1935, Jacques Cousteau decided to go to the Naval Aviation Academy, but he got into a car accident and had to give up aviation. Cousteau broke the fingers on his left hand, several ribs, and his right arm was paralyzed and his lungs were also damaged. He has to spend eight months undergoing intensive physical therapy. To recover, in 1936 he became an instructor on the cruiser "Sufren", assigned to the port of Toulon.

In 1936, Jacques-Yves swims underwater for the first time with goggles. Amazed by what he sees, he decides to devote his life to underwater research.

In 1937, he married Simone Melichor and soon they had two sons, Jean-Michel (in 1938) and Philippe (in 1940).

In 1943, working in the difficult conditions of German-occupied France, Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented the first safe and effective apparatus for breathing under water, called aqualung (from Latin aqua, water + English lung, lung = aqua-lung, “water lung”) "), which Cousteau later successfully used to dive to depths of up to 60 meters without any harmful consequences. This invention has become truly legendary. In 1946, the production of scuba gear was launched on an industrial scale.

In 1948, Cousteau became captain of a corvette, and in 1950, he took delivery of a decommissioned British destroyer and converted it into a floating research laboratory, which became internationally known as the Calypso. Jacques-Yves converted the ship into an expedition vessel. The ship now has a landing pad for a helicopter, scientific equipment, a compartment for underwater observation, one- and two-seat mini submarines, underwater motorcycles and dozens of scuba gear. It was on board the Calypso that the famous captain made many oceanographic expeditions to the Atlantic, Indian Oceans, Red, Black, Arabian Seas and the Persian Gulf.

In 1953, Jacques Yves gained worldwide recognition as a writer. Captain Cousteau published his first book, "The Silent World", and two years later it was filmed. The triumph of the film was unimaginable: the audience gave a standing ovation for more than half an hour, and the press called it the work of the century. The Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscar were received unconditionally.

In 1956, Jacques Cousteau retired from the French Navy with the rank of captain.

In 1957, Cousteau was appointed director of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.

In 1959, Captain Cousteau took part in the creation and construction of the “diving saucer” sp350, the first small submarine for scientific work in the ocean. it can accommodate two people, can be used to conduct observations and filming at a depth of about 370 meters, and the “diving saucer” allows it to go even deeper and conduct research underwater for even longer than before.

In 1961, US President John Kennedy awarded Captain Cousteau the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society. the medal is engraved with the words: “To the man of the earth who gave people the key to the world of silence”

From 1962 to 1965, the captain and his friends conducted the first experiments to study the possibility of living under water. Team members work from one to four weeks in the so-called underwater houses they design.

In 1968, the United States premiered a new television series, “The Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau,” dedicated to the beauty of the deep sea. Several programs receive awards Emmy.

In 1973, the Cousteau Society was formed in the United States to maintain and protect the earth's natural resources. In the same year, the captain conducts several large expeditions to capture the harsh beauty of Antarctica.

In 1979, the youngest son Philippe Cousteau died. He participated in filming on a Catalina seaplane and, during splashdown, the plane fell into the sea.

In 1981, the Cousteau Foundation was created in Paris. The captain assembles a multinational team of scientists to study the Amazon River basin. In 1985, having made the first transatlantic crossing on his newest ship, the Halcyone, which moves using an electric wind propulsion system, Captain Cousteau arrives in New York. And after which both of his ships are sent on a ten-year expedition around the world, and the captain receives the “Medal of Freedom” from the hands of US President Ronald Reagan

In December 1990, Jacques-Yves's wife, Simone Cousteau, suddenly died of cancer. a year later, the famous captain married his longtime lover Francine Triplett. By that time they already had a daughter, Diana (b. 1980), and a son, Pierre (b. 1982), born before their marriage

In 1990, Cousteau's team, in order to draw the world's attention to the fact that the unique nature of Antarctica should be preserved for future generations, brought 6 children (one from each continent) to Antarctica

In 1994, Cousteau's team went on a scientific expedition to the unique people of the island of Madagascar.

In 1996, in the port of Singapore, the Calypso ship was hit by a barge and sank. When the ship was raised from the bottom, it turned out that it was impossible to restore it for further oceanographic work. And at the same time, a large campaign was launched to build a new ship, Calypso-2.

Jacques Cousteau died in Paris on June 25, 1997, at the age of 87, from a myocardial infarction and was buried in the Saint-André-De-Cubzac cemetery.

Impact on descendants

Jacques Cousteau discovered the “blue continent” for many people. His work also allowed for the creation of a new type of scientific communication, criticized by some academics at the time. The legendary ship "Calypso" retired and was placed in the maritime museum of La Rochelle. In accordance with the captain's wishes, the Calypso became an integral part of the museum, proving that Cousteau's work continues to live on, so the crew happily and gratefully provided equipment and other items related to the captain's life and work for display. To protect the most vulnerable water areas around the world, the Cousteau Society developed and is implementing the Water of the World Project. They hope that the peoples of the planet will take an active part in the implementation of the “water of the world” project, and in a few years a whole network of “Cousteau zones” will be created on earth. 1998 was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of the Ocean. Together with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the Cousteau Society is working on several projects. One of them is a research expedition to the Caspian Sea, the natural uniqueness and environmental problems of which are well known. In November 2003, the Alciona ship left the port of Monaco and headed for the shores of the Red Sea. The purpose of the expedition of the Cousteau Society, which lasted several months, was to study the ecological state of the Sudanese coast and measures for its protection. With particular trepidation, its participants visited the places where in 1955 and 1963 Jacques-Yves Cousteau filmed the films “In a World of Silence” and “A World Without Sun”.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau(fr. Jacques-Yves Cousteau; June 11, 1910, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Bordeaux, France - June 25, 1997, Paris, France) - famous French explorer of the World Ocean, photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films. He was a member of the French Academy. Commander of the Legion of Honor. Known as (fr. Commandant Cousteau).

Together with Emil Gagnan, he developed and tested scuba gear in 1943.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born in the small town of Saint-André-de-Cubzac in the Bordeaux wine region, the son of a lawyer, Daniel and Elisabeth Cousteau. Daniel Cousteau was a lawyer, and the family traveled a lot. My son became interested in water at an early age. At the age of 7, he began to suffer from chronic enteritis, so his family doctor did not recommend heavy exercise. Due to illness, Cousteau became very skinny. During the First World War, Daniel Cousteau became unemployed, but after the war he again found work in the company of the American Eugene Higgins. He had to travel a lot, brothers Pierre-Antoine and Jacques-Yves studied at school. They lived in a boarding school for most of the year. Cousteau learned to swim early and fell in love with the sea throughout his life. In 1920, Eugene Higgins returned to New York, and the Cousteau family followed him. Jacques-Yves and Pierre-Antoine went to school in the United States and learned to speak English fluently. There, during a family vacation in Vermont, the brothers made their first dives. In 1922, Higgins and the Cousteau Family returned to France. In the USA, Jacques-Yves became interested in mechanics and design. In France, he built a battery-powered car. This hobby helped him in his work later. With the money he saved and earned, Cousteau bought himself his first movie camera.

Although Jacques-Yves was interested in many things, studying was not easy for him. After some time, his parents decided to send him to a special boarding school, which he graduated with honors.

In 1930 he entered the Brest Naval School. He was twenty-second; moreover, the group in which he studied was the first to sail around the world on the ship “Joan of Arc”. He graduated from the Military Academy with the rank of ensign, was assigned to a naval base in Shanghai, and also visited the USSR, where he took a lot of photographs, but almost all the materials were confiscated. Cousteau decided to go to the Naval Aviation Academy; the sky beckoned him, but after a car accident on a mountain road he had to give up aviation. Cousteau broke several ribs and fingers on his left hand, damaged his lungs, and his right arm was paralyzed. The rehabilitation course lasted eight months. To recover, in 1936 he became an instructor on the cruiser Sufren, assigned to the port of Toulon. One day he went to the store and saw diving goggles. Having dived into them, he realized that from now on his life completely belonged to the underwater kingdom.

* Cousteau's floating laboratory in tow from the Calypso, 1964

In 1937, he married Simone Melchior, who bore him two sons, Jean-Michel (1938) and Philippe (1940-1979, died in the Catalina plane crash). In World War II, he participated in the French resistance movement.

Since the early 1950s, Cousteau conducted oceanographic research using the vessel Calypso (a decommissioned minesweeper of the British Royal Navy). Recognition came to Cousteau with the publication of the book “In a World of Silence” in 1953, co-written with Frederic Dumas. The film, based on the book, won an Oscar and the Palme d'Or in 1956.

In 1957 Cousteau was appointed director of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. In 1973 he founded the non-profit Cousteau Society for the protection of the marine environment.

In 1991, a year after his wife Simone died from cancer, he married Francine Triplett. By that time, they already had a daughter, Diana (1979), and a son, Pierre (1981), born before their marriage.

Cousteau died at the age of 87 from a myocardial infarction as a result of complications of a respiratory disease. He was buried in the family plot in the Saint-André-de-Cubzac cemetery.

* Jacques-Yves Cousteau prepares to test a new scuba gear, 1965

According to his first book, "In a world of silence" Cousteau began diving using a mask, snorkel and fins with Frédéric Dumas and Philippe Taglier in 1938. In 1943, he tested the first prototype of a scuba tank, which he developed together with Emile Gagnan. This made it possible for the first time to conduct long-term underwater research, which greatly contributed to improving modern knowledge of the underwater world. Cousteau became the creator of waterproof cameras and lighting devices, and also invented the first underwater television system.

Before the ability of porpoises to echolocation became known, Cousteau suggested the possibility of its existence. In his first book, "In a world of silence" he reported that his research vessel "Elie Monier" heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar and noticed a group of pigs following them. Cousteau changed the ship's course a few degrees from the optimal one, and the pigs followed the ship for some time, and then swam to the center of the strait. It was obvious that they knew where the optimal course lay, even if the people did not. Cousteau concluded that cetaceans had something like sonar, which was a relatively new element in submarines at the time. He turned out to be right.

Cousteau liked to call himself an “oceanographic technician.” He was, in fact, an outstanding showman, teacher and nature lover. His work opened up the Blue Continent to many people.

His work also allowed for the creation of a new type of scientific communication, criticized by some academics at the time. So-called "divulgationism", a simple way of exchanging scientific concepts, soon began to be used in other disciplines and became one of the most important characteristics of modern television broadcasting.

In 1950, he leased the ship Calypso from Thomas Loel Guinness for a symbolic one franc per year. The ship was equipped with a mobile laboratory for conducting research in the open ocean and underwater filming.

Since 1957 he was director of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

In May 1985, Cousteau's team acquired another ship. This is a two-masted yacht Alcyone with an experimental turbosail that uses the Magnus effect to generate thrust.

Cousteau died on June 25, 1997. The Cousteau Society and its French partner Team Cousteau, founded by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, are still active today.

In his later years, after his second marriage, Cousteau became involved in a legal battle with his son Jean-Michel over the use of the name Cousteau. By court order, Jean-Michel Cousteau was prohibited from causing confusion between his professional business and his father's non-profit endeavors.

In St. Petersburg, school No. 4 with in-depth study of the French language was named after Cousteau.

* Jacques-Yves Cousteau aboard the Calypso, 1979

Despite rumors initially published in some Islamic media, there is clear evidence that Cousteau never converted to Islam and was buried according to Christian rites in a Catholic cemetery. An official letter from the Cousteau Foundation states: “We absolutely state that Commander Cousteau did not become a Mohammedan and the rumors circulating have no basis”.

• Commander of the Legion of Honor
• Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
• Military Cross 1939-1945
• Officer of the Order of Naval Merit
• Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters

• The Silent World (1953; co-written with Frederic Dumas).
• The Living Sea (1963; jointly with James Dagen).
• World Without Sun (1965).
• The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea (1970; co-written with Philippe Cousteau).
• La vie et la mort des Coraux (1971; co-authored with Philippe Diolet).
• Mighty monarch of sea (1972; jointly with Philippe Diolet).
• Dolphins (1975).
• La vie au bout du monde (1979; co-authored with Yves Paccale).
• Jacques Cousteau's Amazon Journey (1984; co-directed with Mose Richards).
• Jacques Cousteau: The Ocean World (1985)

• Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F. In the world of silence. Abbr. lane from English - M.: “Young Guard”, 1957. - 221 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F., Dagen J. In a world of silence; Living sea. Per. from English - M.: “Knowledge”, 1966. - 462 p.
• Cousteau J.-I. A world without sun. Per. from French - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1967. - 96 p.
• Cousteau J.-I. "Calypso" and corals. Per. from English - M.: “Knowledge”, 1974. - 63 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Cousteau F. So that there are no secrets in the sea. Underwater research J.-I. Cousteau. Per. from English - M.: “Thought”, 1974. - 191 p.
• Cousteau J.-I. Life and death of corals. Per. from French - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1975. - 176 p.
• Cousteau J.-I, Diolet F. Sunken Treasures. Abbr. lane from French - M.: “Progress”, 1975. - 206 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F. In a world of silence; Cousteau J.-I., Dagen J. The Living Sea. Per. from English - M.: “Thought”, 1976. - 429 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Diolet F. Mighty Lord of the Seas. Underwater research J.-I. Cousteau. Per. from English - M.: “Mysl”, 1977. - 186 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Diolet F. Essays on the inhabitants of the underwater world. Octopus and squid. Per. from English - M.: “Knowledge”, 1980. - 48 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Pakkale I. Surprises of the sea. Per. from French - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1982. - 302 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Pakkale I. Salmon, beavers, sea otters. Per. from French - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1983. - 285 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Pakkale I. Life at the ends of the earth. Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, archipelago of the southern Chilean islands. Per. from French - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1984. - 302 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Pakkale I. In search of Atlantis. Per. from French; V. Shcherbakov. Golden palace of Poseidon. - M.: “Thought”, 1986. - 319 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Cousteau F. The brilliant pirate; Cousteau J.-I., Diole F. Mighty Lord. Per. from English - M.: “Thought”, 1996. - 350 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F. In a world of silence; Cousteau J.-I., Dagen J. The Living Sea. Per. from English - M.: “Armada”, 1997. - 475 p. (Reprint: Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F. In a world of silence; Cousteau J.-I., Dagen J. The Living Sea. Translated from English - M .: “Armada-press”, 2002. - 475 p.)
• Cousteau J.-I., Cousteau F. So that there are no secrets in the sea; Cousteau J.-I., Diolet F. Mighty Lord of the Seas. Per. from English - M.: “Armada”, 1997. - 410 p. (Reprint: Cousteau J.-I., Cousteau F. So that there are no secrets in the sea; Cousteau J.-I., Diole F. Mighty Lord of the Seas. Translated from English - M.: "Armada-press", 2002. - 410 p.)
• Cousteau J.-I. A world without sun; Cousteau J.-I, Diolet F. Sunken Treasures. Per. from French - M.: “Armada”, 1998. - 362 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Dumas F. In a world of silence; Cousteau J.-I., Dagen J. The Living Sea. Per. from English - M.: “AST”, “Astrel”, 2003. - 527 p.
• Cousteau J.-I., Cousteau F. The brilliant barbarian of the seas; Cousteau J.-I., Diolet F. Mighty Lord of the Seas. Per. from English L. Zhdanova, 2003. - 381 p.

In Cousteau's biography, he graduated from naval school in 1930, after which he served as a midshipman for a short time. After leaving naval training due to injuries, he settled in Toulon. Then Jacques-Yves became seriously interested in diving, as he often went out into the Mediterranean Sea. Equipped with a spacesuit along with scuba gear (an autonomous type of such a spacesuit was invented by Cousteau together with E. Gagnan), Cousteau began to dive into the water to 90 m.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau also discovered many instruments, accessories, and diving equipment. For example, a camera for underwater filming, underwater lamps, video cameras. On the submarine Calypso, Cousteau and his crew descended to a depth of 7250 m. The documentaries he filmed were broadcast on television in different countries for a long time.

A traveler through the depths of the sea wrote the book “In a World of Silence” (1953, together with F. Dumas), and a film was made based on it (the film was awarded an Oscar in 1956). In 1957, Cousteau became head of the Oceanological Museum, without leaving underwater expeditions. In 1973, he founded a society for the protection of the marine environment, since Cousteau was very concerned about the destruction of ecosystems in various regions of the world. For his biography, Jacques-Yves Cousteau received many prizes and awards.

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