When you think of famous SCUBA divers, who first comes to mind? We’re fairly confident that Jacques-Yves Cousteau is probably somewhere near the top of your list. You might know that Cousteau is credited with co-inventing and developing the first aqualung, enabling people to view the underwater world without having to surface for air or rely on a bulky diving bell – but what else do you know about this famous figure? Here, we’ll take a closer look at the man many call “The Father of SCUBA diving.”
Jacques and Water: A Lifelong Fascination
Born on June 11 of 1910 in the village of Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac, in the southwest of France, Jacques-Yves Cousteau suffered from anemia and digestive problems as a small child. By age four, he learned to swim, and as he got a little older, he became interested in photography, filming, and mechanical objects.
Despite his intelligence, Cousteau struggled through school, finally making his way into the French Naval Academy in 1930. While in the French Navy, he honed his photography skills at various ports of call throughout the South Pacific and Indian oceans.
It was in 1933, when an auto accident nearly took his life, that Jacques Cousteau’s interest in water – and what lay beneath the surface - deepened. As he was recovering from his injuries, he swam in the Mediterranean daily to strengthen himself, and when a friend named Philippe Tailliez presented him with a pair of swimming goggles, his fascination grew to larger-than-life proportions.
During the Second World War, Cousteau continued to enjoy viewing underwater life, all the while attempting to find a suitable method for filming all he saw. It was in 1943, when he met engineer Emile Gagnan, that he began to make real headway. Together, the two men used compressed air cylinders, snorkel hoses, and all sorts of gadgets, finally coming up with the first aqualung. Cousteau also worked to develop a pressure-resistant waterproof camera, and he made his first two underwater documentaries, titled Shipwrecks and 18 Meters Deep.
Cousteau was also a member of the French Resistance movement, frequently spying on Italian forces and documenting Axis troop movements. He was recognized for his assistance and received several medals, including the French Legion of Honor. Once the war was over, Cousteau continued to assist, working with France’s navy to clear underwater mines. All the while, he continued to conduct underwater experiments during his free time, even filming his adventures below the surface.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau also worked on another important first: He, along with Philippe Tailliez, other divers, and a group of scientists, conducted the first ever underwater archaeology expedition to locate and research the Roman shipwreck Mahdia. By 1950, he had leased a former British minesweeper, converting her into a research vessel and calling her Calypso. For a few years, Cousteau struggled to promote public awareness, until publishing his 1953 book, The Silent World, which later became an acclaimed film.
In 1968, while enjoying unprecedented fame, he produced his television series, aptly named The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. It ran for nine seasons, and enabled millions to experience the beauty of the underwater environment through their TV sets. It was during this period that Jacques Cousteau came to the realization that human activity was damaging the oceans. In 1973, he founded the Cousteau Society, which is still active today, working to study and protect ocean environments everywhere.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau died in Paris at the age of 87, on June 25th of 1997, just a little under a year after his beloved Calypso sunk in Singapore Harbor after being accidentally rammed by a barge. Without Jacques Cousteau, would we be able to enjoy the underwater adventures we do, and would we have begun working to save the oceans as early as we did? No one knows the answers to these questions – but what we do know is that, as Jacques Cousteau once said, “The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed.” Thanks, Jacques, for being a gift to diving – and to the world.