Jacques-Yves Cousteau: his incredible life and the 5 principles that helped build it

His name is known to everyone in France. He is a legend among ocean explorers. Many documentary films have been made about him. Two works “The World Without Sun” and “In the World of Silence” even won the Oscar award.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau is called a legend, because thanks to him it was possible to dive to the depths. And this is only a small part of his merits. Recall the interesting life of an ordinary French officer who dreamed of the ocean.

Childhood and youth

The legendary explorer of the ocean depths was born on June 11, 1910 in the south of France. His father worked in the office as a lawyer, his mother was the daughter of a pharmacist. She decided not to continue the family business, and to concentrate on taking care of children. In addition to Jacques-Yves, his older brother Pierre-Antoine was also raised in the family.

The legal business brought the family a good income. It allowed a lot of traveling. They chose trips to the sea, where the boy learned to dive to the depths. This is how the love of diving was born. Although doctors forbade him to swim because of chronic enteritis (inflammatory-dystrophic pathology).

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

During the First World War, due to unemployment, the family was forced to move to the United States. When the future oceanographer was 12 years old, they returned to France. Jacques-Yves was admitted to a reputable educational institution – College “Stanislas” in Paris. Here he became interested in invention. The young man himself assembled an electric car.

At the age of 20, after graduating from the Naval Academy Cousteau received the rank of junior lieutenant. He was sent to a base in China. The young man dreamed of aviation and planned to work in this field. However, the consequences of an automobile accident (fractures of both arms) did not allow the planned realization.

However, Jacques-Yves did not want to say goodbye to his military career. He went to serve in the navy. It was here that the explorer became interested in deep diving.

Where did the interest in diving come from?

During his period of service, Cousteau participated in expeditions. Stopping in Vietnam, Jacques-Yves saw pearl fishermen. They were diving into the water without any devices. It was this insignificant event that became decisive in his life. After returning from his trip, the future oceanographer went to study to become an instructor and began diving in earnest.

Soon his potential as an inventor began to emerge. Since salt water irritated the mucous membranes of his eyes, Cousteau developed and implemented a life-saving device – waterproof goggles. Then began to conduct tests with the outfit.

In 1943, the researcher, together with French engineer Emile Gagnan invented a scuba diving suit. The equipment allowed free and unobstructed to descend to 90 meters. But Cousteau didn’t stop there. He also designed waterproof cameras, lighting devices and the world’s first underwater television system.

The opening of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Ile Flottante laboratory, June 2, 1963

After the end of the war, Jacques-Yves worked to clear the waters of underwater mines. For this he was given the floating base “Albatros” at his disposal. After the name was changed to “Elie Monnier”. Cousteau recruited a team of divers and scientists. Their task was to improve the equipment for diving and exploring the depths of the sea shores.

Cousteau’s name is firmly associated with the legendary Calypso Research Laboratory, which he created by converting a decommissioned minesweeper J-826. This made it possible to make legendary round-the-world voyages.

During his expeditions, Cousteau and like-minded people studied the marine world and conducted unique underwater filming. This was made possible thanks to a movie camera with specially converted protection. In 1940, after the surrender of France to Nazi Germany, Jacques-Yves moved to Sanary-sur-Mer. In the small coastal town, he began preparations for global ocean exploration.

Lambert Wilson as Cousteau, film Odyssey (2016)

First steps in oceanography

He bought his first camera while still a student. This is how his love for filming was born. At first he filmed his life, then he started taking the camera on dives, taking unique shots.

One day Cousteau came up with the idea of compiling his work into a documentary. It was dedicated to underwater hunting and was called “At a depth of 18 meters”. It was a breakthrough, because previously filming underwater was not conducted. Technical possibilities for this appeared thanks to the fact that Cousteau was able to re-equip the movie camera.

To make more rare shots, Jacques-Yves enlisted the support of French Admiral Andre Lemonnier. As a result, a special team was created to explore the underwater world. The team cleared the bays of mines, explored the bays for hydrocarbon deposits, while making video reports. These were the first steps in the history of oceanography.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 1978

Contribution to public life

In 1957, Cousteau became the head of the Oceanological Museum, and in 1966 he began to host the author’s television program. He received the invitation due to his passion – filming scientific movies. The oceanographer edited them on the basis of his own materials. Most of his works were shown in the movie.

However, Cousteau did not stop there. He beckoned and literary field. Jacques-Yves wrote about 50 books. The most famous of them; “In a World of Silence”, “The World without the Sun”, “So that there are no secrets in the world”, “World Ocean”.

The video version of “In a World of Silence” was honored at the Academy Awards and the Palme d’Or as the best documentary feature film. The same fate awaited the work “World Without Sunshine”. However, this time the victory was in the category “best documentary film”.

Cousteau on board the Calypso during the celebration of his 75th birthday

The French explorer was concerned about the destruction of the marine ecosystem. For this reason, the Frenchman opened a non-profit society for the protection of the marine environment called the Cousteau Society. It is still functioning. Employees study the problem of pollution of the world’s oceans.

Jacques-Yves opened the Center for Marine Research in Marseille, was the director of the museum in Monaco.

For his active public activities, the oceanographer was awarded the Legion of Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (received from the hands of the 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan). The UN awarded him the International Environmental Prize. He was also inducted into the French Academy of Sciences and recognized as “Man of the Year” by BAFTA. A street in his native Saint-André-de-Kübzak and a school in St. Petersburg are named in his honor.

Trip to the USSR

In 1977, Cousteau visited the USSR. The purpose of the trip was to give speeches telling about the importance of protecting the ocean. The Frenchman’s monologue was received with excitement on Soviet television. A separate interview with him was made by Russian scientist-zoologist and biogeographer Nikolai Drozdov. The researcher also gave a lecture at the Institute of Oceanology.

Jacques-Yves planned to make a dive in the Black Sea, but due to the presence of a large number of military facilities, he did not receive permission.

Lambert Wilson as Cousteau and Audrey Tautou, who played his first wife Simone

Personal life

The Frenchman was married twice. The first wife was Simone Melchior, daughter of the famous admiral Henri Melchio. Together with her husband, she took part in expeditions. Moreover, was the first female diver. However, this marriage was not strong. The reason was the cheating of amorous Cousteau.

Once the researcher at an international conference met with a young stewardess Francine Triplet. The pair were often seen together. Cousteau even had to lie to the public that it was his niece. The legitimate wife learned about infidelity from her husband, who at the moment of grief (in an airplane crash killed their son) himself confessed everything.

With Francine Triplet, April 9, 1995.

Simone could not forgive the infidelity, as Cousteau had a daughter by her mistress. Officially, they did not divorce, but simply separated. In 1990, the legal wife died of cancer. Only then the oceanographer got engaged to Triplet. The couple lived together for the rest of their lives. In their family, another son was born. Alas, with Philippe, the relationship with Jacques-Yves did not add up. He even sued his son to prohibit the use of the family name for commercial purposes.

Scandals and revelations

The public Jacques-Yves both exalted and criticized. The occasion was a serious one. He was accused of cruelty to animals.

Video evidence of how members of Cousteau’s team silenced fish with dynamite, killed sperm whale, giving his body to eat sharks. The voice-over explains that there is simply no other way to study the diversity of the ocean… In the 80s, American journalists launched a campaign to expose Cousteau.

How Jacques-Yves Cousteau died

Jacques-Yves Cousteau passed away on June 25, 1997 in Paris. He was 87 years old. The cause of death – myocardial infarction, received on the background of a respiratory disease. The legendary oceanographer was buried in the cemetery of the town of St. André de Kyubzak, in the family crypt.

The funeral service was held in Paris in the Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. Earlier, the media wrote that Cousteau converted to Islam. However, the family and loved ones did not confirm this information.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 1989

Rules of life and quotes by Cousteau

The French explorer was able to change our familiar world, he showed mankind the beauty of underwater life and its importance. His international recognition would not have been possible if Cousteau had cheated on his principles, in which he drew motivation and inspiration.

1. Not to be afraid of the new and unfamiliar:

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

2. Appreciate what surrounds us:

For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century, he is beginning to realize that in order to survive, he must protect it.

3- Being honest:

I wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom and look at my unwashed face – if it looks like the face of an honest person, then I have a good day ahead of me.

4. Never despair:

One must love life, even in its most unappealing forms.

5. Be aware and grateful:

The happiness of a bee or a dolphin is to exist. For a human being, it is happiness to know that you exist and to feel delight in that fact.