Jacques-Yves Cousteau2 photos

He was born on June 11, 1910, in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, near Bordeaux, into the family of a itinerant merchant. Every summer, the family would spend their time in Ruaián, on the shores of the Bay of Biscay. There, the boy learned to swim at an early age and fell in love with the sea for the rest of his life.

After finishing school, Costo decided to enroll in the Naval Academy—its diploma offered the opportunity to explore the world while still being connected to the ocean he loved so much. After passing through a highly competitive selection process, he was admitted. Fortunately for him, the group he joined happened to be the first to embark on a round-the-world voyage on the ship “Jeanne d’Arc”.

After graduating from the academy, he served at a naval base in Shanghai. One day, he was involved in a car accident on a mountain road.

It took many years and his unwavering perseverance to restore some function to his hand, which had become paralyzed due to damage to the radial nerve.

Soon after, he became a pioneer in underwater exploration. He developed a closed-system oxygen supply device and, together with experts from the French Underwater Research Center, designed the “Diving Bell”, a compact submersible vessel for research purposes.

During World War II, he was an active member of the French Resistance. After the war, he returned to his beloved pursuits. In the early 1950s, he acquired and modified an old British mine countermeasure ship, the “Calypso”, for use in marine research.

He conducted numerous oceanographic expeditions on it, exploring the Atlantic, Indian Oceans, as well as the Red, Black, and Arabian Seas and the Persian Gulf. Costo shared the results of his expeditions in his books and films. He received many awards, including the Order of the Legion of Honor. He passed away at the age of 87 on June 25, 1997. His numerous publications, speeches, and public appearances made him remembered not only as an energetic researcher but also as a great humanitarian who dedicated his life to protecting the oceanic environment.