Earth Protect Blog

Today marks the 100th birthday of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The Cousteau Society will commemorate the centennial of his birth with a year-long celebration in Paris, as well as various events planned around the world. 

The Society is currently accepting proposals for other officially sanctioned events. Dates will be announced as information is released regarding regional and local events.

The year long celebration will culminate with the relaunch of Cousteau's famous ship, Calypso, which sunk in 1996 after being rammed by a barge in Singapore. The ship was salvaged and is currently being refurbished in Brittany, under the auspices of Cousteau's widow, Francine.

“It has been many years since this renowned ambassador for the seas and oceans last sailed,” says
Madame Cousteau. “We need help to complete Calypso’s refurbishment, but we are extremely pleased and excited by the prospect of her touring again – the inimitable iconic Mona Lisa of the ocean – to continue the mission of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s life, fostering appreciation of both the beauty and fragility of the seas.”

For many divers the name Cousteau is synonymous with diving and marine exploration. The legendary explorer and film maker was a pioneer in the development of the SCUBA apparatus we take for granted today. His invention of the aqualung in 1943 opened the door to the underwater world that millions worldwide are now able to enjoy with relative ease.

In addition to exploration and invention, Jaques Cousteau was a pioneer in the fields of marine biology and conservation. His belief that creating awareness of the undersea world could motivate the public to protect the marine environment inspired many underwater photographers and videographers to follow in his footsteps.

According to Cousteau's youngest son, Pierre-Yves, “If he were alive today, my father would surely be awed by the technology and skill behind the work of his cinematic successors, who share my father’s philosophy that ‘people protect what they love – and we love what enchants us.”

It is an unfortunate irony that the centennial birthday of one of the greatest figures in marine conservation occurs in the shadow of perhaps the greatest man-made marine catastrophe of all time. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has made it impossible to ignore the need to protect our world oceans. However, almost four decades ago, Cousteau recognized both the danger presented from oil spills and the relative irresponsibility of the oil industry.

With his typical insightfulness, he said in 1973, "Following multiple disastrous spills of the late 1960s, the oil industry has tried to prevent some of the possible consequences of ocean drilling. But they are ineffective! An industry that spends hundreds and hundreds of millions ... to intensify its exploitation of the sea should further efforts to protect life."

Hopefully, we will all take a moment this Friday, June 11, 2010 to contemplate not only the life and legacy of Jaques-Yves Cousteau, but also our own legacy and individual responsibility toward the undersea world we enjoy and on which our planet depends.

As Pierre Yves put it, “In this year, the 100th anniversary of his birth, we owe it to his memory to ensure that the spirit of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his work inspires new generations.” http://www.cousteau.org/