A Journey Into The Life Of The Great Ocean Explorer, Jacques Costeau

And now a page from our "Sunday Morning" Almanac: June 25th, 1997, 20 years ago today … the day the great ocean explorer and environmental advocate Jacques Cousteau died at the age of 87. Jane Pauley reports on his life of adventure and innovation that inspired boundless fascination with the wonders of the sea. A French Naval Academy graduate, Cousteau devoted his life to studying the sea. French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was a trailblazer in exploring the oceans and bringing the wonders of the sea to audiences around the world through his documentaries and books. In this story originally broadcast on "Sunday Morning" on June 26, 1994, correspondent Terence Smith talks with Cousteau about his tireless efforts as an advocate for the health of the oceans and aquatic life, and his fight to protect Earth's most precious resource for future generations. (For more information visit the Cousteau Society.) Here's a look back at the life and technology of Jacques Cousteau: Aqua-lung Classic twin-hose Cousteau-type aqualung Developed by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1943, the "Aqua-lung" was the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set. The technology features a high-pressure diving cylinder and a diving regulator. The diver was able to breathe gas at ambient pressure, through a demand valve. (Photo: Jake's Rolex Watch) Diving Saucer Diving SaucerCo-developed by Cousteau and engineer Jean Mollard, the mini-submersible sailed the depths to explore unknown parts of the ocean. A crane lowered the saucer from the Calypso into the water or lifted her up to the rear deck of the ship. With a diameter of 2.85 meters and a weight of 3.5 tons, it carried a crew of two in a steel cabin. (Photo: CrystalDive.com) Sea FleasThese two exploration submersibles, also called SP-500s, were approximately two by three meters and two tons. They could reach a depth of 500 meters. The Sea Fleas were piloted by a joystick with buttons for each finger on the grip. (Photo: Cousteau Society) Click "NEXT" to see more underwater fascination in the world without sun. Nevertheless, these experiments gave rise to the training astronauts undergo today before leaving for a world of billions of suns: Space. Here, too, Cousteau was a precursor. (Cousteau Society) Living UnderwaterStarting in the 1960s, Cousteau set up "oceanauts" where people could live underwater for short periods of time. The project was to prove that humans could live underwater for extended periods. In 1965, the so-called Conshelf III off the Nice coast was established one hundred meters below the surface. The building housed six oceanauts who lived together for three weeks. (CBS News) Calypso Originally built for the British Royal Navy as a minesweeper, the Calypso was leased to Cousteau for a symbolic one franc a year from the Irish millionaire Thomas Loel Guinness. The ship was accidentally rammed by a barge in Singapore on January 8, 1996, and sank in the port. It was later raised, towed to France and is now being restored. (The Telegraph) Watch a fascinating video "NEXT" From the archive: Jacques Cousteau And he went on to express regret for what he would be missing once he was gone: "I will be sorry, not for my pleasure, but for all the things that I'm interested in that I will not be able to follow up." Today, the Society that bears Cousteau's name is continuing his mission, guided by his own words: "The impossible missions are the only ones that succeed." For more info: Cousteau Society Reported by: CBS News Almanac: Jacques Cousteau RELATED: The Unknown Legacy Of Underwater Explorer Jacques Cousteau are Titanic Footage That You Probably Haven’t Seen Before

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