Upon his death on June 25, 1997, Jacques-Yves Cousteau known simply as "the Captain", will always be remembered worldwide for the mystery and beauty of our "water planet" he brought into all our lives.
I had the distinct honor of meeting him , his entire family and the crew of the "Alcyone" at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium in June of 1984.
For millions of people who saw the oceans only through the porthole of television, the "voice of the sea" had a soft French accent. His 60-year odyssey with the sea, much of it on his famous boat the "Calypso" and later the "Alcyone", was more than just a great adventure. He co-invented the aqualung, developed a one-person, jet-propelled submarine and helped start the first manned undersea human habitat.
"When you dive, you begin to feel that you're an angel" the environmentalist and scuba pioneer once said. Often wearing his trademark red wool cap, he became a household name, especially through his hugely popular television series "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau".
Cousteau liked to call himself an "Oceanographic Technician", was also a romantic who once said that for him, water was the ultimate symbol of love. "The reason why I love the sea, I cannot explain" a chuckling Cousteau once said, "There is never a bad dive session. There is always something new to learn and see" he said.
After a lifetime of invention, exploration and storytelling, Cousteau said not long before he died that he was proudest of helping to save Alaska, the Antarctic, the Amazon basin and of helping awaken the awareness all over the world. "All these things have been hard won, but we did it and I am very proud of it."
A reflective moment to remember "the Captain" and his extraordinary legacy, truly gives this commemorative site merit and worth.
Gregory R. Mann, Ph.D. {ret.}
"robsonbight"
Marine Biologist/Educator
Lead Administrator
Email: grm.phd@gmail.co
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