Jacques-Yves Cousteau
The Greatest Explorer
[Part 4 of 5]
It's A Family Affair–The Life Aquatic
The Cousteau Family
"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth, but man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free." –Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Coustea not only invented SCUBA diving but taught his wife and two sons how to dive which you see in the photo below. Jacques Cousteau's oldest son, Jean-Michel is pictured on the far left; Jacques wife, Simone is pictured in the center; then Jacques Cousteau with his younger son Philippe pictured on the far right exploring in the Mediterranean Sea.
In this next family portrait we see Jacques next to his son Philippe who is next to his brother Jean-Michel. You can learn much more about Jacques-Yves Cousteau, an his sons in an article I wrote named "The Complete History Of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER, Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean: Part 5: Jacques Cousteau, Emile Gagan & The Aqua Lung."
In the photo above, Jacques Cousteau's older son, Jean-Michel is pictured on the far right side, and in this next photo below we see Jean-Michel Cousteau posing with his son Fabien Coustau and his daughter, Céline Cousteau in the same pose, except now he is on the far left side. Today, Jean-Michel Cousteau is renowned explorer, environmentalist, educator and film producer with his own show that currently airs on PBS named Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures.
Jean-Michel, Fabien and Céline Cousteau appear with their father on his TV show and go on expeditions all over the world with him.
Jean-Michel Coustea is pictured above scuba-diving with this son daughter and son and is pictured below standing in a lagoon.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, who is also Jacques Cousteau's grandson, Fabian Cousteau is pictured below.
Jean-Michel Cousteau's daughter, who is Jacques Cousteau's granddaughter, Céline is pictured below swimming in the ocean with dolphin's. Notice how long her flippers are and that she is snorkeling. Very cool photo of Céline.
Young Céline Cousteau is picture below at age 9 in front of her Grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau's Calypso, as it made its way down the Amazon River.
The Cousteau team is pictured below swimming beneath a great white shark.
In this last image from this series, we see Jean-Michel Cousteau inspecting some tropical fish.
Jacques Cousteau's Son's & Grandson
All Wore Rolex Submariner Watches
In this next photo of Philippe-Pierre Cousteau when he was much younger-taken during a Jacques Cousteau documentary named "Voyage To The End Of The World", he is wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner in stainless steel.
It is funny because in the photo below, Jacques Cousteau seems to be staring at his son Philippe-Pierre Cousteau's Rolex Submariner.
Twas The Worst of Times
Phillipe Cousteau (pictured above and below) was was quite an explorer and risk taker, but unfortunately in 1979 he was attempting to land the Cousteau amphibious Flying Calypso airplane boat and he crashed it in the Tagus River in Portugal and lost his life.
According to T. Walker Lloyd, who was very close to Philippe, when you plan to land a boat in the water you are supposed to fly over the landing area to do a visual check to make certain there are no obstructions. Apparently Philippe decided to land the newly refinished Cousteau Calypso II PBY flying boat without first observing the landing area and the plane hit a corral reef and crashed.
The Calpyso II PBY flying boat was an amazingly innovative flying research laboratory and Philippe flew it all over the world. Philippe Cousteau was an amazing explorer, like his dad, brother and son and his death was a supreme tragedy.
Philippe Cousteau Jr.
Jacques Cousteau was devestated when his son Philippe died. At the time of Philippe Cousteau's death, his American wife, Jan, was seven months pregnant with their son Philippe Cousteau Jr. who is pictured below. Philippe Cousteau followed in his father and grandfather's footsteps.
"I'll never be able to fill my father's or grandfather's shoes, but hopefully I can stand on their shoulders and reach farther." –Philippe Cousteau Jr.
Philippe Cousteau was born in Santa Monica, California, U.S.A. on January 20, 1980 and is 29 years old today. He has followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by educating the public about environmental and conservation issues as well as encouraging people to take better care of planet earth. Philippe Cousteau Jr. grew up in France and the U.S. and in 2000, he co-founded EarthEcho International with his older sister Alexandra Cousteau.
Philippe is also the Chief Ocean Correspondent for Animal Planet, where he is producing a series of ocean documentary programs.
In the next three photos of Philippe Cousteau Jr., he is testifying before the United States Congress in a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee on Capital Hill on February 11, 2009 in Washington D.C. The hearing examined the environmental and commercial aspects of offshore oil drilling.
Philippe Cousteau Jr., wears a Rolex SEA-DWELLER which looks similar to the Submariner his father, uncle and grandfather wore–as you can see in the photo above and the two photos below. As Scott pointed out in the comment section, Philippe's mother, Jan gave him his Rolex SEA-DWELLER when he graduated from Saint Andrews University.
