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Jacques Cousteau

by Chloe from San Diego

 (http://movienews2.com/movie-news/jacques-cousteau-3d-biopic)
(http://movienews2.com/movie-news/jacques-cousteau-3d-biopic)

A young boy lies in his room. He stands on top of his bed and pretends that he is sailing a ship. He steers, he jumps, and he looks out for sharks. This small boy had a dream; to become a marine biologist. Who would have thought that years and years later, he would become the most famous marine biologist in the world, Jacques Cousteau. Jacques Cousteau was born in France in 1910. “He founded The Cousteau Society, one of the world’s largest conservation groups” (“Jacques Yves Cousteau” World of Invention). He was an explorer, photographer, writer, and television producer. Cousteau’s television programs showed people all around the world how important the ocean is and how pollution is destroying it (“Cousteau, Jacques”). Many people just mindlessly dump waste and throw trash away in the oceans. Cousteau showed the world that we have to conserve the undersea land that we all love. He changed the world of marine biology with his activism, inventions, and movies. Cousteau can be considered a hero through his bravery, leadership, confidence, and perseverance.


Jacques Cousteau is courageous and brave for protecting the ocean through his inventions and activism. Cousteau enlightened the world about marine biology with his incredible inventions. He invented many different tools for studying marine biology, making it easier to observe. “Jacques-Yves Cousteau is perhaps the most well-known modern scuba diver and undersea explorer. He brought the world of undersea diving within the capabilities of ordinary people by inventing (with Emile Gagnan) the aqualung in 1942. This self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) now enables divers to remain under water for an hour or more instead of minutes. Also, Cousteau helped design other diving equipment such as the two-person diving saucer” (“Jacques Yves Cousteau” World of Invention). Cousteau’s bravery in developing and testing these inventions allowed us to learn more about the ocean on a deeper level. Without these inventions, it would be very difficult for scientists to go out and do hands-on research. Cousteau also spoke out and tried to enlist the help of people to try and save the oceans as well. “In 1960 Cousteau was an important part of the movement to prevent the dumping of French atomic waste into the Mediterranean Sea. This movement ended in success” (“Cousteau, Jacques”). It takes a great deal of dedication and confidence to stop people from doing something that they have been doing for a long time. If Jacques Cousteau wasn’t confident in the work he was doing, he wouldn’t have been able to reach his goals. Cousteau made people aware of dumping, but it is still a problem today. When at the beach, we look out into the ocean, but we don’t realize what is really going on. Cousteau made this picture a little clearer and showed us that in order to protect the life in our oceans; we need to change our habits. Cousteau’s love for the ocean wasn’t the only factor that brought him to his success; it was also bravery, determination and confidence.


Jacques Cousteau also brought the ocean into the homes of many people through his television series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. This television series showed the world the conditions of the ocean and what they can do to help. “Jacques Cousteau exposed millions of American viewers (and others around the world) to life under the sea through the ABC television documentary series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Aboard his ship, the Calypso, Cousteau, his sons, and his crew explored marine life and environments around the world, raising awareness of environmental dangers threatening Earth's oceans” (“The 1970 Science and Technology: Headline Markers”). This television series was a wakeup call to everyone around the world that the ocean is a home to many organisms and we can’t treat it like a garbage can. Cousteau’s television series and his movies were a huge success and changed people around the world. “In all, Cousteau made more than one hundred documentaries and won ten Emmys and three Oscars” (“Jacques Cousteau.” Scientists: Their Lives and Works). Cousteau’s determination with his productions led him to this wonderful success. If Cousteau didn’t have support from his viewers, then he wouldn’t have received so many awards. Cousteau’s movies and televisions shows allowed millions of people to see what exactly was going on in the ocean so they can go out and help to save it themselves. Jacques Cousteau displayed leadership, which is a crucial element of a hero.

To this day, Cousteau’s work has affected both the land and the sea. He made people aware of the fact that the ocean is a treasure and we have to preserve it. He also educated the world with his knowledge of the sea. His inventions helped us to explore the oceans and see for ourselves what we are damaging. Cousteau’s explorations weren’t easy though. In order to put your own life at risk for the good of protecting the environment, you must have bravery, perseverance, and confidence. These are the qualities of an extraordinary hero. These are the qualities of Jacques Cousteau. That young boy sitting on his bed pretending to be an explorer had a dream. He had a dream to learn more about what he loved most, and he did. He became more than just a marine biologist; he became a hero.

Page created on 5/26/2011 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 5/26/2011 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Cousteau - Custodians of The Sea Since 1943
Spectrum - Biographies Written For Students
NNDB - Tracking The Entire World
National Geographic - Inspiring People To Care About The Planet Since 1888