Fabien Cousteau
Encyclopedia
Fabien Cousteau is a French
aquatic filmmaker and oceanographic explorer. He is son of Jean-Michel Cousteau
and grandson of the noted oceanographic explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau
. Born in Paris
, he grew up in both France
and the United States
, and frequently accompanied his grandfather and father on their sea voyages. He graduated from Boston University
.
His first known scuba dive was an hour and a half buddy-breathing with a family friend in a swimming pool
on his fourth birthday
.
Fabien Cousteau has made intensive study of shark
s in their natural habitat, with the use of "Troy", a specially built "Trojan Shark
" submarine
designed and built by Eddie Paul of EPIndustries.com or Deadllinetv.net in the shape of a great white shark
. He spent several hundred hours filming sharks in preparation for his documentary film on the subject, titled Mind of a Demon (CBS, June 28, 2006). He developed the idea of a shark-shaped submersible
based on a childhood memory of the cover of a French-language comic book
, The Adventures of Tintin
: Le trésor de Rackham le rouge
, which featured such a craft (which was purely imaginary at the time).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
aquatic filmmaker and oceanographic explorer. He is son of Jean-Michel Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau is a French explorer, environmentalist, educator, and film producer. The first son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, he is the father of Fabien Cousteau and Celine Cousteau.-Biography:...
and grandson of the noted oceanographic explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
. Born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he grew up in both France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and frequently accompanied his grandfather and father on their sea voyages. He graduated from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
His first known scuba dive was an hour and a half buddy-breathing with a family friend in a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
on his fourth birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
.
Fabien Cousteau has made intensive study of shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s in their natural habitat, with the use of "Troy", a specially built "Trojan Shark
Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
" submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
designed and built by Eddie Paul of EPIndustries.com or Deadllinetv.net in the shape of a great white shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
. He spent several hundred hours filming sharks in preparation for his documentary film on the subject, titled Mind of a Demon (CBS, June 28, 2006). He developed the idea of a shark-shaped submersible
Submersible
A submersible is a small vehicle designed to operate underwater. The term submersible is often used to differentiate from other underwater vehicles known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power and breathing air, whereas a submersible is...
based on a childhood memory of the cover of a French-language comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
: Le trésor de Rackham le rouge
Red Rackham's Treasure
Red Rackham's Treasure is the twelfth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. It is a continuation of The Secret of the Unicorn, and is one of very few Tintin...
, which featured such a craft (which was purely imaginary at the time).
External links
- "The Underseen World of Fabien Cousteau" by Tim Stoddard, from Bostonia, Summer 2003
Listening
- "Fabien Cousteau, Swimming with Sharks", from National Public Radio All Things Considered radio program, December 3, 2005