Philippe Cousteau
Encyclopedia
Philippe Cousteau was a documentary film maker specializing in environmental issues, with a background in oceanography
. He was the second son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau
and Simone Cousteau.
Born in Toulon
, Philippe Cousteau first dived with an aqua-lung
in 1945. He was a professional diver from the age of 7. A pilot and a witness of the advance of science in the art of diving and underwater adventure, he grew up traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and acquiring several languages.
In February 1967 Cousteau accompanied his father on the RV Calypso for an expedition to film the shark
s of the Red Sea
and the Indian Ocean
. As well as being the lead photographer for the expedition, Philippe also chronicled his experiences in the 1970 publication Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea. He coproduced numerous documentaries with his father until his death, including his own PBS series, "Oasis in Space," concerning environmental issues.
Cousteau lent his technical expertise to the U.S. Navy
's SEALAB
program. In the aftermath of aquanaut
Berry L. Cannon
's death while attempting to repair a leak in SEALAB III, Cousteau volunteered to dive down to SEALAB and help return it to the surface, although SEALAB was ultimately salvaged in a less hazardous way.
He died aged 38 in 1979 in a PBY Catalina
flying boat crash in the Tagus
river near Lisbon
. The aircraft nosed over during a high speed taxi run undertaken to check the hull for leakage following a water landing. The Catalina turned upside down, causing the fuselage to break behind the cockpit. The wing separated from the fuselage and the left engine broke off, penetrating the captain's side of the cockpit.
His children Alexandra Cousteau
and Philippe Cousteau Jr.
continue the family work in oceanography
as the Co-Founders of EarthEcho International
.
in Asturias
, Spain
honors the oceanographer.
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
. He was the second son of 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...
and Simone Cousteau.
Born in Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, Philippe Cousteau first dived with an aqua-lung
Aqua-lung
Aqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
in 1945. He was a professional diver from the age of 7. A pilot and a witness of the advance of science in the art of diving and underwater adventure, he grew up traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and acquiring several languages.
In February 1967 Cousteau accompanied his father on the RV Calypso for an expedition to film the 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 of the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. As well as being the lead photographer for the expedition, Philippe also chronicled his experiences in the 1970 publication Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea. He coproduced numerous documentaries with his father until his death, including his own PBS series, "Oasis in Space," concerning environmental issues.
Cousteau lent his technical expertise to the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's SEALAB
SEALAB (United States Navy)
SEALAB I, II, and III were experimental underwater habitats developed by the United States Navy to prove the viability of saturation diving and humans living in isolation for extended periods of time...
program. In the aftermath of aquanaut
Aquanaut
An Aquanaut is any individual who remains underwater, exposed to the ambient pressure, long enough to come into equilibrium with his or her breathing media. Usually this is done in an underwater habitat on the seafloor for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to...
Berry L. Cannon
Berry L. Cannon
Berry Louis Cannon was an American aquanaut who served on the SEALAB II and III projects of the U.S. Navy. Cannon died of carbon dioxide poisoning while attempting to repair SEALAB III...
's death while attempting to repair a leak in SEALAB III, Cousteau volunteered to dive down to SEALAB and help return it to the surface, although SEALAB was ultimately salvaged in a less hazardous way.
He died aged 38 in 1979 in a PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat crash in the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
river near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. The aircraft nosed over during a high speed taxi run undertaken to check the hull for leakage following a water landing. The Catalina turned upside down, causing the fuselage to break behind the cockpit. The wing separated from the fuselage and the left engine broke off, penetrating the captain's side of the cockpit.
His children Alexandra Cousteau
Alexandra Cousteau
Alexandra Marguerite Clémentine Cousteau is the daughter of Philippe Cousteau and the granddaughter of world famous French explorer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau...
and Philippe Cousteau Jr.
Philippe Cousteau Jr.
Philippe Pierre Jacques-Yves Arnault Cousteau, Jr. is the son of Philippe Cousteau, having been born several months after the death of his father, and the grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau...
continue the family work in oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
as the Co-Founders of EarthEcho International
EarthEcho International
EarthEcho International is an environmental nonprofit organization founded in honor of Philippe Cousteau, by his children and widow. EarthEcho is based in Washington, D.C.. The foundation was originally named the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, but changed its name after a dispute with the Cousteau...
.
Legacy
The Philippe Cousteau Anchor MuseumPhilippe Cousteau Anchor Museum
The Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum is located in Salinas, a town within the Castrillón municipality of Asturias, Spain. It is reached by the N-632....
in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
honors the oceanographer.
External links
- Photo of Philippe Cousteau at the controls of N101CS.
- Photo of Philippe Cousteau.
- Cousteau Society PBY-6A Catalina as piloted by Philippe Cousteau.
- Official Aircraft Accident Description N101CS, Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina, 28 June 1979.
- CDNN- The Cousteau Wars.
