Jacques Cousteau

Explorers of earlier centuries travelled by sea or over land, but this biography of Jacques Cousteau focuses on a 20th century explorer whose frontier lay beneath the waves. It follows the journeys of this underwater adventurer and inventor.

Diving was once a risky business with little room for study. Cousteau's 1943 improvement of the aqualung let divers remain submerged for hours at a time. His undersea expeditions reached millions of people through books, films and television programs, bringing ocean life into view for audiences who could never dive themselves.

The book covers Cousteau's early service in the French navy, the history of underwater exploration before his work, and his efforts to protect the oceans, including his work with whales and dolphins. It also describes the research ships and inventions he developed and his involvement in an underwater living research program. A teacher's guide is available.