This Man Created The Modern Diver

Thank you for that tribute, and I agree Cousteau was a true pioneer/adventurer/hero of the Silent World. That book sits prominently on my shelf, an inspiring combination of scientific adventurism and eloquent poetry. Yes the early creators of SCUBA were too careless and destructive in some cases, but without those early days the undersea world might still be much more of a mystery, and they and other responsible divers have long since learned to be more sensitive to the environment.

My Dad was in the US Army back in the late 50s stationed in France on the Mediterranean coast. His first dives, using gear similar to what you see in "Le Monde Du Silence" documentary, took place off the coast of Juan-les-Pins near the Cap d'Antibes. He went on to a PhD in Marine Biology and a professor of Oceanography in Seattle Washington. Shortly after, the Calypso arrived at the University of Washington waterfront, and I met Jacques-Yves Cousteau when I was five years old. Since then I went on to become a Divemaster and have dived some of the sites originally pioneered by Cousteau and the Calypso team, most memorably the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm in the Red Sea.

My Dad recently passed away, but one of the songs I played as a tribute to him and our hero was "Calypso" by John Denver.