His long career (Cousteau lived to age eighty-seven) contained many other amazing
achievements:
- The first underwater archaeology operation using autonomous diving;
- Discovering how porpoises use natural sonar to guide themselves;
- Winning the top prize at the world-famous Cannes Film Festival for his
documentary The Silent World;
Organizing a successful campaign to stop the dumping of nuclear waste in the oceans;
and Winning a long list of awards and medals from grateful nations and organizations
around the world.
Through more than 120 television documentaries and fifty books, Cousteau helped make
science and nature popular topics for everyday people, and he left a legacy that carries on
his work. The Cousteau Society he founded to protect the environment now has 300,000
members. As rich and famous as he became, Jacques Cousteau always said he was just a
man trying to do his bit to help the world. “It takes generosity to discover the whole
through others,” he said. “If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to
the world by playing your role in the concert.”
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