Doug Allan

He takes three years' leave from the navy and assembles a team of divers, including Dumas.

On the evening before they depart, the crew gather around the small galley table for dinner.

Their captain, Cousteau, makes a toast to their new adventure, closing with his motto, Il faut aller voir.

We must go and see for ourselves.

On November 24, 1951, the Calypso sets out on its first expedition to the Red Sea, a narrow stretch of water between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Cousteau cheerfully describes it as a nice hot bathtub full of sharks.

In its warm waters, the crew encounter dazzling coral reefs and identify previously unknown species.

The following year, he discovers a 2,000-year-old Greek shipwreck off the coast of Marseille, from which he recovers ancient ceramics.

He also now establishes the French Office of Undersea Technology in Toulon, a center dedicated to inventing and improving diving equipment and underwater technology.

With the help of Dumas, he also begins writing about his adventures.

The resulting book, The Silent World, becomes a New York Times bestseller.

The success of The Silent World allows the Calypso's voyages to become more ambitious.

The crew ventures into the Persian Gulf, where some of the time is spent surveying the seabed for oil companies.

It is demanding work, but pays for what will become the first full-length underwater film in color.

The film showcases the treasures of the ocean, porpoises leaping through the waves, and Jojo, a large grouper fish who loves to be fed scraps.

but it also captures the camaraderie of the men as they play cards and share bottles of wine.

Nicknamed the shepherdess, Simone is adored by the crew, and the Cousteau's sons join their parents on their holidays from boarding school.

In 1956, the resulting film, also titled The Silent World, wins the Palme d'Or, the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Oscar for Best Documentary.

But the film, which includes footage of the crew blowing up coral reefs and harpooning fish, is not without its critics.

Despite the controversies, the film propels Cousteau to worldwide fame.