The Incredible Calypso: Jacques Cousteau's Crazy Exploration Vessel

"The Calypso" was arguably the most famous vessel in the world throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, captained by enigmatic and pioneering explorer, researcher and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Despite her small size, this converted WWII-era Minesweeper was packed to the gunnels with laboratories, workshops and darkrooms, gadgets such as innovative submersibles, helicopters, a unique bulbous bow, a suite of research equipment and an adventurous crew to match.

Sources:

"Jacques Cousteau's Calypso" is an amazing study of the entire ship (highly reccomend it):

The Living Sea

Jacques Coustea: The Sea King

My Father, The Captain by Jean-Michel Cousteau

Jacques Cousteau's Odyssey

00:00 - Introduction
04:00 - Built to Clear Mines
08:52 - From Minesweeper to Maltese Ferry
11:05 - Jacques Yves Cousteau
13:30 - Cousteau Discovers the Calypso G
14:22 - The Original Gadgets & Features of the Calypso
16:30 - 1950s: The First Voyage of The Calypso
18:27 - The First Underwater Archaeological Dig
19:36 - The Silent World
22:03 - The SP-350 - Calypsos Submersible
24:34 - YUMBO
25:58 - 1960s: The Grand Expedition
28:03 - The Magic of Cousteau's Films
29:29 - Calypso Explores Antarcica
31:09 - 1970s: Discovering Britannic & America
32:28 - A Tragic Loss
33:15 - A 1980s Cross Section of the Calypso
35:00 - 1980s: Calypsos Last Decade
36:20 - Simone "The Spirit of the Calypso"
37:55 - The End of the Calypso & Jacques Cousteau
38:41 - The Future of the Calypso
39:01 - What Will Happen To The Calypso?
41:28 - Waffling On a Bit

[CalumRaasay]

people seem to be getting confused with this… I’m saying Jacque YVES Cousteau (his full name) not “Jackie” 😂

[ronbowman]

I'm nearly 60 and I remember as a kid being entranced by watching the latest voyage of the Calypso and Cousteau, this sure brings back a lot of childhood dreams.

[andreasheld]

As a child I was fascinated by Jacques Cousteau and all his discoveries and adventures. So, Calum, again: thank you for this wonderful journey back to my childhood! You're the best! 🙂

[lucabrasi]

We all owe Cousteau a huge measure of thanks and respect. For most of my generation, he showed us the world beneath the waves and opened our minds to exploration of the seas. His television specials were immensely educational and entertaining.

[wyst]

I'm French, and in the early eighties I was a young teenager. I had read all Cousteau's book several times, enjoying every details of his adventures. Back then, I was dreaming of becoming a diver in Cousteau's team. At some point, I understood that it would obviously never happen but I still cherish what Jacques Yves Cousteau gave me.
Thank you for this very good video.

[americanrambler]

I have seen a number of Jacques Cousteau exploration specials as a kid while growing up. However, this is the first time I have seen a video dedicated to the mighty little ship Calypso. I knew it was a converted WW2 minesweeper, and it was crowded and loaded with some incredible equipment, but I did not know much about the ship itself. I loved the little tidbit about the 2, 000 liter wine tank!

This little ship was worked hard all of its life. And at the end was very thoroughly worn out and tired. I am truly surprised it still exists, even though it’s just a skeleton and buried in financial woes that very well may finish her off.

Thank you for this very informative video.

[CalumRaasay]

I was quite brief in my coverage of the current state of the Calypso at the end there. Her 'restoration' has been going on for a _long_ time now and in that time there has much debate, infighting and legal action about the ownership of the Calypso and how, if ever, the restoration will end. I alluded to it in the video but I'd really recommend people do their own research on the matter as it's a changing situation. You may rightly ask why I _didn't_ cover this whole saga in more detail and the answer twofold. In any debate there are multiple sides and nuance to take into account and I didn't think it was within the remit of this video to wade in to legal debates and long-standing feuds. Also this is meant to be a celebration of what the Calypso _was_... not what she is now. The whole point about my piece to camera at the end was that, to me anyway, the Calypsos story finished with the death of Simone. I think that's a beautiful, fitting end to an amazing ship and everything past her raising in Singapore in my eyes takes away from the fun and adventure of what JC, Simone & his crew accompanied with the Calypso.

You might disagree with that but if you read between the lines you'll understand my feelings on the matter.

EDIT- people seem to be getting confused with this though… I’m saying Jacque YVES Cousteau (his full name) not “Jackie”

[daszieher]

As someone who grew up in the seventies, watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and reading National Geographic magazine I am really thrilled and thankful for the time and effort that you have put into making this video.

Especially the bits that capture the interest of any even just casual Jacques Cousteau fan such as the numbered cross sectional views make a difference.

Congratulations and thank you!

[mitchellbarnow]

I was born in 1959 so I was fortunate to be able to watch everyone of the Cousteau episodes on TV when they were just produced. It was incredible to see so much beauty in our oceans and to marvel at all of the incredible inventions on board his ship. I didn't know anything about the history of the Calypso and I don't remember the windows in the bulbous bow. I used to go with my friends to our local aquarium store where we had a club and we discussed the latest Cousteau episode. Those were great days in the early to mid 1970's. We would ride our bicycles to the aquarium store and chain them up out front of the store.

[LEGASPIProductionsv]

Thank you for making this, can’t believe I just found it. I became a diver and boat captain because of Jacques Cousteau. Even though I’m only 23, his footage and adventures still made their way into my childhood. In recent years I’ve even done work with Jean-Michel Cousteau and other work doing exploration and documentaries. None of it wouldn’t have happened without that ship. Heck, even my profile pic is the Calypso! Thank you to the Calypso and her crew for getting me to where I am today.

[touco]

I worked on Calypso for a subcontractor one weekend in the early eighties while moonlighting from the Navy down in Norfolk VA, a lot of burning and welding and being young then I managed to get the worst flashburns of my life because of the refections off the white hull, I loved the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau in the sixties and seventies, very educational

[Dewiart]

I once had lunch with Jacques Cousteau in Monaco in 1981 - a quite wonderful experience and one that I will never forget. Well done on a tremendous tribute to the late captain and the Calypso...I can now hear John Denver singing away!

[mylifeisdope]

My dad used to dive with Jacques. Thank you for such a great video about him, his boat, and his vision.

[HeroHire]

I remember a big part of my Saturdays as a kid was watching Jacques Cousteau. I thought Calypso was a huge ship until it made a visit up the Mississippi River to stop and spend a few days docked at the Vicksburg waterfront. I still remember the shock at seeing how small that boat was against the thoughts of them traveling oceans and exploring the seas aboard it. I also recall my sadness the day that vessel sank and when Jacques passed.

[edjohnson]

I am pretty sure that this is the best documentary-style YouTube video I have ever watched. Your treatment of the subject was thoughtful and very detailed. What a wonderful tribute to the Cousteau family and their support of research for our environment. I’ve seen a lot of your village videos, Callum, and this one by far hits home the most, as I grew up watching Cousteau‘s exploits in awe and wonder as a child. Thank you for this journalistic gift do you have given to your online community. Looking forward to much more in the future!

[glashoppah]

I grew up in the 1960s and never missed any video with Cousteau. His beautiful voice calmly narrating the most intense and fantastic scenes, as we were brought along on an actual adventure as it happened - every scene something no one else on the planet had ever seen before, true exploration we were all able to share. It was formative for me, and Calypso its fantastic symbol. Thank you for making this wonderful video and taking me down a wonderful memory lane.

[mikefabbi]

Mad props and respect for your father's model making skills.

[stuckpstuckp]

I grew up as a teenager in the 70’s watching the adventures on TV. Even one day my father and I were on a sailing trip in the Mediterranean I saw the Calypso for real. Indeed a smaller ship than I thought. Your documentary brought back so many memories. Also I appreciated how you talked about its waning years. I always wondered. Many thanks!

[ConnMtenor]

"The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" was a favorite of my family- we loved it- lots of fond memories of that and it helped feed my love of the sea and what it has to offer.

[mcfrmedic]

Thank you so much for making this! Growing up in the 70's & 80's there was a lot of family turmoil. We moved a lot. My father kept leaving our family. My brother and I were fascinated by Jacques Cousteau and the Calypso. We were convinced that we would work on that boat someday as divers for the great captain. Because we moved so much, our model of the Calypso kept getting wrecked or thrown out. It seemed we were continuously buying another model of that boat to build and display until the next move. Your excellent video brought back GOOD childhood memories. Thank you!