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PORTRAIT
and breathing a helium-air mixture . The third station based at a depth of 100 metres was more about the oceanauts ’ mental health than filming colourful fish .
All three experiments were successful and widely recognized . Cousteau ’ s concept of underwater life never went further however . The project was soon abandoned with nobody eager to endure the same experience .
COUSTEAU IN THE PRINCIPALITY
The official name of this submarine is SP-350 Denise but we know it as the « diving saucer ».
ly 1940s . In 1943 , the inventors performed the first successful tests of their « underwater lungs ». A man did not need a heavy diving suit to explore the sea depths anymore . « Bombs » with an autonomous oxygen supply on his back were doing the job .
Twelve years later , Captain Cousteau tackled his stylish and cinematic bathyscaphe , the « diving saucer ». Highly efficient , it was also very scenic . The compact yellow submarine for two easily manouvered around a full 360 degrees , with its wide portholes perfect for underwater photography . Following the « saucer », Cousteau designed several smaller underwater vehicles for one , baptizing them « sea fleas ».
The Сommander undertook a truly fantastic project named « Precontinent ». Underwater residences , or rather , scientific laboratories , were Captain Cousteau ’ s long cherished dream . This audacious project pursued a number of goals at the same time . It demonstrated the possibility of living under the water , creating platforms for submarines and oil stations and contributing to airless space exploration .
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The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco stands out like no other . It rises above the sea as if growing out of the rock . The museum was founded by Prince Albert I in 1889 . In 1906 , it became home to the Institute of Oceanography . Jacques-Yves Cousteau
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The first 10-metre deep underwater platform was built in a bay near Marseille . The oceanauts who had initially complained about depression and nightmares , eventually got better within about a week . The Calypso was on duty on the surface , supplying the underwater laboratory with electricity and fresh water . The second underwater station was based in the Red Sea with eight researchers onboard . They were to spend an entire month at the station , protected by a metal grill from sharks
Prince Rainier III , Princess Grace and Jacques-Yves Cousteau during the inauguration of the « Man under the Sea » Exhibition in the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco , 1962
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