The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

The intrepid undersea explorer and author circles the globe on his floating laboratory, Calypso, in this occasional series. A pioneer in marine study, the red-capped Frenchman introduced generations of landlubbers to the creatures and mysteries of the sea.

Documentary

Seasons

1. Sharks

Air Date: 1968-01-08

Captain Cousteau and his ship the Calypso visit the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden in order to study shark behaviour and to test methods of protecting shipwreck and air crash victims from shark attacks. Ichthyologist Dr. Eugenia Clark joins the Calypso crew to study shark behavior and test shark repellents.

2. Savage World of the Coral Jungle

Air Date: 1968-03-06

The team travels to the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean, an area teeming with animal and plant life, and where numemous complex relationships between different species are played out on a daily basis. Cousteau and his men find a well-ordered universe housing a highly complex community on the coral reef.

3. Search in the deep

Air Date: 1968-04-15

The island ot Europa, in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar, is the foremost breeding ground of the mysterious sea turtle. The crew's cameras follow the turtles' mating rituals, the females' laboured journey up the beach to lay their eggs, and the fight for survival of the newly-hatched babies. The Calypso crew films the undersea mating dance and subsequent egg-laying of the sea turtle.

4. Whales

Air Date: 1968-11-15

The Calypso divers study finback, sperm and killer whales, monitoring their migratory habits by planting small tags in their skin. Captain Cousteau also recounts the romance and legend of the great whales. Cousteau and his crew implant tracking devices into whales off the coasts of Madagascar and California.

5. The Unexpected Voyage of Pepito and Cristobal

Air Date: 1969-01-13

Captain Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso adopt a pair of fur seals off the Cape of Good Hope. During an Atlantic crossing the men begin to establish a relationship of trust and friendship with the mammals. Cousteau and his crew take two wild seal pups aboard for study.

6. Sunken Treasure

Air Date: 1969-03-03

The crew sets out on a treasure hunt to the Caribbean in search of the wreck of La Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, a Spanish ship that sank over 300 years ago carrying more than $2m in silver and gold.

7. The Legend of Lake Titicaca

Air Date: 1969-04-24

The divers travel inland to Peru's Lake Titicaca, testing experimental techniques for diving at high altitude for the first time. Deep in the lake they discover a unique species of frog whose lungs have atrophied like fish, they die when removed from the water. Cousteau's divers investigate the lake's legend of Inca treasure. The treasure proves to be illusory, but ancient pottery and a unique species of aquatic frog are found.

8. The Desert Whales

Air Date: 1969-10-28

The Calypso crew follows 35-ton California gray whales on their annual breeding migration. The crew of the Calypso studies the little-known California grey whale, as this once-endangered species embarks on its 5,000-mile annual breeding migration. The team observes the intimate relationships between these creatures, including mating and the feeding of a baby grey.

9. The Night of the Squid

Air Date: 1970-01-16

The crew observes as 20 million squid amass in coastal waters to mate, spawn and die. In the waters off southern California the Calypso happens upon the savage, yet touching, spawning ritual of the sea arrow squids of the Pacific. From their exotic mating dance to the microscopic battle for survival of the newly-hatched young, the entire cycle is captured on film by the crew.

10. Return of the Sea Elephant

Air Date: 1970-02-08

Cousteau and his team study the life and death of the sea elephant, a massive sea mammal which returns each year to the small island of Guadalupe for ritual combat, mating and breeding. Finally, the divers discover the sea elephants' secret graveyard, 25 fathoms below the waves. The crew studies the massive creatures as they mate and nurse on Guadalupe.

11. Those Incredible Diving Machines

Air Date: 1970-03-10

The history of underwater exploration is traced from the days of Alexander the Great to the development of the aqualung in 1942, the first bathyscaphe in 1948, the diving saucer in 1959, through to a new fleet of modern deep sea submersibles. A photographic essay traces man's endeavors and advances in undersea exploration.

12. The Water Planet

Air Date: 1970-03-28

After more than 140,000 nautical miles travelled aboard the Calypso, and having shot around two million feet of film, Cousteau shares his personal thoughts on the challenges they face filming the infinite phenomena of the water planet. Cousteau presents a behind-the-scenes look at the motivations and challenges driving his crew.

13. Tragedy of the Red Salmon

Air Date: 1970-11-24

The Cousteau team follows the spawning migration of the red sockeye salmon from the open sea to the Alaskan waters of their birth, up the Salmon River to remote Fraser Lake.

14. Lagoon of Lost Ships

Air Date: 1971-05-14

Truk lagoon in the South Pacific, the site of a fierce battle during WWII, is now home to around 50 sunken Japanese vessels. The crew explores the Pacific lagoon to learn how marine life adapts to foreign matter. The divers discover an uncharted sunken freighter, complete with the skeletons of its long-dead crew.

15. The Dragons of Galapagos

Air Date: 1971-02-24

The crew journey to the Galapagos Islands to study the marine iguana, a mysterious dragon-like creature that has reversed the course of evolution and returned to the sea for food and survival.

16. Secrets of the Sunken Caves

Air Date: 1971-03-19

The strange geological phenomenon of 'blue holes' is investigated by Captain Cousteau and his team, as they discover an undersea 'cathedral' one hundred feet below the surface.

17. The Unsinkable Sea Otter

Air Date: 1971-09-26

In the North Aleutian Islands, Cousteau and his crew observe the rough courtship and tender mating of the sea otter, before continuing to Monterey where the otter's existence is being threatened by man-made hazards such as pollution and illegal hunting.

18. The Forgotten Mermaids

Air Date: 1971-12-21

The crew travels to the cypress glades of East Florida to film the manatee, a vegetarian creature of the sea whose closest living relative is the elephant. Learning of the plight of 'Sewer Sam', a manatee trapped in the sewers of Miami, the team attempts to help return Sam to the river.

19. Octopus, Octopus

Air Date: 1972-01-24

The crew studies the eight-armed octopus's life cycle and ongoing evolutionary process.

20. A sound of dolphins

Air Date: 1972-02-25

The crew isolates a pair of dolphins to study the species' remarkable sonar system.

21. A smile of the walrus

Air Date: 1972-11-05

The crew films the walrus lolling on Arctic ice floes and swimming in the frigid sea.

22. 500 million years beneath the sea

Air Date: 1973-01-11

The crew dives at night to observe the Nautilus -- a living marine fossil.

23. Hippo!

Air Date: 1973-02-16

The crew swims among crocodiles to capture the quick-tempered hippo in action beneath the water.

24. The singing whale

Air Date: 1973-03-12

The Calypso crew records the plaintive, melodious songs of migrating humpback whales.

South to fire and ice

25. South to fire and ice

Air Date: 1973-11-29

The crew climbs glaciers, examines whale bones and watches a volcano.

The flight of penguins

26. The flight of penguins

Air Date: 1974-01-21

The crew observes penguins feeding, mating and raising young.

27. Beneath the frozen world

Air Date: 1974-03-03

The crew dives below the ice, and sails above in a hot-air balloon.

28. Blizzard at Hope Bay

Air Date: 1974-03-22

The disabled Calypso becomes trapped during a three-day blizzard.

29. Life at the end of the world

Air Date:

The Calypso sails to Tierra del Fuego to film the disappearing Qawashqar Indians.

30. Beavers of the north country

Air Date: 1975-01-06

Underwater cameras capture beavers at work and resting in their dams during winter.

31. The coral divers of Corsica

Air Date: 1975-11-15

Cousteau studies the rapidly disappearing red-coral forests of the Mediterranean Sea.

32. The sleeping sharks of Yucatan

Air Date: 1975-11-15

Cousteau investigates reports of sharks seen resting in underwater caves.

33. The sea birds of Isabella

Air Date:

The crew journeys off the coast of Mexico to Isla Isabela to study tropical birds.

34. Mysteries of the hidden reefs

Air Date:

Cousteau explores the beauty and life of an ancient and complex ecosystem.

35. The fish that swallowed Jonah

Air Date:

Calypso's divers search Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for different species of groupers.

36. The incredible march of the spiny lobsters

Air Date:

Lobsters gather annually at Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for a migratory journey.

1. Episode 1

Air Date: 1979-08-01

2. Episode 2

Air Date: 1979-08-01

3. Episode 3

Air Date: 1979-09-02

4. Episode 4

Air Date: 1980-03-02

5. Episode 5

Air Date: 1981-07-05

6. Episode 6

Air Date: 1983-02-06

7. Episode 7

Air Date: 1983-08-06

8. Episode 8

Air Date: 1983-09-07

9. Episode 9

Air Date: 1983-11-14

10. Episode 19

Air Date: 1984-04-23

11. Episode 11

Air Date: 1984-10-22

12. Episode 12

Air Date: 1985-01-19

13. Episode 13

Air Date: 1985-06-23

14. Episode 14

Air Date: 1985-06-23

15. Episode 15

Air Date: 1986-03-21

16. Episode 16

Air Date: 1986-06-28

17. Episode 17

Air Date: 1986-09-07

18. Episode 18

Air Date: 1987-03-03

19. Episode 19

Air Date: 1987-08-06

20. Episode 20

Air Date: 1987-11-23

21. Episode 21

Air Date: 1988-05-18

22. Episode 22

Air Date: 1988-05-18

23. Episode 23

Air Date: 1988-07-06

24. Episode 24

Air Date: 1988-08-19

25. Episode 25

Air Date: 1988-09-09

26. Episode 26

Air Date: 1988-09-21

27. Episode 27

Air Date: 1989-03-23

28. Episode 28

Air Date: 1989-05-13

29. Episode 29

Air Date: 1989-05-13

30. Episode 30

Air Date: 1989-06-02

31. Episode 31

Air Date: 1989-07-25

32. Episode 32

Air Date: 1990-01-06

33. Episode 33

Air Date: 1990-04-27

34. Episode 34

Air Date: 1990-10-22

35. Episode 35

Air Date: 1991-01-05

36. Episode 36

Air Date: 1991-03-16

37. Episode 37

Air Date: 1991-05-04

38. Episode 38

Air Date: 1991-07-29

39. Episode 39

Air Date: 1991-09-14

40. Episode 40

Air Date: 1991-10-23

41. Episode 41

Air Date: 1991-11-04

42. Episode 42

Air Date: 1992-02-02

43. Episode 43

Air Date: 1992-03-23

44. Episode 44

Air Date: 1992-08-25

45. Episode 45

Air Date: 1992-08-25

46. Episode 46

Air Date: 1992-08-25

47. Episode 47

Air Date: 1993-04-02

48. Episode 48

Air Date: 1993-06-17

49. Episode 49

Air Date: 1993-12-17

50. Episode 50

Air Date: 1995-05-15

51. Episode 51

Air Date: 1995-05-15

52. Episode 52

Air Date: 1996-07-22

53. Episode 53

Air Date: 1996-07-22

54. Episode 54

Air Date: 1997-06-25

55. Episode 55

Air Date: 1997-08-02

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Rating

7.7/10

Release Date

1968-01-08

Episodes

91 (2 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast