June 11 marks the centennial of the birth of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and we at Wetpixel want to honor the legacy of the man who is truly one of the fathers of our industry. Among his many accomplishments, Cousteau was an innovator of Scuba diving, which is essential to our enterprise, as well as a pioneer of underwater photography and filmmaking itself.

Harnessing the power of visual imagery, Cousteau created more than 120 documentaries and 50 books, and brought awareness of the marine environment to millions of people around the planet. The world stands in his debt for inspiring entire generations of marine biologists, filmmakers, photographers and conservationists. Later in his life, Cousteau saw that the ocean’s resources are not infinite, and sought to educate the world about the fragility of the environment.

The Cousteau legacy continues through his children and grandchildren, who have followed in his footsteps to educate and inspire. Jacques Cousteau said, “people protect what they love.” As a community, we must also continue his legacy, to share our images and videos with the world, showing species and places that most people will never see, but which are vitally important to conserve. Read more about Jacques Cousteau’s remarkable achievements.