Jacques Cousteau was one of the most famous marine explorers and researchers of the 20th century. He acquired his scientific knowledge from the French Naval Academy; serving as a soldier in World War II, he ventured to discover the treasures of the seafloor around the planet.

In addition, Cousteau is the inventor, together with engineer Émile Gagnan, of the modern diving suit that still exists today as the only diving system for sportsmen and scientists. On the other hand, he was the first underwater cinematographer, making the first underwater films to bring his passion to all domestic homes.

The sentences of Jacques Cousteau

Below you can find a selection of 60 sentences by Jacques Cousteau to understand the thinking of this French scientist.

1. For the dolphin and the whale, happiness is to exist. Man must discover this and marvel at it

Jacques Cousteau thus described the simplicity of the animal species, and pointed out that man should appreciate Mother Nature more

2. We are urged to use science to civilize civilization

The Captain was very critical of human behavior in the wilderness. You have to keep in mind that he was a great environmentalist.

3. I have always explained to journalists that we had no objective, no idea what we would find in a mission

This is how Jacques explains his adventurous feeling . He was a born discoverer.

4. The reason I have made films about the underwater world lies simply in my belief that people protect what they love

This is how he affirmed the way he wanted to make the world aware of how important the environment is for living beings.

5. I make love to the sea, others attack it

This is how Cousteau so romantically described his passion for the oceans .

6. If I’m not going to find out, someone else will do it for me

Jacques was a man with a lot of drive and ambition. He always wanted to be first in his field.

7. Closing our eyes to nature only makes us blind in a fool’s paradise

Another metaphor that denounced the little attention that the natural environment received from people.

8. More damage has been done to the Earth during the 20th century than in all of humankind’s previous history

Having lived through two world wars, Jacques alerted the international community to human perversity.

9. The scientist ventures into the cell, the atom or the cosmos without knowing what awaits him

Another way to describe the basic characteristic of every scientist.

10. People only love what they know, that’s how naive they are

This phrase by Jacques Cousteau defined very well the human ignorance about the sea.

11. If I had known what I was going to find, I wouldn’t have gone

Mixing emotion and fear is what the French scientist often found in his discoveries. He was often shocked.

12. The man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He only has to go down to the bottom of the sea to feel free

This is how he wanted to describe the feeling when diving in deep waters.

13. The real enemy of nature is the animal hunter

Jacques was an anti-hunting activist . He hated any activity related to killing animals.

14. We have to understand that our mission is to protect Mother Nature

He never ceased his impetus to defend the importance that nature has in our lives.

15. If we keep dumping garbage into the sea, we will become garbage

With this phrase the explorer denounced the malpractice of human beings towards the sea.

16. We should love the Earth, only when we love something do we protect it

Jacques was in love with Nautraleza, and only with love did he understand its future protection.

17. Air and water, the life-giving elements, are now global garbage dumps

Another example of a complaint for polluting both resources vital to survival.

18. Even if we want to divide countries, whatever the reasons, it is clear that every day we are more interdependent

Jacques Cousteau was against the idea of borders, the division of cultures and the conflict of interests.

19. When a man has the opportunity to lead a change, he doesn’t have to keep anything for himself

Nor did he like the selfishness that reigned in Western societies.

20. If we were only logical beings, the world would be desolate. But we are human beings, we have faith and hope, and that allows us to work together

Cooperation, understanding and personal relationships. That’s how Jacques understood human beings, beyond the rational.

21. To cultivate as we do is to hunt. In the sea we commit barbarities

Already from the beginning, the terrible methods of aquaculture and agriculture were being used.

22. Planting should replace hunting. This is human logic

Create instead of destroy to survive.

23. A dolphin in an aquarium, no matter how big it is, should not seem normal to us

Cousteau was also against the use of animals for human leisure and entertainment.

24. I am not a scientist, I am an entrepreneur of scientists

Interestingly, Cousteau didn’t consider himself a scientist. But he did know how to create his own brand and be commercially successful.

25. Abortion was confused with overpopulation. One has nothing to do with the other

It was often said that Cousteau was pro-abortion. A son of his time, he wanted to dissociate himself from this practice.

26. If we follow the present path of greed, we will not live to tell the tale. We will be replaced by insects

Once again he was warning of the long-term danger to the destiny of humanity.

27. As soon as man discovers his intelligence, he acts to involve it in stupidity

Jacques Cousteau was very critical of human behavior . He said that intellect was used to commit atrocities.

28. Man is the only animal that refers to itself as delicate

This is how he described the selfishness of man without taking into account his surroundings.

29. What is a scientist? He is the one who searches in a hole to discover what is there

Curiosity is the engine of science.

30. Concern for the environment came in different ways in all countries

After several conflicts of unpredictable catastrophes, awareness of ecological care began to emerge.

31. The sea is the universal sewer

Already in the middle of the 20th century the blue planet suffered from the garbage that accumulated there .

32. The sea is the great unifier for man. We are all in the same boat

Never better, this phrase can be taken almost literally.

33. We forget that the cycle of life and the cycle of water are one

This sentence perfectly described the reason for our existence as something related to the importance of water .

34. Our future leads us to hit the wall. Survival is limited to 100 years.

This is how forceful the Captain was in making the world aware of the bad path that the partnership took in terms of nature conservation.

35. Life is a transit; the world is a showroom; man enters, looks and leaves.

Jacques spoke very often about death, and how we can interpret life.

36. In order to stabilize the world population, 350,000 people per day should be eliminated

With this controversial phrase, Jacques Cousteau explained one of the great problems that the Earth had to endure.

37. Man’s only true hope is the sea

Caring for the sea is caring for the future and survival of the human species.

38. Underwater, the human being becomes an archangel

With this lyricism the explorer describes the sensation of being underwater.

39. Impossible missions are only those that are successfully carried out

Cousteau never gave up on any expedition. He was always looking for the incredible.

40. The best way to observe a fish is to be one

Direct contact with the marine species was the best way to understand life in the sea .

41. Every morning I wake up and say to myself: I’m alive, what a miracle!

Jacques was a man who lived from day to day and was thankful to continue with his projects.

42. The current situation in which we find ourselves makes me nauseous

His environmental complaints never ceased. He insisted on that subject every time he was interviewed.

43. If the oceans of our Earth were to die, it would be the terrible end of humanity and animals

With this phrase Jacques reaffirmed the dependence of human beings on water.

44. The sea hooks you like a net for all eternity

Once again he dramatically describes the relationship he had with the sea.

45. The only ambition of my films is to show the truth of nature

He always pursued an emotional goal, not a material one. His films transmit pure passion for the wild .

46. I am not an environmentalist for animals, I am an environmentalist for people

It was often said that he loved animals more than people. So I disproved it.

47. There is always a book open to all eyes: nature

In this way he described how rewarding it was to live intensely with the environment .

48. Only nature does great things without expecting anything in return

This is how Cousteau described the good work of nature.

49. It is not the savage who lives in nature, but the one who destroys it

With this phrase he wanted to redefine the concept of barbarism.

50. May your search for nature lead you to yourself

Entering the unexplored can serve to reveal who we are.

51. Nature never says one thing and wisdom another

Nature is the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

52. The Earth must be prepared to receive 10 billion inhabitants, otherwise it will be over

Overpopulation was a problem that was already known in Cousteau’s time.

53. We are living a kind of murderous madness of our time

The last few years have brought about great changes for better and for worse.

54. Water and money, both liquids to be used with caution

There are certain elements that escape our control with great ease.

55. Some are worried about what they’ll eat tomorrow. I worry about eating today, tomorrow we’ll see

One of Jacques Cousteau’s phrases with a touch of humor.

56. I don’t go down to watch the fish. I dive in and talk to them

Experiencing the sea means letting it leave a mark on us in the same way that we leave a mark on it.

57. In the sea there is no past, present or future, only peace

The immensity of this body of water makes it seem timeless.

58. I only try to make people understand the sea, not love it

It is not necessary to dedicate a life to the sea; it is enough to respect it.

59. Let’s try not to draw on the sea what has been drawn on land

The sea is a relatively unexplored territory that still has a chance to stay pure.

60. They say fish have short memories. They should observe man

If we compare ourselves with other forms of life that we consider simpler, we may be surprised.