Virtually an encyclopedia of the undersea world, this magnificent and comprehensive volume covers all aspects of life in the oceans. It is illustrated throughout with over 385 photographs, plus maps and diagrams.

Jacques Cousteau was the world’s ambassador of the oceans. His popular TV series brought whales, otters, and dolphins right into people’s living rooms. Now, in this exciting picturebook biography, Dan Yaccarino introduces young readers to the man behind the snorkel. From the first moment he got a glimpse of what lived under the ocean’s waves, Cousteau was hooked. And so he set sail aboard the Calypso to see the sea. He and his team of scientists invented diving equipment and waterproof cameras. They made films and televisions shows and wrote books so they could share what they learned. The oceans were a vast unexplored world, and Cousteau became our guide. And when he saw that pollution was taking its toll on the seas, Cousteau became our guide in how to protect the oceans as well.

All kinds of prejudices encrust our thinking about the sea. Of no area, perhaps, is this truer than that quest for food which is so significant an activity in the animal world.

This special 50th anniversary edition of Cousteau's internationally bestselling memoir celebrates the astonishing, lyrical tale of his development of scuba and his subsequent discoveries in the fascinating world beneath the waves.