In 1950, Life magazine published many photographs of Cousteau and his group and their underwater work, called “Underwater Wonders”. Universal Pictures in Hollywood then proposed $11,000 for sole US rights to Cousteau’s 1st 4 documentaries.
Cousteau wanted a new and bigger underwater research vessel. He leased a british minesweeper, Calypso, from Loel Guinnes in 1950 and transformed it to an oceanographic research vessel by 1951. He also founded the French Oceanographic Expeditions (FOE) in 1950, a non-profit organisation, that would possess Calypso, oversee undertakings, and obtain the profits from their productions. They also held sea checks to Corsica.
In that same year, Calypso had its 1st voyage to the Red Sea. Utilising the echo sounders, they identified evidence of oil-bearing shale and volcanic mineral deposits. They also collected specimens from various layers of water down to 150 feet. This gave hydrologists a peek into the intricacy of seawater. They identified formerly unknown species as well. Cherbonnier and Drach, two of the scientists that were aboard, named 3 of them Calypseus, Saouti and Cousteaui in recognition of their ship, its captains and Cousteau, the exploration commandant.
In 1952, Cousteau and his crew discovered two sunken roman ships that were more than 2000 years ago at Grand Congloue. This spurred assurances of capital from the museum, Marseille city and National Geographic. The numerous antiquities demanded divers to remove tons of debris, sediment and rock. Thus, Cousteau created his 2nd non-profit establishment, the French Office of Undersea Technology, to encourage advancement of underwater exploration instruments, patent them and handle the proceeds. They tested out the 1st underwater television camera that sent images to a screen on Calypso so archaeologists could view the actual happenings on 130 feet below and advise divers on which artifacts were significant. They managed to acquire amphorae, Campanian ware and wreckage fragments. The television camera gave Cousteau an idea for an extremely navigable submarine. Although, this project had hardly any profits, it made headlines and news all over Europe.
The Silent World book was published in 1953 that described the invention of Aqua-Lung, diving stories to the successful expedition of the Red Sea. It was widely popular.
The D’Arcy Exploration Company, a subsidiary of British Petroleum, proposed a 4-month commission of Calypso and divers in the Persian gulf to prospect oil. Cousteau found and hired Louis Malle as head cameraman. They made 400 stops and used a gravimeter to assess the variations in the force of gravity on the bottom, certain varieties of which denoted that there was oil-bearing rock and sediment below. They obtained twice the samples needed based on their contract from the seabed with chisels and sledgehammers due to the rigidity of the rock. Swinging those heavy tools through the dense water was very exhausting for the divers and the Persian Gulf also teemed with sea snakes and blue sharks. The 12,000 miles they had delved into were named the Calypso Grounds.
The French Ministry of National Education rewarded a funding to FOE. In return for two-thirds of FOE’s yearly budget, Calypso would bring along scientists by the National Center for Scientific Research on assignments that overlap with Cousteau’s own exploration and filming plans. Calypso was now a formal French national oceanographic research vessel. They sailed into the Indian Ocean at the coast of Africa and saw some sea creatures for the 1st time. The scientists just dissected and examined what creatures they brought back. Harold Edgarton helped Cousteau light his underwater films.
Calypso went for a 4-month, 13,800 miles voyage to explore the ocean in 1955, “from the Red Sea to the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean and down to the northern tip of Madagascar off the coast of Africa.” They shot the adventures for The Silent World film. National Geographic awarded a grant for sole rights to a photographed article on the venture under Cousteau’s byline and also send photographer Luis Marden to document the journey topside. A notable event that occurred in their journey was when Calypso sailed into a pod of sperm whales, 400 miles off the coast of Kenya. Calypso’s bow crashed into one of the whales and all of the other whales swam in a protective and cautious circle around the injured whale. Calypso’s propellers wounded another whale. Seemingly being directed, the pod of whales swam away and disappeared entirely as the sharks appeared and tore at the injured whale. At this moment, Dumas quickly shot and killed the whale to end its suffering while the rest filmed the scene. The crew were outraged at the sharks and killed them. These killings of the sharks were then criticised upon later. The movie also showed colourful coral reef, Jo Jo le Merou, an adorable giant grouper dancing with Dumas, and beautiful dolphins dancing and playing. The film went on to win several awards.
In 1957, Prince Rainier of Monaco made Cousteau the director of the world’s oldest undersea museum and research centre, the Oceanographic Museum of Monte Carlo. While attempting to capture dolphins for exhibition in an aquarium for the museum, Cousteau and his crew killed a few dolphins. When they finally managed to catch a small female dolphin, she died after 3 months. Another male and female dolphins killed themselves by swimming at high speed into the wall of the tank. After accepting Prince Rainier’s offer, Cousteau finally resigned his commission in the navy.
Cousteau and the Undersea Research Group tried out the research submarine, Hull Number One, they had been developing for 5 years in 1958. They lowered Hull Number One that was unmanned to 2000 feet at the end of a cable. When it was coming up and 100 feet from the surface, the cable broke and Hull Number One plummeted 3300 feet to the seabed. Thereafter, they started work on Hull Number Two.
In 1959, Cousteau’s estranged but once-beloved brother, Pierre passed away from cancer. Before his death, Cousteau was by his bedside offering to take care of his children.
In that same year, Cousteau attended and spoke in the 1st World Oceanographic Congress at the United Nations.