Cousteau’s Legacy: His Son and Widow Compete to Carry On

He was the unrivaled hero of the oceans. Former naval officer, explorer, filmmaker, environmentalist, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a.k.a. “Captain Planet,” almost single-handedly unlocked the door to the world beneath the waves. The Frenchman’s co-invention of the Aqua-Lung freed humanity to wander underwater, and his more than 150 books, films and TV shows enabled millions of people to accompany him on voyages of discovery. But since he died last year at 87, the task of carrying on Cousteau’s mission has fallen to rival successors whose infighting threatens to cloud his vision.

The legal successor is Francine Cousteau, 52, the former flight attendant with whom the Captain shared a secret life for more than a decade before marrying her in 1992, after the death of his first wife. Strong-willed and energetic, Francine is the one Jacques Cousteau picked to replace him as head of the U.S.-based Cousteau Society and its French counterpart, Equipe Cousteau, which own the rights to his films, books and inventions. Under Francine, the organization has planned ambitious projects, ranging from a Caspian Sea expedition to a “Waters of Peace” program that aims to locate ecologically threatening wrecks left under the sea. “We conceived this operation as a way to carry on Cousteau’s work and philosophy,” she says, sitting in the Captain’s former office in Paris surrounded by diving helmets, Greek amphoras and other memorabilia.

Most ambitious is building a successor ship to Cousteau’s beloved Calypso, which sank in Singapore in 1996. Calypso II will be 217 ft. long, powered by an innovative turbosail-diesel engine combination. If it is ever built, that is: the $2 million raised from donations so far is a fraction of the $150 million needed.

Francine’s hopes for Calypso II depend largely on the man she and her husband chose to lead future expeditions: New Zealand yachtsman Peter Blake, 50, winner of the 1995 America’s Cup. The 6-ft. 2-in. Blake shares Cousteau’s charisma and love of the sea. What he doesn’t yet know about oceanography and filmmaking, he hopes to pick up from experts on the Cousteau team. “I’ll learn the science by osmosis,” he says.

Looking on angrily is Jean-Michel Cousteau, 60, who sees himself as rightful successor to his father. “I represent continuity of the name,” he told TIME, “so I must be a voice for the oceans.” But Jean-Michel–architect, sailor, diver and filmmaker–apparently never enjoyed the confidence of his father. More commercial-minded than the Captain, Jean-Michel left the society in 1993 to produce environmental films. In 1995 Cousteau sued his son for using the family name on a Fiji Island resort. They settled out of court.

Jean-Michel faults the woman he calls his “out-of-step-mother” for lending the Cousteau name to a catalog selling organic coffee and shampoo–“my father must be flip-flopping in his grave”–and slashing staff in the face of falling revenues. Worse, says Jean-Michel, is building the costly Calypso II instead of smaller, more mobile vessels. “Calypso II is a joke,” he fumes.

For the Captain’s associates, the feud is a sad diversion from Cousteau’s message. “It’s the saga of all great families,” sighs Claude Wesly, 68, who came aboard in 1959. “Time will take care of it. Cousteau’s work is immortal.”

–By Thomas Sancton/Paris