Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born in a small town near Bordeaux, France, to Daniel and Elizabeth Cousteau. His father was a lawyer, and his mother cared for him and his older brother Pierre-Antoine.

Young Jacques suffered from chronic enteritis, a condition that made him thin and frail. Doctors advised limiting his physical activity, but his determination pushed him through. He spent time swimming in the sea, which he believed helped him.

A family vacation to the French Riviera sparked Cousteau's fascination with the ocean. He learned to swim and snorkel, further igniting his passion for marine life.

While in the US, Cousteau worked odd jobs and earned enough money to buy his first underwater camera, a Simplex. This marked the beginning of his documentation of the underwater world.

Cousteau entered the French Naval Academy, signaling the beginning of his career in the French Navy. This provided him with formal training, opportunities for travel, and access to resources that would later prove invaluable.