Jacques Yves Cousteau - the famous French explorer of the oceans, the photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films. He invented the aqualung.
Cousteau described his underwater world research in series of books, perhaps most successful being his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, published in 1953. Cousteau also directed films, most notably the documentary adaptation of the book, The Silent World, which won a Palme d'or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival.