On November 23, 1976, when Jacques Mayol was 49 years old, he became the first ever free diver to descent to 100 metres in the sea. At the age of 56, he descended to 105 metres.
Mayol was someone who loved the ocean and challenged his limits. (Photo credit: divernet.com)
New Delhi: Jacques Mayol is one of the legendary names when it comes to free diving. The exploits of the French diver were so great that even films have been made about him. Born on April 1, 1927, in China’s Shanghai, Jacques Mayol had French nationality.
During his childhood, every year he would spend his summer holidays in Karatsu, a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. When he was 7 years old, Mayol along with his older brother would skin dive in the seas around Nanatsugama in Japan. It was there that for the first time, he saw a dolphin.
The record of Jacques Mayol
On November 23, 1976, when Jacques Mayol was 49 years old, he became the first ever free diver to descend to 100 metres in the sea. At the age of 56, he descended to 105 metres. Mayol was someone who loved the ocean and challenged his limits. He made free diving which was elitist sport back then mainstream. In free-diving, he also made a mark in technological advances especially assemblies that no-limits divers use. He played a key role in developing the octopus regulator for scuba diving.
Years later, he would meet the first person who dove below 50 metres, Enzo Maiorca. Mayol bettered it by reaching 60 metres in depth. They developed a friendship and rivalry and created famous records in the no-limits category. For eight times, Mayol was the world champion in no-limits between 1966 and 1983. He broke the 100-metre barrier in 1976 with a no-limits 101-metre dive off Italy’s Elba. In 1983, his last deep dive took place when he reached 105 metres depth.
His love for dolphins
In 1955, his love for dolphins began while he was a commercial diver at a Miami aquarium. He formed a close bond with a female dolphin named Clown and learnt from her how to hold his breath longer. In his book L’Homo Delphinus (Homo Delphinus: The Dolphin within Man), he explores the relationship of man with seas. His life story and that of the Italian diver Enzo Maiorca and their friendship inspired the 1988 film The Big Blue, directed by Luc Besson.
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