Before the legend,
there was Antibes.

There are places where legends are born. Antibes Juan-les-Pins is one of them.

Between its ramparts, facing the infinite Mediterranean, a singular chapter in world maritime history was written: that of the Calypso. When the ship arrived at Port Vauban in 1950, she was still unknown, little more than a promise. A few years later she would become a universal symbol of curiosity, science and freedom, forever changing our view of the sea.

This book rightly reminds us that it was here, in Antibes, that everything truly began. In the Port Vauban shipyards, through the skill of craftsmen, Captain Cousteau’s vision and the dedication of a whole team, a former warship became an unprecedented instrument of exploration: a ship designed to understand, to show and, already, to raise the alarm.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was far more than an explorer. He was among the first to reveal the fragility of marine ecosystems to the wider world. At a time when environmental concerns were rarely discussed, he showed that the sea was not merely a backdrop, but a living, precious and vulnerable balance. The Calypso did more than explore the oceans: she awakened consciences.

In Antibes Juan-les-Pins, that legacy remains alive. It is part of our maritime identity, of the beauty and richness of an exceptional coastline, and of our responsibility. The creation of the Posidonia Sea and Coastal Centre at Cap d’Antibes is a tangible expression of that responsibility: to preserve, to understand and to pass on. Protecting the posidonia meadows, essential underwater habitats, means continuing the work of those who, like Cousteau, saw further than others.

This commitment to the sea is also embodied by Port Vauban, Europe’s leading marina, a place of heritage, authenticity and modernity, where maritime history meets innovation and the spirit of adventure endures.

And then there is the name: Calypso.

In Greek mythology, Calypso is the nymph who holds Odysseus on her island, a mysterious figure associated with the sea and suspended time. No name, laden with such poetry and legend, could better have suited this ship. It carries the call of the open sea, the unknown and the sense of wonder. It evokes stories passed between generations, images that remain with us and explorations that feed our shared imagination. Calypso became much more than a ship. She entered the world’s collective memory. She belongs to all those who dream, explore, question and love the sea.

I wish, finally, to salute the remarkable work of the authors of this book, Johann Naldi and Stéphane Gamelin. Through the richness of their research, the power of the images and the precision of the narrative, they have brought the Calypso’s origins in Antibes back to life and revealed their historical and human significance.

By welcoming the ship at her beginnings, Antibes helped write a page of universal history. Today, we remain its guardians. May we prove worthy of it.