nvented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Jean Mollard, SP-350 Denise – also known as the ‘diving saucer’, was a small submarine that could hold only two people. It was built in 1959 and after rigorous testing, it became a permanent part of Cousteau’s famous research vessel, Calypso. The mini-submarine was only 2m in diameter and 1.43m high, but capable of exploring depths of up to 900 metres (1,300 feet), although it was never used for dives over 300 metres (980 feet) for safety reasons. The crew members would
enter the submersible through a hatch on the top of the hull. The two people inside had to lie side-by-side on mattresses, watching their surroundings through tilted portholes which to be honest must of been agony. Denise’s propulsion consisted of electrically powered water jets that allowed it to move at a speed of 3.7 km/h, or 2 knots. Electric lamps were fitted for night diving and to provide illumination for photography at greater depths. In the 1960s, the SP-350 diving saucer received two little sisters: the SP-500s, or Sea Fleas.
