Cameron Dives to Mariana Trench
Director James Cameron piloted a submersible to the deepest point in the ocean solo
March 26, 2012
The Deepest Place on Earth
The Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean is the deepest known point on Earth. The Challenger Deep, located within the trench, reaches approximately 36,000 feet below the ocean's surface — deep enough to submerge Mount Everest with more than a mile to spare. The pressure at the bottom is over a thousand times greater than at sea level. Until the twentieth century, no human had ever visited this alien environment. The first manned descent to the Challenger Deep was made in 1960 by Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh in a vessel called the Trieste.
Cameron Goes Alone
On March 26, 2012, filmmaker James Cameron — director of Titanic and Avatar — became the first person to make a solo descent to the Challenger Deep. His specially designed submersible, the Deepsea Challenger, was a bright green torpedo-shaped vessel just large enough for one person. The dive to the bottom took about two and a half hours. Cameron spent about three hours on the seafloor collecting samples and filming footage for a documentary. The submersible was equipped with scientific instruments and multiple cameras recording in high definition.
What Was Found Below
Cameron's dive confirmed that life exists even at the deepest point of the ocean. Microscopic organisms called foraminifera were found in sediment samples. Shrimp-like amphipods and sea cucumbers were observed moving across the seafloor. The dive revealed a surprisingly flat, muddy landscape dusted with biological debris that had drifted down from the sunlit ocean above. The data collected contributed to scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems. Cameron donated the Deepsea Challenger to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Tsar Bomba test the same decade showed humanity's destructive reach; Cameron's dive showed its capacity for peaceful exploration.