In a historic solo dive to the bottom of the world, famed
filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James
Cameron reached the “Challenger Deep,” the lowest part of the
ocean, located in the Mariana Trench, on Monday, March 26, at
7:52 a.m. local time (Sunday, March 25, 5:52 p.m. Eastern Time).
The depth was recorded at 35,756 feet. In his specially designed
submersible DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, he plans to spend up to six
hours on the Pacific Ocean seafloor, collecting samples for
scientific research. He also will be documenting the Mariana
Trench via still photographs and moving images. For National
Geographic coverage on the dive, go to
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-
cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deep-deepest-science-sub/.
Cameron’s first words on reaching the bottom: “All systems OK.”
The dive is part of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific
expedition by Cameron, National Geographic and Rolex to conduct
deep-ocean research and exploration. Cameron is the only indi