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James Cameron has reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench - film

Listen to this article The famed Hollywood director and creator of such blockbusters as “Titanic” and “Avatar” took a magical and exciting journey to the bottom of the Mariana Trench last night. James Cameron thus became the first man to reach the deepest place on Earth alone and the first to repeat feat of Don

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: March 26, 2012 - 11:07

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 22:19

James Cameron has reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench – film

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The famed Hollywood director and creator of such blockbusters as “Titanic” and “Avatar” took a magical and exciting journey to the bottom of the Mariana Trench last night.

James Cameron thus became the first man to reach the deepest place on Earth alone and the first to repeat feat of Don Walsh and Jaques Piccard Despite the extreme conditions, communications were maintained. This resulted, among other things, in the following Twitter post:

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I have just reached the deepest point in the ocean. Reaching the bottom has never been so enjoyable. I can’t wait to share what I see with you.

Deepsea Challenger vehicle emerges from the Mariana Trench — Deepsea Challenger vehicle pick-up after ascent

According to the members of the expedition, thanks to the technological advances that have taken place since the last human visit to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, it has been possible to take samples and record material that no one would have dreamed of in 1960. That is why Cameron’s vehicle was equipped with a special remote-controlled arm. The device works almost like a hoover, with which the research material was collected.

A small device was therefore lowered to the bottom before it was submerged. Its purpose was to attract representatives of the local fauna. As a result, once it reached the bottom James Cameron could film it.

The dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench took about 90 minutes. They reached their destination just before midnight, Polish time. Cameron spent 6 hours in the least frequented place on Earth to collect research material.

After an ascent lasting just under 70 minutes, James Cameron and his underwater vehicle were located by helicopter. Then the director was taken on board a research vessel equipped with a special crane. This procedure was necessary because the vehicle “Deepsea Challenger”, in which the explorer went to the depths, weighs as much as 12 tonnes.

James Cameron on his return from the Mariana Trench — James Cameron in the Deepsea Challenger submersible vehicle

This is just the beginning

Leaving aside the results of the research and the outcome of the mission itself, this re-immersion of man to the bottom of the Mariana Trench represents the opening of the door to further thorough exploration of the last pristine areas on the planet – the ocean depths. Let us also remember that Cameron’s research team is not the only one. Just behind him is Richard Branson and Virgin Oceanic, among others.

The expedition to the bottom of the Mariana Trench is organised by National Geographic, while the main sponsor is the exclusive Rolex watch brand.

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.