First dive to the Challenger Deep by a crewed vessel (solo)

First dive to the Challenger Deep by a crewed vessel (solo)
Who
James Cameron
What
/ first
Where
Not Applicable ()
When

The first solo descent by a crewed submersible into the Challenger Deep – Earth's deepest known point – was achieved by James Cameron (Canada) who piloted the Deepsea Challenger submersible to a depth of 10,908 metres (35,787 feet) on 25 March 2012. The Challenger Deep is situated at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and is approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) south-west of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Cameron spent four hours at the seabed and conducted the first ever direct exploration of the ocean floor, where he encountered a fine silt and a few small, unidentified lifeforms.


The first ever descent by a crewed submersible into the Challenger Deep was achieved by Dr Jacques Piccard (Switzerland; 1922–2008) and Captain Donald Walsh (USA; then Lieutenant) who piloted the Swiss-built US Navy bathyscaphe Trieste to a depth of 10,911 metres (35,797 feet) on 23 January 1960.