Most deep-sea trenches visited by an individual

Retired US Navy officer and explorer Victor Vescovo (USA) dived to the bottom of 17 different deep-sea trenches (i.e., oceanic subduction zones lower than 5,000 metres below the surface) between 2018 and 2022. In all cases, he was piloting the deep-sea submersible the DSV Limiting Factor.

The details of Vescovo's deep-sea trench descents to date are as follows (note these represent the first time he dived each trench as in some cases he has dived them multiple times):

- Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean, 8,376 m (27,480 ft), solo: 18 December 2018

- South Sandwich Trench, Southern Ocean, 7,434 m (24,390 ft), solo: 3 February 2019

- Java Trench, Indian Ocean, 7,192 m (23,596 ft), solo: 5 April 2019

- Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean, 10,935 m (35,876 ft), solo: 28 April 2019; the Eastern Pool in the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest point in the ocean. Vescovo has dived to full-ocean depth in the Challenger Deep 15 times to date, more than any other individual

- Tonga Trench, Pacific Ocean, 10,823 m (35,509 ft), solo: 5 June 2019

- Hellenic Trench, Mediterranean Sea, 5,109 m (16,762 ft), with HSH Albert II of Monaco: 10 February 2020

- Philippine Trench, Pacific Ocean, 10,045 m (32,956 ft), with Deo Onda: 23 March 2021

- San Cristobal Trench, Pacific Ocean, 8,483 m (27,831 ft), solo: 26 November 2021

- Santa Cruz Trench, Pacific Ocean, 9,142 m (29,993 ft), solo: 29 November 2021

- New Hebrides Trench, Pacific Ocean, 7,794 m (25,571 ft), solo: 4 December 2021

- Kermadec Trench, Pacific Ocean, 10,003 m (32,818 ft), solo: 11 December 2021

- Atacama Trench, Pacific Ocean, 8,069 m (26,473 ft), with Osvaldo Ulloa: 20 January 2022

- Yap Trench, Pacific Ocean, 8,929 m (29,295 ft), with Sesario Sewralur: 14 July 2022

- Palau Trench, Pacific Ocean, 8,027 m (26,335 ft), with Tommy Remengesau (former president of Palau): 17 July 2022

- Ryukyu Trench, Pacific Ocean, 7,324 m (24,029 ft), with Alan Jamieson: 7 August 2022

- Izu-Bonin/Ogasawara Trench, Pacific Ocean, 9,775 m (32,070 ft), with Katsu Michibayashi: 13 August 2022

- Japan Trench, Pacific Ocean, 8,001 m (26,250 ft), with Hiroshi Kitazato: 20 August 2022

A solo dive to the Molloy Hole in the Arctic Ocean on 24 August 2019 concluded the Five Deeps Expedition, with Vescovo becoming the first person to ever visit the deepest point in all five oceans. The Molloy Hole is not included in the tally for this record because it is not a deep-sea trench.

The Limiting Factor and its support vessel Pressure Drop were sold to marine research organization Inkfish, owned by tech/gaming giant Gabe Newell of Valve, in late 2022. The submersible was renamed Bakunawa (a serpent-like dragon in Philippine folklore).