James Cameron reveals what he saw in submersible at the deepest point in the ocean, over 35,000 feet beneath the surface
- James Cameron said what he saw at the deepest part of the ocean
- He did the project solo in a submersible
- It was part of a $10 million project
Published on Jan 15, 2025 at 9:53 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 17, 2025 at 5:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Canadian movie director James Cameron opened up about what he saw when he reached the deepest part of the ocean in a submersible.
He was aboard the Deepsea Challenger submersible in March 26, 2012, to descend Challenger Deep – the ocean’s deepest point.
Cameron reached depths of 35,787 feet (around 11,000 meters).
It was part of a $10 million project that took several years to complete.
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James Cameron submersible expedition
The depth near Guam spans such a distance that the submersible took nearly three hours to reach the trench floor in the western Pacific Ocean at the southern end of the Mariana Trench.
The world’s first submersible superyacht worth $2 billion, however, allows passengers to remain underwater for weeks.
Cameron’s trip may have been quicker aboard the world’s fastest personal submersible.
The site is over double the depth of the Titanic wreckage which is 12,500 (3,800 meters) feet deep – a site he visited 33 times from 1995-2005.
Even more impressive, the Titanic and Avatar director completed the world-record-breaking feat solo.
Once in the depths, Cameron explored for four hours.
Ever the professional, as well as collecting sediment samples he also did some filming.
Meanwhile, the world’s first submersible supercar ever created has introduced luxury to the ocean.
What he saw in deepest part of ocean
The 70-year-old film mogul explained that the project had been a ‘boyhood dream’.
He described the depths as ‘a sterile, almost desert-like place’.
He told NPR: “It’s very lunar. You don’t expect a profusion of life, like you might see at, let’s say, a hydrothermal vent community.”
It wasn’t entirely a vanity project, he discovered 68 new species – bacteria and small invertebrates – in the name of science.
This was the second manned expedition to Challenger Deep since the submersible Trieste – piloted by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard – visited in 1960.
Inspired by his experience, it led him to make his documentary Deep Sea Challenge 3D
“It was absolutely the most remote, isolated place on the planet,” he said to BBC News.
“I really feel like in one day I’ve been to another planet and come back.”
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
