The deepest place on Earth is the Challenger Deep, located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. This abyssal zone is about 35,814 feet (10,911 meters) below sea level, which is almost seven miles deep!
The Challenger Deep is so deep that it is difficult to explore. However, several expeditions have been launched to study this mysterious environment. In fact, the first people to reach the Challenger Deep were Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh, who piloted the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960.
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in exploring the Challenger Deep. In 2012, film director James Cameron became the first person to reach the Challenger Deep solo, and in 2019, Victor Vescovo, a former U.S. Navy submarine officer, became the first person to reach the Challenger Deep in a privately-funded expedition.
These expeditions have provided valuable insights into the unique life that exists in the Challenger Deep. Scientists have discovered new species of fish, crustaceans, and other organisms, and they have learned more about the physical and chemical conditions of this extreme environment.
