Written by Daksh Sehgal, a grade 6 student.

Welcome to Challenger Deep. Below the deepest record of scuba diving,  the last streak of sunlight,  the deepest diving whale,  the Titanic’s sinking place,  the deepest living snailfish, lies the Challenger Deep. It is the deepest part of the ocean.

Where is it located?

Challenger Deep is located below the surface of the western Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench. It is approximately 36,200 feet deep. Imagine Mount Everest turned upside down, Challenger Deep is even deeper than that!  

What does it take to reach the deep ocean? Human Occupied Vehicles (HOVs) carry scientists to the deep sea. Another option is unmanned Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) that are connected to ships using cables.

Are you wondering if anyone has made it to the Challenger Deep? In 1960, Jacques Piccard became the first person to reach the Challenger Deep. Many years later, he was followed by James Cameron in 2012.

Now, a few days ago, 68-year-old Kathy Sullivan became the first woman to travel to Challenger Deep. She is an astronaut at NASA, and was the first American woman to walk in space. Mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien is planning to dive to the Challenger Deep. Whether she succeeds or not is yet to be seen. We wish her the very best!