How deep is the Challenger Deep, and who has actually been there?
Only 27 people have ever visited the deepest point on Earth - fewer than have walked on the Moon.
The answer
The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench reaches approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) below sea level. The first descent was made in 1960 by Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste. In 2012, filmmaker James Cameron made a solo dive in the Deepsea Challenger. Victor Vescovo reached the bottom in 2019 during the Five Deeps Expedition, recording a depth of 10,928 meters. The pressure at the bottom exceeds 1,000 atmospheres - over 15,000 pounds per square inch. Despite these crushing conditions, researchers have discovered microbial life, amphipods, and even plastic waste at the very bottom.
Source: National Geographic
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