A New Window to the Ocean
“We all love the sea, it’s wide, it’s blue. We’re drawn to it. We love to holiday and relax beside it. We might even go diving and swimming in its shallows. But for the most part, the sea is impenetrable. We don’t see what’s within. On the odd occasion that we do get under the waves, we need oxygen tanks and equipment meaning we might be disconnected from being truly present in the ocean. Apart from a few very elite underwater explorers like freedivers, we never really get to experience what it would be like to be a fish or an aquatic mammal. To be truly living and breathing under the ocean. 95% of the ocean has never been explored. More people have walked on the moon than been to the very bottom of our oceans.”
When maritime consultant and conservationist Louise Harrison spoke at her Ted Talk in 2017, only three people had journeyed to the very bottom of the ocean. In just two short years, another ten would’ve made that trip surpassing the number of people that have walked on the surface of the moon. This acceleration in the number of expeditions was made possible by the advancement in technology and the creation of the ultimate submersible, Triton’s 36000/2. This is the world’s first two-person submersible that can dive to full ocean depth and repeatedly so, thousands of times – something that had not been possible with previous models, retiring only after one dive to the ocean floor. Using this new vessel, “Limiting Factor”, the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018/2019 saw 39 dives travelling 47,000 miles to the deepest point of each of the five oceans – a first in seafaring history. Dubbed “the most impressive tool for human exploration and scientific endeavour since Apollo 11”, the Triton 36000/2 glides vertically through the water to reach the deepest point of the ocean (11,000m) in just three hours, opening the door to possibility and allowing people to comfortably experience the wonders of the ultra-deep.
“Out of sight, out of mind”
Despite these recent breakthroughs in technology and new exciting tools capable of geographic exploration, the vast majority of our oceans still remains unmapped and unobserved. It is also unprotected – too difficult to safeguard what we can’t see or understand. In fact, only about 7% of the world’s oceans are designated as marine protected areas (MPAs). It is now the time for more of us to journey to the deep and forge a connection to the blue realm, getting to know what lies beneath its reflective surface and collectively preserving this vital source of oxygen, food, transport, and inspiration for all. Our source of life.
Breaking barriers
With innovation comes opportunity and with the introduction of submersibles such as the Triton 36000/2, the barriers that have traditionally come between man and ocean have begun to fade. Long gone are the enormous, cumbersome suits and claustrophobic submarines that were required to reach certain depths and explore the underwater world. While the ultra-deep-diving submersible is titanium-hulled, high performing lighter vessels capable of diving up to 2000m are designed with acrylic, spherical hulls to afford pilots and passengers the freedom of views in every direction. Because observation is so important to scientific enquiry, these vessels not only offer the potential to learn more, but they immerse people in an extraordinary world so that a deep emotional connection can be discovered too.
In the year 2022, more and more marine researchers, documentary filmmakers and archaeologists are able to access wide swathes of the Earth’s oceans, uncover the incredible mysteries of the deep and fall in love with whatever is down there. These submersibles are quite literally our windows to the ocean, allowing us to better understand and protect this beautiful yet fragile wilderness.
Next time, we speak to Louise Harrison about her own dives, what expeditions can be done in the Mediterranean, including unimaginable visits to the black smokers, and exactly what piloting a submersible entails. Because there is still so much to explore, our series of submersible stories aims to inspire you, the reader, to expand horizons to depths you never thought possible, make a commitment to the world and dive in too.
Keen to learn more? Please get in touch with the Komodo team.