Three intrepid explorers will have the chance to enter the history books as some of the first people to dive to the bottom of the deepest ocean on earth.
The selected “Mission Specialists” will dive to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench in the Challenger Deep as part of a new six-month expedition launched by EYOS Expeditions and Caladan Oceanic.
While the process that will select the three chosen explorers is not yet clear, it is known that no formal pre-departure training is required and all three will receive a ship and sub orientation.
The dive to the Mariana Trench 10,928 metres down will take place in June 2020, with the three Mission Specialists joining the exploration vessel Pressure Drop in June 2020 at Agat in Guam. They will reach the Mariana Trench after a day at sea before descending in Caladan Oceanic’s submersible Limiting Factor.
The dive will take a total of 14 hours; four hours to descend seven miles to the bottom, four hours on the sea floor and four hours of ascent back to the surface.
While on the expedition, the three Mission Specialists will be treated as fully integrated members of the team, working alongside submersible technicians, film production team and expedition management.
Speaking about the opportunity, EYOS Expeditions founder, Rob McCallum said: “These three Mission Specialists joining the expedition will be at the forefront of our continued scientific research into the ocean’s virtually unknown hadal zone, and demonstrate the power of private travel to advance our understanding of the planet.”
He added that the Mission Specialists will be helping to fund “genuine exploration in the modern age”.
The Ring of Fire expedition follows the international Five Deeps expedition, which successfully dived to the five deepest points of the five deepest oceans.