#18: The Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench, Earth’s deepest abyss, presents a formidable challenge for exploration. Plunging over 36,000 feet, it remains one of the most mysterious places on the planet. Its extreme depth and crushing pressure have permitted only four manned missions to venture into its depths, one of which was led by filmmaker James Cameron.

These rare expeditions have unveiled extraordinary and bizarre life forms adapted to the trench’s harsh conditions. The immense technical difficulties and risks involved in exploring the Mariana Trench highlight the limits of human capability and the boundless mysteries of our planet’s oceans.