Canadian filmmaker and ocean explorer James Cameron made a similar solo journey into the abyss in 2012. Since then, roughly half a dozen ocean explorers have successfully reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench — and many more remotely operated vehicles have completed expeditions.

Yes, though fewer people have reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench than have walked on the moon. The deepest point, the Challenger Deep (approx. 10,935 meters), was first reached in 1960 by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe Trieste. It took another 52 years for the next visit, made by filmmaker James Cameron in 2012 in the Deepsea Challenger. Since 2019, exploration has accelerated significantly due to Victor Vescovo and his "Limiting Factor" submersible, which made the bottom accessible for repeated visits. In 2026, we have even seen the first civilian "tourists" and scientists from various nations, including China with its Fendouzhe lander, reaching the floor. These missions have revealed a world of "xenophyophores," amphipods, and unfortunately, even man-made plastic waste. Despite these successful descents, the vast majority of the trench remains unmapped in high resolution, making it one of the last great frontiers of discovery on Earth.