GOING DEEP
The primary objective of this expedition was to precisely locate, measure and map the deepest points in each of the world’s five oceans. Dubbed the “Five Deeps Expedition” (FDE), the voyage spanned 10 months and travelled 47,000 nautical miles to execute 39 manned-submersible dives in some of the planet’s most remote and logistically challenging deep-sea locations. Not only did the expedition complete its primary aim, it mapped 550,000sq km of seafloor, discovered more than 40 new species of marine animals, and collected over 400,000 biological, geological and water samples for analysis by scientists.
THE EXPEDITIONERS
The FDE was the brainchild of its leader, Victor Vescovo, an American private equity investor, retired naval officer, and undersea explorer. Vescovo is a compulsive adventurer and a legend in his own right, having climbed the highest peak on each of the seven continents, and skied the last degree of latitude to both the North and South Poles. By the end of this expedition, he could also claim the unique honour of having piloted a submersible to the deepest point in each of the five oceans.
Through his company, Caladan Oceanic LLC, Vescovo mounted the FDE in partnership with several key stakeholders: Florida-based civil submarine manufacturer Triton Submarines LLC, which designed and built the submersible used in the dives; scientists from the UK’s Newcastle University and the British Geological Survey; the International Hydrographic Organisation and the Nippon Foundation, which provided sonar mapping experts
