Most of us do our ocean voyaging on the surface. But what about diving down into the deepest parts of the earth’s oceans? That type of vertical voyaging is planned by businessman and adventurer Sir Richard Branson and his partner in the Virgin Oceanic project, California entrepreneur Chris Welsh.
Branson and Welsh plan to dive into the depths of the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of any ocean at 36,201 feet deep. The two men will each make the trip alone aboard the Virgin Oceanic submarine, as the sub can only carry one person at a time. After plumbing the depths of the Marianas Trench, the duo plan to dive to the bottom of the Puerto Rican Trench (28,232 ft deep), the Diamantina Trench (26,401 ft) in the Indian Ocean, the South Sandwich Trench (23,737) in the Southern Ocean and the Mallory Deep (18,399) in the Arctic ocean. This grand tour will give Branson and Welsh the distinction of having dived to the deepest parts of the world’s oceans.
