American diver breaks record with journey to the Mariana Trench

American adventurer Victor Vesco broke the record for deepest submarine dive ever in the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench. In his four hours at the bottom, he saw fascinating and exotic sea creatures. He also saw a plastic bag and wrappers for sweets. Plastics pollution has reached even the deepest extents of the oceans.

As reported by CBS News, the team dove to the bottom of the Mariana Trench five times, BBC News reports. It was part of Vescovo’s “Five Deeps expedition,” his attempt to explore the deepest parts of all five oceans. Vescovo, a private equity investor, is funding the expeditions. Previously, he climbed the highest peaks on each of the planet’s seven continents.

The first deep dive into the Mariana Trench was in 1960, when U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard ventured into the deep abyss of the Pacific Ocean.

In 2012, movie director James Cameron made a solo trip into the Mariana Trench.

The latest descent by Vescovo’s team reached 35,849 feet beneath the waves, breaking the previous records by about 36 feet. The dive was recorded for “Deep Planet,” a series that will air on Discovery Channel later this year.

Thanks to David Rye and Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.