Don Walsh: The Explorer Behind the Record-Breaking Dive to the Deepest Depths

Captain Don Walsh, an ocean explorer who made the first-ever descent to the Mariana Trench, has died at the age of 92. Over 60 years ago, he and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard descended almost 11km (seven miles) beneath the ocean's surface to reach the deepest point on Earth. The dive, completed in 1960, took place at a time when space exploration was at the forefront of people's minds. However, Captain Walsh had his sights set on the depths of the ocean. He volunteered for the mission, even though he had never been deeper than 100m in a submarine before. The dive was made possible by the US Navy's acquisition of a submersible called the bathyscaphe Trieste. Captain Walsh and Piccard spent around five hours descending into the darkness, facing increasing pressure and experiencing a loud bang at around 9,000m. They eventually reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench, spending 20 minutes exploring before returning to the surface. The dive not only made history but also propelled Captain Walsh into a lifelong advocacy and support for ocean exploration and safety within the industry. Despite the lack of attention the Mariana dive received compared to the achievements of astronauts, recent technological advancements have highlighted the significance of ocean trenches in understanding the Earth's systems. Captain Walsh's dive paved the way for further research into the deep sea and its important role in climate change and the carbon cycle.