1 00:00:10,076 --> 00:00:11,443 [Alan] This is a world first. 2 00:00:11,478 --> 00:00:14,179 It's never been done before. This is a prototype vehicle. 3 00:00:14,214 --> 00:00:16,393 It's never been operated before. 4 00:00:16,417 --> 00:00:17,750 This full-ocean-depth submersible 5 00:00:17,784 --> 00:00:19,718 is the equivalent of a moon shot. 6 00:00:21,187 --> 00:00:23,655 Look at the clarity of the water. 7 00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:24,990 What the hell was that? 8 00:00:25,025 --> 00:00:27,459 [woman] We have at least four species here. 9 00:00:27,494 --> 00:00:28,761 [man] Whoa. Whoa. 10 00:00:29,929 --> 00:00:31,196 Whoa, whoa, whoa. 11 00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:39,838 We're not getting a seal. That's not good 12 00:00:44,911 --> 00:00:46,912 [Demetri] Humankind has explored 13 00:00:46,946 --> 00:00:48,147 every continent on Earth. 14 00:00:49,682 --> 00:00:52,384 We've climbed its tallest mountains. 15 00:00:53,887 --> 00:00:56,655 And even journeyed into space. 16 00:00:56,689 --> 00:00:58,557 [man] Thank you, Mr President. 17 00:00:58,591 --> 00:01:01,260 But there's a vast swathe of our own planet 18 00:01:01,294 --> 00:01:03,295 that has remained a mystery. 19 00:01:07,901 --> 00:01:10,135 The deep ocean. 20 00:01:10,170 --> 00:01:14,706 Stretching down over 35, 000 feet into crushing pressures, 21 00:01:14,741 --> 00:01:17,576 it's been near impossible to reach. 22 00:01:17,610 --> 00:01:19,011 Until now. 23 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,048 New engineering breakthroughs are driving 24 00:01:23,083 --> 00:01:25,184 an audacious global mission 25 00:01:25,218 --> 00:01:26,985 to dive to the deepest points 26 00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:28,754 of all of the five oceans 27 00:01:28,788 --> 00:01:31,356 for the first time in history. 28 00:01:31,391 --> 00:01:34,726 These pioneers will push technology to the limit... 29 00:01:34,761 --> 00:01:36,161 - [man] He's going up. - [laughs] 30 00:01:36,196 --> 00:01:37,896 [cheering] 31 00:01:37,931 --> 00:01:40,065 [Demetri] ...to open up this final frontier 32 00:01:40,133 --> 00:01:42,067 as never before. 33 00:01:42,102 --> 00:01:44,203 [woman] Trying to mentally put yourself 34 00:01:44,237 --> 00:01:46,004 at the bottom is just mind-blowing. 35 00:01:46,039 --> 00:01:48,006 [Demetri] Mapping hidden landscapes. 36 00:01:48,041 --> 00:01:50,275 Discovering unknown life forms. 37 00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:51,977 [man] What on Earth is that? 38 00:01:53,379 --> 00:01:54,680 [Demetri] And unlocking the secrets 39 00:01:54,714 --> 00:01:56,882 of how life in the extreme deep ocean 40 00:01:56,916 --> 00:01:59,218 affects our entire planet. 41 00:02:10,830 --> 00:02:13,799 [suspenseful music playing] 42 00:02:15,568 --> 00:02:17,369 [Demetri] The Deep Ocean expedition team 43 00:02:17,403 --> 00:02:20,572 are at the very beginning of a year-long mission. 44 00:02:20,607 --> 00:02:22,307 [indistinct radio chatter] 45 00:02:22,342 --> 00:02:25,944 [Demitri] They will head to each of the five oceans, 46 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:28,347 discover their deepest points 47 00:02:28,381 --> 00:02:32,050 and explore their uncharted depths. 48 00:02:32,085 --> 00:02:34,987 Remarkably, this complex operation 49 00:02:35,021 --> 00:02:37,723 is being driven and financed by one man 50 00:02:37,757 --> 00:02:40,092 with a hugely ambitious dream. 51 00:02:40,126 --> 00:02:41,693 Ex-naval commander 52 00:02:41,728 --> 00:02:43,462 and multimillionaire investor 53 00:02:43,496 --> 00:02:45,097 Victor Vescovo. 54 00:02:45,131 --> 00:02:46,732 [Victor] The exciting thing about the expedition 55 00:02:46,766 --> 00:02:49,735 is the possibility of opening up the oceans 56 00:02:49,769 --> 00:02:52,004 and they do constitute 70% of the world. 57 00:02:53,673 --> 00:02:55,207 [Demetri] Victor has already completed 58 00:02:55,241 --> 00:02:58,477 what is known as the Explorer's Grand Slam, 59 00:02:58,511 --> 00:03:01,013 climbing the tallest peak on each continent 60 00:03:01,047 --> 00:03:03,615 and skiing to North and South Poles. 61 00:03:04,684 --> 00:03:06,518 Now he's bidding to be the first 62 00:03:06,553 --> 00:03:08,587 to conquer a new frontier. 63 00:03:08,621 --> 00:03:10,556 [Victor] I was just curious, I've always wanted 64 00:03:10,590 --> 00:03:12,224 to do something that has never been done before 65 00:03:12,258 --> 00:03:14,159 and then it hit me. No-one has actually been 66 00:03:14,194 --> 00:03:16,195 to the bottom of the five oceans. 67 00:03:17,931 --> 00:03:19,398 [Demetri] The team's first ocean 68 00:03:19,432 --> 00:03:22,267 is one of the most volatile and unpredictable of all. 69 00:03:23,870 --> 00:03:26,338 The mighty Atlantic. 70 00:03:26,372 --> 00:03:28,540 Covering an extraordinary fifth 71 00:03:28,575 --> 00:03:29,875 of the Earth's surface, 72 00:03:29,909 --> 00:03:32,211 it generates some of the most powerful 73 00:03:32,245 --> 00:03:34,713 natural hazards on the planet. 74 00:03:34,747 --> 00:03:37,516 From the kind of deadly icebergs 75 00:03:37,550 --> 00:03:39,618 that sank the Titanic 76 00:03:39,652 --> 00:03:41,653 to devastating hurricanes. 77 00:03:44,490 --> 00:03:47,192 And the Atlantic's unexplored depths 78 00:03:47,227 --> 00:03:49,761 hold enormous dangers of their own. 79 00:03:49,796 --> 00:03:52,297 On average, the Atlantic stretches down 80 00:03:52,332 --> 00:03:55,200 around 11,000 feet. 81 00:03:55,235 --> 00:03:56,969 But the team are now arriving 82 00:03:57,003 --> 00:03:59,004 just off the island of Puerto Rico, 83 00:03:59,038 --> 00:04:02,074 where a mysterious trench is thought to plunge 84 00:04:02,108 --> 00:04:05,344 to a staggering 27,500 feet. 85 00:04:05,378 --> 00:04:09,147 Enough to hold 22 Empire State Buildings 86 00:04:09,182 --> 00:04:11,783 stacked on top of each other. 87 00:04:11,818 --> 00:04:15,854 The pressure at such great depths is immense. 88 00:04:15,888 --> 00:04:18,423 The equivalent for a human body to be crushed 89 00:04:18,458 --> 00:04:21,393 beneath 2,500 pick-up trucks. 90 00:04:22,795 --> 00:04:26,932 For Victor to get there will be a massive challenge. 91 00:04:26,966 --> 00:04:30,369 Any ordinary submarine would simply implode. 92 00:04:30,403 --> 00:04:34,006 So Victor has commissioned a radical new design. 93 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,708 A prototype sub that today is being launched 94 00:04:36,743 --> 00:04:40,212 on a crucial test dive to prove its readiness 95 00:04:40,246 --> 00:04:42,648 for an assault on the Trench itself. 96 00:04:42,682 --> 00:04:45,284 This is the most advanced deep-sea submersible 97 00:04:45,318 --> 00:04:46,785 in history. At this point. 98 00:04:48,955 --> 00:04:51,456 [Demetri] The sub's builder is Patrick Lahey, 99 00:04:51,491 --> 00:04:54,226 whose team have spent the last three and a half years 100 00:04:54,260 --> 00:04:58,196 designing and constructing this engineering wonder. 101 00:04:58,231 --> 00:04:59,731 [Patrick] This full-ocean-depth submersible 102 00:04:59,766 --> 00:05:01,667 is the equivalent of a moon shot 103 00:05:01,701 --> 00:05:03,368 and it has been 104 00:05:03,403 --> 00:05:06,571 the most difficult undertaking of my life. 105 00:05:09,108 --> 00:05:11,143 [Demetri] To combat the enormous pressures 106 00:05:11,177 --> 00:05:12,811 at the bottom of the ocean, 107 00:05:12,845 --> 00:05:16,448 the sub has at its core a perfect sphere, 108 00:05:16,482 --> 00:05:18,417 made of lightweight titanium. 109 00:05:18,451 --> 00:05:21,019 Any imperfection and it would be crushed 110 00:05:21,054 --> 00:05:22,554 like a tin can. 111 00:05:23,890 --> 00:05:25,223 Construction of the sphere 112 00:05:25,258 --> 00:05:28,560 had to be incredibly precise. 113 00:05:28,594 --> 00:05:32,097 Each half was forged separately in the US. 114 00:05:33,733 --> 00:05:36,368 Machined to add super-wide-angle viewports 115 00:05:36,402 --> 00:05:38,804 and an access hatch, 116 00:05:38,838 --> 00:05:41,139 then shipped to a test facility in Russia 117 00:05:41,174 --> 00:05:43,742 that once certified Cold War subs, 118 00:05:43,776 --> 00:05:46,378 home to the only pressure chamber in the world 119 00:05:46,412 --> 00:05:48,213 big enough. 120 00:05:48,247 --> 00:05:50,649 Finally, the sphere was assembled 121 00:05:50,683 --> 00:05:53,352 inside a streamlined casing. 122 00:05:56,723 --> 00:05:58,523 But the expedition isn't just about 123 00:05:58,558 --> 00:06:01,326 getting one man to the bottom of the sea. 124 00:06:01,361 --> 00:06:03,095 The team are also hoping to solve 125 00:06:03,129 --> 00:06:06,998 some of the great mysteries of life in the deep ocean. 126 00:06:07,033 --> 00:06:08,133 On the surface, 127 00:06:08,167 --> 00:06:09,534 the Atlantic is one of the most 128 00:06:09,569 --> 00:06:12,704 varied habitats on Earth. 129 00:06:12,739 --> 00:06:14,573 [Camrin] The marine life of the Atlantic 130 00:06:14,607 --> 00:06:15,974 is pretty remarkable. 131 00:06:16,008 --> 00:06:19,177 From top predators, like the great white shark, 132 00:06:19,212 --> 00:06:22,314 all the way to all the kinds of tropical reef fishes, 133 00:06:22,348 --> 00:06:23,715 big or small, 134 00:06:23,750 --> 00:06:26,985 that many of us have seen underwater with our own eyes. 135 00:06:27,019 --> 00:06:29,554 [Demetri] But what lurks beneath remains 136 00:06:29,589 --> 00:06:31,857 a far more tantalising mystery. 137 00:06:31,891 --> 00:06:33,525 It's easier to explore space 138 00:06:33,559 --> 00:06:35,160 than it is to explore our own deep ocean. 139 00:06:35,194 --> 00:06:36,395 It's very hard for us to communicate 140 00:06:36,429 --> 00:06:38,630 through the water to vehicles. 141 00:06:38,664 --> 00:06:40,665 You also have the pressure. 142 00:06:40,733 --> 00:06:42,701 15,000lb per square inch. 143 00:06:42,735 --> 00:06:44,469 Animals have figured out a way to overcome 144 00:06:44,504 --> 00:06:46,138 and adapt to that pressure, 145 00:06:46,172 --> 00:06:48,507 but we have yet to do that with our vehicle systems. 146 00:06:49,742 --> 00:06:52,778 [Demetri] Could this new sub be the answer? 147 00:06:52,812 --> 00:06:54,946 Being fitted to the exterior 148 00:06:54,981 --> 00:06:57,149 are a set of highly specialised cameras, 149 00:06:57,183 --> 00:06:59,684 designed to bring back the first ever footage 150 00:06:59,719 --> 00:07:03,355 from the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. 151 00:07:03,389 --> 00:07:05,257 These are rated to 11,000 metres. 152 00:07:05,291 --> 00:07:07,626 If it implodes, it's like a small explosion 153 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:10,195 and it can start a chain reaction. 154 00:07:10,229 --> 00:07:13,732 So, we want to make sure that these housings are solid. 155 00:07:13,766 --> 00:07:14,966 You don't want any water inside them. 156 00:07:15,001 --> 00:07:16,735 You don't want them to implode, either. 157 00:07:16,769 --> 00:07:18,036 That's a lot of pressure 158 00:07:18,070 --> 00:07:19,838 we're gonna be taking them to. 159 00:07:21,374 --> 00:07:24,109 [Demetri] The expedition's revolutionary technology 160 00:07:24,143 --> 00:07:26,478 is about to be put to the test. 161 00:07:26,512 --> 00:07:28,680 Today's target is on a shelf 162 00:07:28,714 --> 00:07:32,217 perched precariously above the deep Trench itself. 163 00:07:32,251 --> 00:07:34,753 [man] The dive site today is quite shallow. 164 00:07:34,787 --> 00:07:36,621 Just to get the sub in the water, 165 00:07:36,656 --> 00:07:39,124 and make sure it's behaving itself. 166 00:07:39,158 --> 00:07:41,726 [man] It's deploying. That's good. Up on the main. 167 00:07:41,761 --> 00:07:43,395 [man] The mission is to make sure 168 00:07:43,429 --> 00:07:45,096 that the sub is truly ready, 169 00:07:45,131 --> 00:07:47,899 because, tomorrow, Victor will be extremely deep 170 00:07:47,934 --> 00:07:49,034 and on his own 171 00:07:49,068 --> 00:07:51,102 and there's no room for error. 172 00:07:54,707 --> 00:07:55,974 [man] Here we go, guys. Whoo! 173 00:07:57,577 --> 00:08:00,245 [Victor] Let's hope we have a nice, uneventful ride. 174 00:08:00,279 --> 00:08:02,047 [Kelvin] Okay. Get that hatch open. 175 00:08:02,081 --> 00:08:04,115 - [Victor] I'm on. Got it. - [Kelvin] All right, Victor. 176 00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:06,151 - Have a good one, man. - [Victor] I'm in! 177 00:08:07,587 --> 00:08:09,254 - [man] Hatch? - Hatch. 178 00:08:13,993 --> 00:08:16,528 [man] Up! Up fast. Up fast! 179 00:08:16,562 --> 00:08:18,296 LF, LF, this is Surface. 180 00:08:18,331 --> 00:08:21,733 - You are clear to dive. - Clear. Enabling thrusters. 181 00:08:38,251 --> 00:08:39,618 Okay, if you've got the starboard camera, 182 00:08:39,652 --> 00:08:40,785 I've got the port. 183 00:08:40,820 --> 00:08:42,053 Roger. 184 00:08:47,727 --> 00:08:49,628 - Confirm the hatch is sealed. - [Patrick] Yeah. 185 00:08:51,364 --> 00:08:52,864 Just a dribble right there. 186 00:08:54,534 --> 00:08:56,601 I'm gonna hang on to it as we head for the interface 187 00:08:56,636 --> 00:08:57,769 just to make sure. 188 00:09:01,140 --> 00:09:02,307 Ohh! 189 00:09:04,210 --> 00:09:05,210 Got a little water coming in 190 00:09:05,244 --> 00:09:06,211 at the forward end of the hatch. 191 00:09:11,517 --> 00:09:12,884 You shouldn't have to do that [bleep]. 192 00:09:15,154 --> 00:09:17,489 - I'm not getting a seal. - That's not good. 193 00:09:19,825 --> 00:09:22,093 [Victor] [bleep] This is getting really bad. 194 00:09:23,763 --> 00:09:25,030 I can't get a seal. 195 00:09:25,064 --> 00:09:26,698 I'm trying to shut it off. Okay? 196 00:09:30,670 --> 00:09:32,137 Surface, this is LF. 197 00:09:32,171 --> 00:09:34,105 Be advised we have a leaking hatch. 198 00:09:34,140 --> 00:09:35,840 - What did he say? - [man] The hatch. 199 00:09:35,875 --> 00:09:37,909 - Did you hear what he said? - [man] He's got a leak. 200 00:09:46,719 --> 00:09:48,053 [Demetri] Before taking on 201 00:09:48,087 --> 00:09:50,255 the deepest point in the Atlantic, 202 00:09:50,289 --> 00:09:53,625 the expedition team have launched their prototype sub 203 00:09:53,659 --> 00:09:56,394 on a crucial test dive. 204 00:09:56,429 --> 00:09:59,631 This is LF. We have a leaking hatch. We are aborting. 205 00:09:59,665 --> 00:10:02,067 We are aborting. 206 00:10:02,101 --> 00:10:04,869 I'm gonna go ahead and drop the weights. 207 00:10:04,904 --> 00:10:06,671 LF, Xeno copies. 208 00:10:06,706 --> 00:10:07,806 "Releasing starboard weight." 209 00:10:10,776 --> 00:10:12,110 The weight is off. 210 00:10:15,214 --> 00:10:17,315 [Patrick] Surface, this is LF. 211 00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:19,184 Requesting pick-up. 212 00:10:19,218 --> 00:10:21,486 The only thing we could do under the circumstances 213 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,355 - was abort. - [Victor] Yeah, I agree. 214 00:10:23,389 --> 00:10:25,256 We're not going down with water coming in so fast 215 00:10:25,291 --> 00:10:27,292 we can't control it. 216 00:10:28,527 --> 00:10:29,628 [Kelvin] So, they've aborted the dive. 217 00:10:29,662 --> 00:10:31,496 We'll bring it back on 218 00:10:31,530 --> 00:10:34,065 and try and figure out what's going on there. 219 00:10:36,502 --> 00:10:39,070 [Paul] That's the only danger in a sub is a leak. 220 00:10:39,105 --> 00:10:41,806 You know? In deep water, 221 00:10:41,841 --> 00:10:44,309 uh, you don't have the time to think about that, 222 00:10:44,343 --> 00:10:46,177 you are dead already! 223 00:10:46,212 --> 00:10:47,379 [Demetri] Back on the surface, 224 00:10:47,413 --> 00:10:49,347 and the team face a new challenge. 225 00:10:49,382 --> 00:10:50,782 The waves have picked up, 226 00:10:50,816 --> 00:10:53,752 putting the recovery process under intense pressure. 227 00:10:53,786 --> 00:10:56,021 [Kelvin] Okay, let's get that one tagline on. 228 00:10:56,055 --> 00:10:58,623 [man] We are missing a tagline off one side. 229 00:11:01,961 --> 00:11:03,395 [man] You want to do it or not do it? 230 00:11:03,429 --> 00:11:05,196 [Victor] Let's do it. See if we can. 231 00:11:05,231 --> 00:11:07,732 [man] Come forward. Come forward. 232 00:11:07,767 --> 00:11:09,200 Come ahead. Come ahead. 233 00:11:17,276 --> 00:11:18,977 - Whoa! - Whoa. 234 00:11:21,681 --> 00:11:23,148 [man] Victor. Here, Victor. 235 00:11:31,957 --> 00:11:33,958 [man] You never want to be in between anything, 236 00:11:33,993 --> 00:11:35,326 when you're on the surface of the vessel, 237 00:11:35,361 --> 00:11:37,896 even a small boat and a submersible, 238 00:11:37,930 --> 00:11:40,532 because you can get hit pretty hard. 239 00:11:40,566 --> 00:11:42,801 [Demetri] The Atlantic Ocean has given the team 240 00:11:42,835 --> 00:11:44,769 some harsh lessons. 241 00:11:44,804 --> 00:11:46,071 [Victor] A really disappointing dive. 242 00:11:46,105 --> 00:11:47,706 We were getting water ingress from the hatch, 243 00:11:47,740 --> 00:11:50,108 which we shouldn't have had 244 00:11:50,142 --> 00:11:51,776 and it was just too much. 245 00:11:51,811 --> 00:11:53,445 But, if this was easy, 246 00:11:53,479 --> 00:11:55,547 somebody else would have done it long before. 247 00:11:55,581 --> 00:11:57,282 We're gonna run out of daylight today. 248 00:12:02,421 --> 00:12:04,055 [man] Let's get her in the hangar. 249 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:05,557 [Kelvin] The hatch is an issue. 250 00:12:05,591 --> 00:12:07,258 Got to figure out how to do that. 251 00:12:09,161 --> 00:12:11,129 [Demetri] With the sub crew under huge pressure 252 00:12:11,163 --> 00:12:13,765 to make precision repairs to the hatch, 253 00:12:13,833 --> 00:12:16,301 the sonar scanning team are beginning their search 254 00:12:16,335 --> 00:12:19,137 for the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. 255 00:12:19,171 --> 00:12:21,372 The expedition ship is newly fitted out 256 00:12:21,407 --> 00:12:23,842 with a cutting-edge, echo-sounding system 257 00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:26,377 that's one of the most powerful in the world. 258 00:12:26,412 --> 00:12:28,179 This is a brand-new system for the vessel 259 00:12:28,214 --> 00:12:29,147 and it is the first time 260 00:12:29,181 --> 00:12:30,715 that this system has been installed 261 00:12:30,750 --> 00:12:32,917 anywhere in the world on any vessel. 262 00:12:32,952 --> 00:12:35,120 [Demetri] By bouncing an 11-mile-wide beam 263 00:12:35,154 --> 00:12:38,423 of sound waves off the ocean floor, the team are building 264 00:12:38,457 --> 00:12:40,692 a remarkably detailed 3D map 265 00:12:40,726 --> 00:12:43,161 of this vast underwater canyon. 266 00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:48,366 The team are also on the look-out for hidden risks 267 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,569 in what is, in fact, a geological danger zone. 268 00:12:51,604 --> 00:12:55,306 The Puerto Rico Trench is an active seismic zone. 269 00:12:55,341 --> 00:12:57,041 There are a number of earthquakes 270 00:12:57,076 --> 00:12:59,511 that have their epicentres in this region. 271 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,480 [Demetri] The Trench is a collision zone 272 00:13:02,515 --> 00:13:05,984 between two of the Earth's giant tectonic plates. 273 00:13:06,018 --> 00:13:08,620 One grinds down beneath the other, 274 00:13:08,654 --> 00:13:13,191 heading into the boiling magma of the Earth's core. 275 00:13:13,225 --> 00:13:14,793 The plates' downward fold 276 00:13:14,827 --> 00:13:18,263 is what forms the deep Puerto Rico Trench. 277 00:13:18,297 --> 00:13:19,631 [Christa] That interaction of the plates 278 00:13:19,665 --> 00:13:21,666 generates lots of earthquakes. 279 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:23,735 Some days, you can get 40, 50. 280 00:13:23,769 --> 00:13:26,271 And you never know when a large 281 00:13:26,305 --> 00:13:28,006 or a very large earthquake could occur. 282 00:13:29,508 --> 00:13:31,576 [Demetri] Scientists predict that a massive earthquake 283 00:13:31,610 --> 00:13:34,779 here in the future will trigger a deadly tsunami, 284 00:13:34,814 --> 00:13:38,216 with enough force to strike the east coast of America. 285 00:13:39,552 --> 00:13:41,886 The expedition is hoping to gain new insights 286 00:13:41,921 --> 00:13:44,222 into this volatile danger zone 287 00:13:44,256 --> 00:13:46,558 by bringing back rock and sediment samples 288 00:13:46,592 --> 00:13:50,094 from the very bottom of the Trench. 289 00:13:50,129 --> 00:13:53,331 But all now depends on fixing the leaking hatch 290 00:13:53,365 --> 00:13:56,034 and the sub team are working through the night 291 00:13:56,068 --> 00:13:58,036 to find a way to repair it. 292 00:13:58,070 --> 00:14:01,372 I just machined a quarter of a millimetre off the bottom. 293 00:14:01,407 --> 00:14:04,275 All right, I'll jump in there and put 'em in. 294 00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:06,344 I'm gonna go ahead. Want me to close your hatch? 295 00:14:06,378 --> 00:14:08,780 - [Kelvin] I'll get it. - Okay. 296 00:14:08,814 --> 00:14:10,715 [man] All right. Here we go. 297 00:14:16,555 --> 00:14:19,023 It's just coming up to your hatch vent now. 298 00:14:25,030 --> 00:14:27,332 Just lapping over your hatch vent now. 299 00:14:27,366 --> 00:14:28,633 [laughs] 300 00:14:28,667 --> 00:14:31,870 It's all good, man. I got nothing in here so far. 301 00:14:31,904 --> 00:14:34,939 How about that? A quarter of a millimetre did it. 302 00:14:34,974 --> 00:14:36,774 [Demetri] The sub crew are all set 303 00:14:36,809 --> 00:14:37,575 for a second attempt 304 00:14:37,610 --> 00:14:39,544 at a sign-off test dive. 305 00:14:42,314 --> 00:14:46,684 It's 6am and the expedition ship is alive with activity. 306 00:14:46,719 --> 00:14:48,720 As well as making the sub dives, 307 00:14:48,754 --> 00:14:51,489 a key part of the mission is to search for life 308 00:14:51,523 --> 00:14:54,692 in the unexplored reaches of the Trench. 309 00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:56,361 Much is known of the wildlife 310 00:14:56,395 --> 00:14:59,964 visible near the surface of the Atlantic. 311 00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:04,135 Like these curious visitors, a pod of pilot whales. 312 00:15:06,405 --> 00:15:08,940 They spend most of their time in a narrow band 313 00:15:08,974 --> 00:15:11,042 at the very top of the water column 314 00:15:11,076 --> 00:15:13,211 called the Sunlight Zone, 315 00:15:13,245 --> 00:15:16,614 where enough light filters down for plants to grow, 316 00:15:16,649 --> 00:15:19,717 which, in turn, sustain a rich food chain. 317 00:15:22,321 --> 00:15:25,757 But what creatures live far below, in the dark depths? 318 00:15:26,992 --> 00:15:28,860 How do they deal with the pitch black? 319 00:15:28,894 --> 00:15:33,331 And the crushing pressures? And what do they feed on? 320 00:15:33,365 --> 00:15:35,833 In search of answers, the marine biologists 321 00:15:35,868 --> 00:15:38,236 are deploying robotic underwater probes 322 00:15:38,270 --> 00:15:41,739 known as "landers", which will sink to the sea floor. 323 00:15:41,774 --> 00:15:44,642 [Alan] These are the traps. Two on the inside. 324 00:15:44,677 --> 00:15:47,111 [Demetri] Baited traps will try and catch samples 325 00:15:47,146 --> 00:15:49,247 of anything living at the bottom. 326 00:15:49,281 --> 00:15:51,082 There are two cameras on the lander. 327 00:15:51,150 --> 00:15:52,483 One facing this side. 328 00:15:52,518 --> 00:15:54,385 There is one on the other side, 329 00:15:54,420 --> 00:15:56,487 focused at a package of mackerel bait, 330 00:15:56,522 --> 00:15:58,623 for looking at scavenging fish 331 00:15:58,657 --> 00:16:00,825 and the big mobile animals. 332 00:16:00,859 --> 00:16:03,194 [Thomas] It's incredibly exciting to get to areas 333 00:16:03,228 --> 00:16:05,530 we wouldn't normally get the chance to, to get some 334 00:16:05,564 --> 00:16:07,098 high-quality footage of the animals 335 00:16:07,132 --> 00:16:09,400 we have a feeling are down there. 336 00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:11,369 [Demetri] The sub team are also making 337 00:16:11,403 --> 00:16:13,204 their final pre-dive checks, 338 00:16:13,238 --> 00:16:15,606 testing out a component Victor will use 339 00:16:15,641 --> 00:16:18,676 to bring back further vital samples from the deep. 340 00:16:18,711 --> 00:16:21,646 A $300,000 manipulator arm. 341 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,984 We have the hand controller for the manipulator arm. 342 00:16:26,018 --> 00:16:27,251 You're clear to come straight up. 343 00:16:30,990 --> 00:16:32,557 The slave arm duplicates. 344 00:16:34,193 --> 00:16:36,194 It looks good. I think it'll be fine. 345 00:16:38,230 --> 00:16:39,998 [Demetri] At last, the team are ready 346 00:16:40,032 --> 00:16:42,333 to relaunch their prototype sub. 347 00:16:44,169 --> 00:16:46,137 Heading once more for the flat shelf 348 00:16:46,171 --> 00:16:48,339 over 3,000 feet down, 349 00:16:48,374 --> 00:16:50,675 on the edge of the deep Trench. 350 00:16:51,910 --> 00:16:54,479 First, they launch the robotic probes. 351 00:16:58,917 --> 00:17:00,184 Then the sub. 352 00:17:00,219 --> 00:17:03,588 [Kelvin] Right, LF. You're clear to dive. 353 00:17:04,890 --> 00:17:06,891 Clear to dive. Starting to pump in. 354 00:17:06,925 --> 00:17:08,092 [Kelvin] Good luck. 355 00:17:10,129 --> 00:17:11,162 [Victor] Everything is looking good. 356 00:17:11,196 --> 00:17:13,197 Didn't have a drop of water come in. 357 00:17:18,303 --> 00:17:21,072 [Demetri] Beyond 600 feet and the sub enters 358 00:17:21,106 --> 00:17:23,608 the pitch black of the Twilight Zone, 359 00:17:23,642 --> 00:17:25,676 where sunlight barely penetrates 360 00:17:25,711 --> 00:17:28,279 and temperatures plunge. 361 00:17:28,313 --> 00:17:31,249 [Simon] What is amazing is that so many animals 362 00:17:31,283 --> 00:17:33,251 have found a way of not just making a living, 363 00:17:33,285 --> 00:17:34,919 but are thriving. 364 00:17:34,953 --> 00:17:37,055 [Demetri] Like the vicious fangtooth. 365 00:17:37,089 --> 00:17:40,358 It's outsized teeth act like the bars of a cage 366 00:17:40,392 --> 00:17:42,794 to trap any prey it bumps into. 367 00:17:45,497 --> 00:17:47,999 Incredibly, some create their own light, 368 00:17:48,033 --> 00:17:51,402 in a miraculous process called bioluminescence. 369 00:17:51,437 --> 00:17:53,071 [Simon] There is communication going on 370 00:17:53,105 --> 00:17:54,372 using light. 371 00:17:54,406 --> 00:17:57,809 Anglerfish produce light to attract prey. 372 00:17:57,843 --> 00:18:01,579 It's really remarkable the exquisite adaptations 373 00:18:01,613 --> 00:18:05,316 that bioluminescence allows for organisms in the deep. 374 00:18:09,688 --> 00:18:12,890 [Demetri] Now, over 3,000 feet below the surface, 375 00:18:12,925 --> 00:18:14,859 the shelf on the edge of the Trench 376 00:18:14,893 --> 00:18:16,861 comes into view. 377 00:18:16,895 --> 00:18:19,530 You're approaching the bottom. See it? 378 00:18:20,866 --> 00:18:22,600 I think I see it. 379 00:18:22,634 --> 00:18:25,470 [Demetri] Will they encounter new species of the deep, 380 00:18:25,504 --> 00:18:27,672 here, in the mysterious Twilight Zone? 381 00:18:27,706 --> 00:18:31,008 Wow! Look at these glowing things, whatever they are. 382 00:18:31,043 --> 00:18:32,910 - Wow. - It's almost like a light. 383 00:18:42,087 --> 00:18:45,323 [Demetri] On a crucial test dive into the Twilight Zone, 384 00:18:45,357 --> 00:18:48,893 Victor and Patrick now have the seabed in sight. 385 00:18:51,096 --> 00:18:53,364 [Victor] Surface, this is the LF. 386 00:18:53,398 --> 00:18:57,902 Present depth, 1-0-3-1 metres. 387 00:18:57,936 --> 00:19:00,738 At bottom. Repeat. At bottom. 388 00:19:02,074 --> 00:19:05,776 [Demetri] The sub now goes into exploration mode. 389 00:19:05,811 --> 00:19:08,546 Victor has released a series of small weights 390 00:19:08,580 --> 00:19:11,716 to leave the sub neutrally buoyant. 391 00:19:11,750 --> 00:19:14,886 Now he can use two banks of propellers or thrusters 392 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,854 to move in any direction. 393 00:19:22,261 --> 00:19:23,861 But look at the clarity of the water. 394 00:19:23,896 --> 00:19:26,030 Look at the visibility. 395 00:19:26,064 --> 00:19:28,266 It's remarkable. 396 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:29,700 [Demetri] Swimming into view 397 00:19:29,768 --> 00:19:32,336 comes a strange jelly-like creature, 398 00:19:32,371 --> 00:19:35,039 nicknamed the headless chicken monster. 399 00:19:35,073 --> 00:19:37,642 Look at these glowing things whatever they are. 400 00:19:39,745 --> 00:19:41,078 [Victor] Bioluminescent. 401 00:19:42,915 --> 00:19:44,482 [Demetri] A few hundred feet away, 402 00:19:44,516 --> 00:19:48,886 the robotic probes have also reached the shelf floor. 403 00:19:48,921 --> 00:19:50,354 It's time to see 404 00:19:50,389 --> 00:19:52,156 whether their baited cameras will lure in 405 00:19:52,191 --> 00:19:55,459 any other creatures of the Atlantic Twilight Zone. 406 00:20:00,098 --> 00:20:01,666 The first to arrive 407 00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:04,368 are specialist seabed scavengers. 408 00:20:06,305 --> 00:20:07,738 Hagfish. 409 00:20:09,208 --> 00:20:10,541 [Thomas] They're quite gruesome. They will actually burrow 410 00:20:10,576 --> 00:20:11,909 right into the carcass. 411 00:20:11,944 --> 00:20:13,311 The difficulty in doing that is of course, 412 00:20:13,345 --> 00:20:15,046 you're getting deeper and deeper into the flesh, 413 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,747 you're having trouble breathing. 414 00:20:16,782 --> 00:20:19,784 But they can breathe through their anus to overcome that. 415 00:20:19,818 --> 00:20:21,986 [Demetri] When a passing deep-sea gulper shark 416 00:20:22,020 --> 00:20:24,388 decides to have a hagfish for dinner, 417 00:20:24,423 --> 00:20:26,991 it's in for a nasty surprise. 418 00:20:29,895 --> 00:20:32,630 [Alan] Oh, he went for it! Nice. 419 00:20:32,664 --> 00:20:34,999 There you go, slime. Right there. 420 00:20:35,033 --> 00:20:38,402 That's a hagfish defence response. 421 00:20:38,437 --> 00:20:40,304 If a shark bites the hagfish, 422 00:20:40,339 --> 00:20:41,539 it automatically excretes 423 00:20:41,573 --> 00:20:43,274 all this slime into its mouth. 424 00:20:43,308 --> 00:20:44,875 That slime is full of microfibres, 425 00:20:44,910 --> 00:20:47,378 so, essentially, it chokes the shark. 426 00:20:47,412 --> 00:20:48,713 [Demetri] Remarkably, 427 00:20:48,747 --> 00:20:51,382 hagfish also cover their food in a web of slime 428 00:20:51,416 --> 00:20:53,784 to keep other scavengers away. 429 00:20:59,891 --> 00:21:01,459 [Victor] I really want to try and get to a lander 430 00:21:01,493 --> 00:21:02,693 and use the manipulator. 431 00:21:04,696 --> 00:21:06,297 [Demetri] Up in Mission Control, 432 00:21:06,331 --> 00:21:08,165 the team are using powerful modems 433 00:21:08,233 --> 00:21:10,668 to track the sub and guide them around. 434 00:21:10,702 --> 00:21:15,206 Let's move north. True north. And we'll go 100 metres. 435 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,275 [Victor] 100 metres due north. 436 00:21:17,309 --> 00:21:20,444 Wow. To me, it's almost like a light. 437 00:21:20,479 --> 00:21:22,480 Wait, is that the lander? 438 00:21:24,549 --> 00:21:25,950 Slow down. Yeah, that's the lander. 439 00:21:27,686 --> 00:21:29,620 [Patrick] Oh, yeah, you can see all kinds of critters. 440 00:21:29,655 --> 00:21:32,590 That's awesome! Look, there's a gorgonian there. 441 00:21:33,959 --> 00:21:35,760 [Victor] There's a big fish. I'm not sure what it is. 442 00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:37,428 It is a type of shark, 443 00:21:37,462 --> 00:21:39,964 but not one that you would see in shallow water. 444 00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:44,068 [Patrick] Do you want to try and use the manipulator? 445 00:21:44,102 --> 00:21:46,537 [Victor] Oh, yeah, we can definitely do that. 446 00:21:46,571 --> 00:21:48,072 [Demetri] It's a chance for Victor 447 00:21:48,106 --> 00:21:49,840 to practise picking up samples. 448 00:21:49,875 --> 00:21:52,443 A key task for when he makes his deep dive 449 00:21:52,477 --> 00:21:53,844 into the Trench. 450 00:21:53,879 --> 00:21:55,780 There's your arm. Look, there's your camera. 451 00:21:57,115 --> 00:21:58,015 [Patrick] Whoa-ho. 452 00:21:59,518 --> 00:22:00,851 Now line it up. 453 00:22:10,729 --> 00:22:11,696 What the hell was that? 454 00:22:11,730 --> 00:22:14,165 We just lost the manipulator arm. 455 00:22:14,199 --> 00:22:15,466 [Patrick] Oh, my [bleep]. 456 00:22:17,936 --> 00:22:19,303 There goes 300 grand. 457 00:22:20,739 --> 00:22:22,640 [Patrick] Oh, my [bleep]. 458 00:22:22,674 --> 00:22:24,608 [Demetri] The arm's auto-release mechanism 459 00:22:24,643 --> 00:22:25,843 has triggered an error. 460 00:22:25,911 --> 00:22:27,845 Ditching it on the seabed. 461 00:22:27,879 --> 00:22:30,281 Without its weight, the sub is now making 462 00:22:30,315 --> 00:22:32,216 a rapid and unplanned ascent. 463 00:22:32,250 --> 00:22:35,086 [Patrick] Surface, the manipulator just parted. 464 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:37,021 We're on our way up. 465 00:22:37,055 --> 00:22:38,923 Roger that. Left bottom. 466 00:22:39,925 --> 00:22:42,093 With no arm. Thank you. 467 00:22:42,127 --> 00:22:44,462 Well, I don't know where we go from here, Patrick. 468 00:22:45,897 --> 00:22:48,599 We're very early on in the programme 469 00:22:48,633 --> 00:22:49,700 and, when you start having 470 00:22:49,735 --> 00:22:51,369 these secondary systems having issues, 471 00:22:51,403 --> 00:22:53,371 you start having some concern 472 00:22:53,405 --> 00:22:55,172 about the core systems. 473 00:22:55,207 --> 00:22:57,408 Things like life support, flotation, 474 00:22:57,442 --> 00:22:58,909 the integrity of the sphere. 475 00:22:58,944 --> 00:23:00,544 You started wondering, if, you know, 476 00:23:00,579 --> 00:23:02,213 if we really test these things 477 00:23:02,247 --> 00:23:03,948 at 8,000 metres, 478 00:23:03,982 --> 00:23:04,949 are they gonna have a problem 479 00:23:04,983 --> 00:23:05,983 or even a failure? 480 00:23:09,454 --> 00:23:12,323 [Demetri] The sub may be safely back on the surface, 481 00:23:12,357 --> 00:23:14,458 but another huge threat is looming. 482 00:23:16,495 --> 00:23:20,698 During the dive, the waves have grown much larger. 483 00:23:20,732 --> 00:23:23,067 Getting the $35 million sub 484 00:23:23,101 --> 00:23:24,835 hooked on to the ship's crane 485 00:23:24,870 --> 00:23:27,872 is now full of dangers. 486 00:23:27,906 --> 00:23:30,040 [Kelvin] Just hang on. Hang on, buddy! 487 00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:31,075 [bleep] 488 00:23:34,713 --> 00:23:37,148 [man] There you go, there you go! Fantastic! 489 00:23:37,182 --> 00:23:38,315 Up on the main! 490 00:23:39,951 --> 00:23:41,385 [man] Down on this tag. 491 00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:43,654 [man] Whoa. 492 00:23:43,722 --> 00:23:45,756 Whoa. 493 00:23:45,791 --> 00:23:46,957 Whoa, whoa, whoa. 494 00:23:48,627 --> 00:23:49,794 [bleep] 495 00:23:51,797 --> 00:23:54,298 [Demetri] A powerful wave has slammed the sub 496 00:23:54,332 --> 00:23:55,633 into the back of the ship 497 00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:57,268 and destroyed an entire bank 498 00:23:57,302 --> 00:24:00,538 of the all-important propellers. 499 00:24:02,574 --> 00:24:04,775 The mounting problems are causing Victor 500 00:24:04,810 --> 00:24:08,579 to have doubts about the entire mission. 501 00:24:08,613 --> 00:24:10,514 [Victor] I'm seriously considering 502 00:24:10,549 --> 00:24:12,783 aborting this mission in Puerto Rico. 503 00:24:12,818 --> 00:24:14,051 It is something I don't want to do, 504 00:24:14,085 --> 00:24:16,420 but it's something we may have to do. 505 00:24:16,488 --> 00:24:19,457 - [man] Look at the thrusters. - [man] What happened there? 506 00:24:19,491 --> 00:24:20,658 [Kelvin] Smashed into the back. 507 00:24:20,692 --> 00:24:22,059 We got a tail wind. 508 00:24:22,093 --> 00:24:24,862 Just skied straight down into the back of the boat. 509 00:24:30,969 --> 00:24:33,003 Absolutely heartbreaking. 510 00:24:33,038 --> 00:24:35,206 Could be game over for this particular trip. 511 00:24:46,284 --> 00:24:48,552 [Demetri] The sub crew need to find a way 512 00:24:48,587 --> 00:24:50,988 to repair their damaged prototype 513 00:24:51,022 --> 00:24:53,524 and convince Victor that it's safe to pilot it 514 00:24:53,558 --> 00:24:55,926 to the bottom of the Atlantic 515 00:24:55,961 --> 00:24:57,461 or the expedition is over. 516 00:24:59,264 --> 00:25:00,831 Meanwhile, the science team 517 00:25:00,866 --> 00:25:02,299 are retrieving their robotic probes, 518 00:25:02,334 --> 00:25:05,236 released remotely from the seabed 519 00:25:05,270 --> 00:25:08,138 and the traps have caught a wonder of the deep ocean. 520 00:25:08,173 --> 00:25:10,407 A monstrous relative of the woodlouse. 521 00:25:10,442 --> 00:25:12,409 The giant isopod. 522 00:25:12,444 --> 00:25:14,612 [Alan] The woodlouse in your house, 523 00:25:14,646 --> 00:25:16,380 you can find at high altitude as well. 524 00:25:16,414 --> 00:25:18,482 They are actually the same as the giant ones 525 00:25:18,517 --> 00:25:20,751 in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean. 526 00:25:20,785 --> 00:25:22,786 So, in terms of a successful colonisation of the planet, 527 00:25:22,821 --> 00:25:24,889 isopods are pretty impressive. 528 00:25:24,923 --> 00:25:26,557 [Demetri] While the scientists continue 529 00:25:26,591 --> 00:25:28,325 to process their finds, 530 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,795 the sonar team have some vital news of their own. 531 00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:34,198 They've identified the precise location 532 00:25:34,232 --> 00:25:37,635 of the very deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. 533 00:25:37,669 --> 00:25:40,304 - 8, 400? - 8, 400, yeah. 534 00:25:40,338 --> 00:25:42,473 It's a real proper target. 535 00:25:42,507 --> 00:25:43,707 It's there. 536 00:25:43,742 --> 00:25:45,009 - You get one shot. - Yeah. 537 00:25:45,043 --> 00:25:47,845 This could be tough. 538 00:25:47,879 --> 00:25:49,013 [Demetri] The site lies 539 00:25:49,047 --> 00:25:50,981 at the western end of the Trench. 540 00:25:51,016 --> 00:25:52,950 An area no-one has identified 541 00:25:52,984 --> 00:25:54,752 as the deepest point before 542 00:25:54,786 --> 00:25:59,957 and a location no-one has ever explored before. 543 00:25:59,991 --> 00:26:01,792 But is the sub ready for this 544 00:26:01,826 --> 00:26:04,361 incredibly dangerous mission? 545 00:26:04,396 --> 00:26:05,996 [man] I'm willing to try anything. 546 00:26:06,031 --> 00:26:07,831 [Demetri] First, the team need to repair 547 00:26:07,866 --> 00:26:09,366 the damaged propellers. 548 00:26:09,401 --> 00:26:10,367 Keep it up there. 549 00:26:10,402 --> 00:26:11,669 Keep the [bleep] thing up there. 550 00:26:11,703 --> 00:26:13,270 [man] Over there. 551 00:26:13,305 --> 00:26:16,173 All right, Hector, stay and watch that thruster. 552 00:26:16,207 --> 00:26:18,208 You're clear to enable thrusters. 553 00:26:19,444 --> 00:26:21,011 [Victor] Thrusters are now enabled. 554 00:26:21,046 --> 00:26:23,213 Beginning thruster test. Ready? 555 00:26:23,248 --> 00:26:24,214 [Kelvin] Roger that. Go ahead. 556 00:26:26,151 --> 00:26:29,053 [man] Yeah, looks good. Whoo! 557 00:26:29,087 --> 00:26:31,255 [Demetri] But can Victor trust the sub 558 00:26:31,289 --> 00:26:33,557 with his life on the deep dive? 559 00:26:33,592 --> 00:26:35,426 [Victor] We're gonna have to make a reasoned judgment 560 00:26:35,460 --> 00:26:38,529 about whether to accept some faith in the team, 561 00:26:38,563 --> 00:26:40,297 that they have solved the major issues. 562 00:26:40,332 --> 00:26:41,765 Just have to make the decision tonight 563 00:26:41,833 --> 00:26:44,535 and then inform the team about what we're gonna do. 564 00:26:53,845 --> 00:26:56,413 [Victor] So, from my own perspective, I feel that 565 00:26:56,481 --> 00:26:58,816 the vessel is safe enough to try and take it down 566 00:26:58,850 --> 00:27:00,951 8, 000 metres and come back up. 567 00:27:00,986 --> 00:27:03,187 If, at any point, I feel like it's unsafe, 568 00:27:03,221 --> 00:27:04,989 I'm gonna drop all the weights I can 569 00:27:05,023 --> 00:27:06,557 and I'm gonna come back up. 570 00:27:06,591 --> 00:27:07,625 It's a calculated risk, 571 00:27:07,659 --> 00:27:09,560 but it's like anything else in life. 572 00:27:09,594 --> 00:27:10,594 So we'll give it a shot. 573 00:27:15,734 --> 00:27:18,836 [Demetri] The countdown has begun to the first ever dive 574 00:27:18,870 --> 00:27:21,505 to the very deepest point of the Atlantic. 575 00:27:21,539 --> 00:27:25,042 Even though Victor has never piloted the sub solo before, 576 00:27:25,076 --> 00:27:27,077 he will make the dive alone. 577 00:27:28,313 --> 00:27:30,247 - Let's do this. - Ready to launch. 578 00:27:30,281 --> 00:27:31,849 Bridge, copy, boats are a go. 579 00:27:31,883 --> 00:27:33,150 Fingers crossed. 580 00:27:36,287 --> 00:27:37,688 [Victor] I am most concerned 581 00:27:37,722 --> 00:27:38,856 about approaching the bottom. 582 00:27:38,890 --> 00:27:42,026 If there is some flaw in the vehicle, 583 00:27:42,060 --> 00:27:43,360 it would happen then, 584 00:27:43,395 --> 00:27:46,130 when the pressures will be the most intense. 585 00:27:46,164 --> 00:27:47,965 [man] Excited. Scared. 586 00:27:47,999 --> 00:27:49,266 Anticipation. All those things. 587 00:27:49,300 --> 00:27:51,402 Godspeed, Victor Vescovo! 588 00:27:55,407 --> 00:27:56,807 [Patrick] You're all happy and secure. 589 00:27:56,841 --> 00:27:58,342 Life support is running. 590 00:27:58,376 --> 00:28:00,511 You're clear to dive. 591 00:28:00,545 --> 00:28:03,047 Thank you. See on the other side. 592 00:28:03,081 --> 00:28:05,416 We're ready to launch. Here we go. 593 00:28:07,485 --> 00:28:09,620 Clear to dive. Starting to pump in. 594 00:28:13,525 --> 00:28:15,893 I think my heart rate just went up a little bit. 595 00:28:18,329 --> 00:28:21,031 Seven metres. Eight metres. Nine metres. 596 00:28:21,066 --> 00:28:24,468 We are descending. We are diving. 597 00:28:26,137 --> 00:28:27,404 [Demetri] Soon, Victor is passing 598 00:28:27,439 --> 00:28:29,073 through the Twilight Zone, 599 00:28:29,107 --> 00:28:32,209 into a mysterious area so completely beyond 600 00:28:32,243 --> 00:28:33,811 any hint of sunlight 601 00:28:33,845 --> 00:28:36,947 that it's known as the Midnight Zone. 602 00:28:36,981 --> 00:28:38,782 There are gelatinous animals there. There are fish. 603 00:28:38,817 --> 00:28:42,720 There are things we don't understand yet or know about. 604 00:28:42,754 --> 00:28:44,488 [Demetri] One of the team's robotic landers 605 00:28:44,522 --> 00:28:45,956 has been deployed into the heart 606 00:28:45,990 --> 00:28:47,524 of the Midnight Zone, 607 00:28:47,559 --> 00:28:50,828 halfway down the slopes of the deep Trench. 608 00:28:50,862 --> 00:28:53,197 Just seconds after hitting the bottom, 609 00:28:53,231 --> 00:28:56,500 a mysterious visitor emerges from the gloom. 610 00:29:00,405 --> 00:29:03,841 Only rarely sighted, an arrowtooth eel, 611 00:29:03,875 --> 00:29:06,777 which can grow up to four feet long. 612 00:29:13,284 --> 00:29:17,087 And, lured from the shadows, an ancient creature 613 00:29:17,122 --> 00:29:19,423 with huge paddle-like fins, which thrived 614 00:29:19,457 --> 00:29:20,824 in shallower waters 615 00:29:20,859 --> 00:29:23,127 at the time of the dinosaurs. 616 00:29:23,161 --> 00:29:24,962 The chimera. 617 00:29:35,006 --> 00:29:36,640 We've just crossed 5,000 metres. 618 00:29:36,674 --> 00:29:37,941 Pretty exciting. 619 00:29:37,976 --> 00:29:42,212 Roger. LF, I have you loud and clear. 620 00:29:42,247 --> 00:29:43,747 [Demetri] Victor is nearing a hugely 621 00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:44,948 significant boundary. 622 00:29:44,983 --> 00:29:46,383 23,000 feet. 623 00:29:46,417 --> 00:29:49,586 The deepest any other manned submersible can go. 624 00:29:49,621 --> 00:29:51,555 If something serious goes wrong, 625 00:29:51,589 --> 00:29:54,057 there's now no hope of rescue. 626 00:29:54,092 --> 00:29:55,626 After about 6,000 metres, 627 00:29:55,660 --> 00:29:58,695 we're pretty much on our own. 628 00:29:58,730 --> 00:30:00,130 [Demetri] This is also the boundary 629 00:30:00,165 --> 00:30:01,732 between the Abyssal Zone 630 00:30:01,766 --> 00:30:03,700 and the deepest zone of all, 631 00:30:03,735 --> 00:30:05,369 the Hadal Zone. 632 00:30:05,403 --> 00:30:07,504 Named after Hades, the ancient 633 00:30:07,539 --> 00:30:09,540 Greek god of the Underworld. 634 00:30:11,409 --> 00:30:13,911 The sub is now enduring crushing pressures 635 00:30:13,945 --> 00:30:18,048 equivalent to the weight of 250 Statues of Liberty. 636 00:30:18,082 --> 00:30:21,084 [beeping] 637 00:30:24,656 --> 00:30:26,957 Something is tripping over here. 638 00:30:26,991 --> 00:30:28,859 What the hell is that? 639 00:30:28,893 --> 00:30:30,961 [beeping continues] 640 00:30:30,995 --> 00:30:35,666 LF, LF, confirm, did you receive my transmission? 641 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:38,702 [heavy static] 642 00:30:42,307 --> 00:30:44,842 I need my headset. 643 00:30:44,876 --> 00:30:47,578 There's too much noise. What is that [bleep] noise? 644 00:30:49,113 --> 00:30:51,315 [man] Try response. 645 00:30:51,349 --> 00:30:52,950 Response. Response. 646 00:30:52,984 --> 00:30:54,284 I need you to come to all stop. 647 00:30:54,319 --> 00:30:57,054 [muffled voice under static] 648 00:31:10,134 --> 00:31:11,668 [Demetri] The team and Mission Control 649 00:31:11,703 --> 00:31:12,936 haven't heard from Victor 650 00:31:12,971 --> 00:31:16,473 for 15 minutes, since he passed 23,000 feet. 651 00:31:16,507 --> 00:31:19,276 The maximum range for any rescue operation. 652 00:31:19,310 --> 00:31:20,410 [Patrick] There's too much noise. 653 00:31:20,445 --> 00:31:23,146 [heavy static] 654 00:31:23,181 --> 00:31:25,415 What is that [bleep] noise right there? 655 00:31:26,951 --> 00:31:30,053 Victor, can you read me? 656 00:31:30,088 --> 00:31:33,090 [static] 657 00:31:35,627 --> 00:31:37,895 Oh, [bleep]. 658 00:31:37,929 --> 00:31:40,130 Okay, I'm going to go to the headset. 659 00:31:44,435 --> 00:31:47,037 Victor, can you read me? 660 00:31:50,308 --> 00:31:52,509 Can you read me? 661 00:32:16,034 --> 00:32:18,368 [Victor] "Roger." 662 00:32:18,403 --> 00:32:21,204 Have you good. 663 00:32:21,239 --> 00:32:23,373 "I will talk louder." 664 00:32:26,344 --> 00:32:27,778 [bleep] 665 00:32:27,812 --> 00:32:30,380 [laughter] 666 00:32:30,415 --> 00:32:31,114 Breathe. 667 00:32:31,149 --> 00:32:33,583 Breathe, breathe. 668 00:32:38,056 --> 00:32:41,325 200 metres to the bottom. 669 00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:45,228 Roger, LF. Have you loud and clear. 670 00:32:45,263 --> 00:32:47,431 [Victor] When you're looking through the viewport, 671 00:32:47,465 --> 00:32:50,000 all you're seeing is black. 672 00:32:50,034 --> 00:32:52,035 Okay, where is it? Where's the bottom? 673 00:32:52,070 --> 00:32:53,737 Where is it? 674 00:32:53,771 --> 00:32:55,539 I'm getting excited. 675 00:32:58,242 --> 00:32:59,643 And then it comes into view. 676 00:32:59,677 --> 00:33:01,945 Oh, my goodness, I can see the bottom! 677 00:33:04,382 --> 00:33:05,916 Wow. 678 00:33:10,154 --> 00:33:11,822 There's the bottom. 679 00:33:25,169 --> 00:33:28,405 Wow! I'm at the bottom. 680 00:33:28,439 --> 00:33:30,340 Surface. Surface. 681 00:33:30,375 --> 00:33:33,176 LF, present depth... 682 00:33:33,211 --> 00:33:36,780 8-5-8-9. 683 00:33:36,814 --> 00:33:38,782 "At bottom." 684 00:33:38,816 --> 00:33:40,784 On bottom. Loud and clear. 685 00:33:40,818 --> 00:33:43,353 - Yeah! - [cheering] 686 00:33:44,856 --> 00:33:46,089 How about that, man? 687 00:33:46,124 --> 00:33:48,759 That's... [bleep] ...great. Huh? 688 00:33:48,793 --> 00:33:51,595 You... [bleep] ...beauties, huh? 689 00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:58,068 [Demetri] Victor has become the first person 690 00:33:58,102 --> 00:34:00,837 to reach the deepest point in the Atlantic, 691 00:34:00,872 --> 00:34:03,940 over five miles below the surface. 692 00:34:11,849 --> 00:34:14,084 The cameras are capturing a landscape 693 00:34:14,118 --> 00:34:17,721 no-one has ever set eyes on before. 694 00:34:17,755 --> 00:34:19,689 [Victor] I'm a long way from home. 695 00:34:19,724 --> 00:34:22,692 It's like I'm on another planet. 696 00:34:22,727 --> 00:34:25,128 The water is barely moving the sediment. 697 00:34:25,163 --> 00:34:27,197 There's no current here. 698 00:34:33,871 --> 00:34:37,841 My hands are getting cold. 17 degrees down here. 699 00:34:37,875 --> 00:34:38,975 [Demetri] The floor of the Trench 700 00:34:39,010 --> 00:34:41,078 is thick with fine particles, 701 00:34:41,112 --> 00:34:42,879 sent into billowing clouds 702 00:34:42,914 --> 00:34:44,815 at a touch of the propellers. 703 00:34:44,849 --> 00:34:47,117 [Victor] Oh, it's all dark now. So... 704 00:34:47,151 --> 00:34:49,319 So much sentiment I can't see outside. 705 00:34:49,353 --> 00:34:51,621 It's black. 706 00:34:51,656 --> 00:34:53,824 [Demetri] It looks lifeless and yet, 707 00:34:53,858 --> 00:34:56,126 bowled along by the sub's blast, 708 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:57,961 are creatures that can survive 709 00:34:57,995 --> 00:35:02,032 at this extreme frontier of our planet. 710 00:35:02,066 --> 00:35:04,000 Transparent, jelly-like organisms 711 00:35:04,035 --> 00:35:05,836 called holothurians, 712 00:35:05,870 --> 00:35:07,404 which feed off tiny particles 713 00:35:07,438 --> 00:35:10,607 of food they find in the sentiment. 714 00:35:10,641 --> 00:35:13,310 There's also a set of mysterious tracks 715 00:35:13,344 --> 00:35:15,112 crossing the seabed. 716 00:35:22,954 --> 00:35:26,223 But there are more creatures lurking in the shadows. 717 00:35:27,525 --> 00:35:30,160 The baited landers dropped to the seabed 718 00:35:30,194 --> 00:35:33,130 are beginning to lure them into the light. 719 00:35:35,266 --> 00:35:39,136 These shrimp-like organisms, are called amphipods. 720 00:35:39,170 --> 00:35:41,037 High-pressure specialists 721 00:35:41,072 --> 00:35:43,640 and voracious scavengers. 722 00:35:43,674 --> 00:35:44,941 In the pitch dark, 723 00:35:44,976 --> 00:35:47,444 they have a supercharged sense of smell 724 00:35:47,478 --> 00:35:51,014 that can detect food up to half a mile away. 725 00:35:51,048 --> 00:35:54,518 In just minutes, it's a feeding frenzy. 726 00:36:02,426 --> 00:36:06,429 Meanwhile, Victor is making a more sobering discovery. 727 00:36:06,464 --> 00:36:08,832 Oh, wow. Looks like something is dead ahead. 728 00:36:10,801 --> 00:36:13,470 [Demetri] A rusted oil drum. 729 00:36:13,504 --> 00:36:15,939 Although no-one has ever been here before, 730 00:36:15,973 --> 00:36:18,508 human garbage has still found its way 731 00:36:18,543 --> 00:36:20,944 to the bottom of the Atlantic. 732 00:36:24,649 --> 00:36:27,417 [Victor] I totally feel like I'm in a spaceship. 733 00:36:27,451 --> 00:36:29,886 This is wild. 734 00:36:29,921 --> 00:36:33,156 [Demetri] Victor has now been at the bottom for 45 minutes 735 00:36:33,191 --> 00:36:34,524 and, in Mission Control, 736 00:36:34,559 --> 00:36:37,694 there's growing concern for his safety. 737 00:36:37,728 --> 00:36:40,230 We have to stop. For safety reasons. 738 00:36:40,264 --> 00:36:43,266 I don't want him colliding with a [bleep] lander 739 00:36:43,301 --> 00:36:44,868 on his way up. 740 00:36:44,902 --> 00:36:46,670 [Demetri] The landers are due to auto-release 741 00:36:46,704 --> 00:36:48,471 in just a few minutes. 742 00:36:48,506 --> 00:36:50,307 If Victor doesn't leave first, 743 00:36:50,341 --> 00:36:52,086 there could be a damaging collision 744 00:36:52,110 --> 00:36:54,578 that would disable key features of the sub. 745 00:36:54,612 --> 00:36:57,147 [Victor] There's something dead ahead. 746 00:36:57,181 --> 00:37:01,351 Be advised. Lander will be lifting off. 747 00:37:01,385 --> 00:37:04,087 Say again. Keep simple. 748 00:37:04,121 --> 00:37:06,489 Leave bottom. Leave bottom. 749 00:37:15,833 --> 00:37:18,235 [Patrick] Do you copy, LF? 750 00:37:18,269 --> 00:37:22,906 We want you to end the dive before the lander lift-off. 751 00:37:25,042 --> 00:37:27,544 He's pretty close. 752 00:37:27,578 --> 00:37:31,047 [muffled voice under static] 753 00:37:31,082 --> 00:37:32,515 [Victor] Say again. 754 00:37:32,550 --> 00:37:33,717 When he starts talking for more than 755 00:37:33,751 --> 00:37:36,319 four or five words on the radar, 756 00:37:36,354 --> 00:37:37,988 especially if it's not clear words, 757 00:37:38,022 --> 00:37:40,991 I don't understand it and I don't know what to do. 758 00:37:41,025 --> 00:37:42,626 [Demetri] If Victor doesn't leave 759 00:37:42,660 --> 00:37:45,095 before the robotic probes auto-release, 760 00:37:45,129 --> 00:37:48,598 there could be a highly damaging collision. 761 00:37:48,633 --> 00:37:50,433 [Victor] "Surface, say again." 762 00:37:50,468 --> 00:37:54,070 [Patrick] We recommend you leave bottom. 763 00:37:54,105 --> 00:37:56,339 Leave bottom. Over. 764 00:38:06,684 --> 00:38:08,718 There's something there. About one o'clock. 765 00:38:08,753 --> 00:38:11,288 [Patrick] "We recommend you leave bottom." 766 00:38:11,322 --> 00:38:14,224 Leave bottom. Over." 767 00:38:14,258 --> 00:38:15,225 Understood. 768 00:38:15,259 --> 00:38:18,328 Leaving bottom. Leaving bottom. 769 00:38:19,864 --> 00:38:21,865 I just hope the weight releases work. 770 00:38:23,668 --> 00:38:26,670 [suspenseful music playing] 771 00:38:29,206 --> 00:38:30,940 Oh, come on. 772 00:38:37,915 --> 00:38:39,316 Come on. 773 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:50,460 The surfacing weight was just released. 774 00:38:50,494 --> 00:38:51,861 That's the big moment. 775 00:38:51,896 --> 00:38:52,862 When your heart kind of stops. 776 00:38:52,897 --> 00:38:54,998 I have positive buoyancy. 777 00:38:57,835 --> 00:38:59,102 [Demetri] Just seconds later, 778 00:38:59,136 --> 00:39:01,504 the landers also auto-release. 779 00:39:01,539 --> 00:39:03,940 A collision has been avoided. 780 00:39:03,974 --> 00:39:06,576 Surface, LF. 781 00:39:06,610 --> 00:39:09,479 [Demetri] Positive ascent. 782 00:39:09,513 --> 00:39:12,716 Roger that. Congratulations. 783 00:39:17,955 --> 00:39:20,323 He's gonna be popping up any second. 784 00:39:33,137 --> 00:39:35,305 Yeah, I see him. 785 00:39:35,339 --> 00:39:37,874 Welcome back to the surface, Victor. 786 00:39:37,908 --> 00:39:39,042 Thanks, Patrick. 787 00:39:39,076 --> 00:39:41,778 [Patrick] That was one hell of a dive, sir. 788 00:39:41,812 --> 00:39:43,980 Let's get him on board safe. 789 00:39:49,086 --> 00:39:50,987 Real slow, real slow. 790 00:40:05,302 --> 00:40:07,003 Victor Vescovo! 791 00:40:07,037 --> 00:40:10,039 [cheering and whistling] 792 00:40:11,442 --> 00:40:13,643 [man] Rockstar! 793 00:40:13,677 --> 00:40:15,612 - Thank you. Awesome. - Good job. 794 00:40:15,646 --> 00:40:17,647 - Good job. - Well done, everyone! 795 00:40:17,681 --> 00:40:19,849 Great job, team! 796 00:40:19,884 --> 00:40:21,551 One down! 797 00:40:21,585 --> 00:40:23,453 [whistling] 798 00:40:28,959 --> 00:40:31,227 [Patrick] It's a great feeling. 799 00:40:31,262 --> 00:40:33,029 Got one. Seeing the bottom of the Atlantic, 800 00:40:33,063 --> 00:40:36,099 first person to do that, that was awesome. 801 00:40:36,133 --> 00:40:37,233 Congratulations. 802 00:40:37,267 --> 00:40:39,202 Thank you, Patrick. 803 00:40:39,236 --> 00:40:41,371 Thanks for training me. [bleep] 804 00:40:41,405 --> 00:40:42,705 Beautiful dive. 805 00:40:42,740 --> 00:40:45,508 Executed, like, to perfection. 806 00:40:45,543 --> 00:40:46,776 [bleep] you, 807 00:40:46,811 --> 00:40:47,877 - I'm so proud of you. - Thank you. 808 00:40:47,912 --> 00:40:50,013 This is now the deepest diving 809 00:40:50,047 --> 00:40:52,081 operational submersible in the world. 810 00:40:52,116 --> 00:40:54,250 We just took it where no-one has ever gone before, 811 00:40:54,285 --> 00:40:56,085 so it's a great feeling. 812 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:57,187 [Demetri] And, inside the traps 813 00:40:57,221 --> 00:40:58,721 on the robotic probes, 814 00:40:58,756 --> 00:41:00,323 the marine biologists are making 815 00:41:00,357 --> 00:41:02,091 a ground-breaking discovery. 816 00:41:02,126 --> 00:41:05,094 [Christa] We have at least four new species here. 817 00:41:05,129 --> 00:41:06,729 I've never seen that before. 818 00:41:06,764 --> 00:41:08,498 I don't recognise that, at all. 819 00:41:08,532 --> 00:41:10,333 [Demetri] The discovery caps what has been 820 00:41:10,367 --> 00:41:11,668 a remarkable first step 821 00:41:11,702 --> 00:41:13,670 in the team's mission to explore 822 00:41:13,704 --> 00:41:16,172 the extreme frontiers of our planet. 823 00:41:16,207 --> 00:41:17,874 [Victor] We've assembled a team. 824 00:41:17,908 --> 00:41:21,211 Scientific. Sonar. A ship's crew. 825 00:41:21,245 --> 00:41:23,313 We have created this wonderful 826 00:41:23,347 --> 00:41:27,016 mechanism that can explore the deepest parts 827 00:41:27,051 --> 00:41:29,619 of the world's oceans, anywhere, any time.