The trip aims to explore marine species and test the size of pollution

A Dubai-based explorer reaches the deepest point on earth

Harding: Returning to the surface is your main concern after completing the mission, and most importantly, being alive.

From the source

Hamish Harding, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Action Aviation, who has lived in Dubai for many years, managed to reach the deepest point on earth by diving with the famous explorer Victor Vescovo, on a trip aimed at exploring new marine species and species at a depth of 11 Kilometers below sea level, equivalent to 13 times the height of Burj Khalifa.

The trip aims to study plants and marine organisms at this depth, in addition to searching for evidence about the possibility of human pollution at this depth.

Harding, who spoke about this adventure to Emirates Today, said: “I have always been laden with the desire to reach the deepest point under the face of the earth, and I have visited the Antarctic. Exploration and adventure are among the things that I love, and reaching the deepest point of the trips that I aspire to. The first flight to that point was in 1960, and it was only successful 18 times.

On the deepest point under the Earth, he added: “The Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean is a very harsh environment, and it is waiting to be explored and studied on a wider level. My stay in the UAE has always inspired me the spirit of adventure and exploration, as this country gives you a feeling that anything is possible, and I I am proud to represent the UAE as the first person from the Middle East to dive to the lowest point on earth. ”

He confirmed that he has resided in the UAE since 1993, and he is happy to live in Dubai, as it offers people the opportunity to adventure, dream and develop their lives.

He pointed out that this point is located at a depth of 11 kilometers in depth, which is equivalent to 13 times the height of Burj Khalifa, but towards the depth, and it is considered an attractive point because everyone aspires to reach the moon, but we do not find the same rush to reach the depths.

Talking about the details of the trip, Harding said: “We took off with a ship, and it took us nearly four hours to reach the point where we sailed to the depth, and it took about four hours to reach the depths through the submarine that was specially designed for this trip, and also another four hours to return to the surface. Water, which means that the drive on the trip reached 12 hours, and during this time two Guinness records were achieved. The first is the longest time spent in the deepest point on earth, which is four hours and 15 minutes, and the second number is the longest travel Distance in the depths during the challenge with the depths ».

According to Harding, the trip aimed at studying plants at this deep point, and the nature of the organisms, in addition to measuring the extent of pollution reaching this depth, because plastic scattered its remains in the water, and fish eat it, and this is why we wanted to explore this effect and analyze it, noting that the results of the trip require Two to three weeks to be ready.

Harding pointed out that samples were taken from the water, to be placed in the laboratory, as well as to catch some creatures that were difficult to obtain due to the darkness that hangs over the depths, using the submarine’s robotic arm to collect the samples that will be studied.

On the most prominent challenges during the trip, Harding said, “Return to the surface is the main concern after completing the mission, and the most important thing is to return to the surface alive, and this is supported by many safety factors, because there are always solutions to return to the surface of the water even if the submarine encounters a group Of the damage », explaining that the explorer who supported him is Victor Veskovo, who is known in the world of adventure, and his son Giles, 13 years old, who remained on board the yacht to document his father’s journey on his account on« Instagram ».

Harding talked about the change in pressure in the depths, indicating that it leads to shrinking things, stressing that the submarine was designed for two people to withstand a pressure of 100 thousand tons in the depths of the ocean, equivalent to 50 jumbo jets, which is 1200 times higher than the standard atmospheric pressure at the level The surface of the sea, pointing out that the trip requires knowledge and experience in diving, of course, but staying fit in general is important in these adventures.

Record numbers

Only 18 people have succeeded in diving to the deepest point on Earth, compared to 24 astronauts who orbit or land on the moon, and the thousands who have succeeded in climbing the summit of Mount Everest, the highest place on earth.

The year 1960 saw the first submarine descend on the ocean floor, spending only 20 minutes there before ascending to the surface.

2012 saw the first solo disembarkation by Hollywood director James Cameron aboard a deep submersion submarine (DSV) to this point, spending 2 hours and 34 minutes at a depth of 10.908 meters below sea level.

Harding's mission was carried out aboard the DSV Limiting Factor, the first submarine capable of making frequent trips to the depths of the ocean and wandering in depths for long periods of time, and he achieved a record of staying more than four hours in depth.

• The submarine was designed for two people, so that it can withstand a pressure of 100,000 tons, equivalent to 50 jumbo jets.

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