Among the places on Earth where no tourist sets foot is the Mariana Trench, the deepest place in the earth’s crust located in the Pacific. Already, no one sets foot there because it’s under water, but also because it’s an ultra scary place. And if you don’t have the tokens yet, then read some horrifying info about the Mariana Trench.
1. We found plastic bags at the bottom of the Mariana Trough
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It is one of the most isolated places in the world at a depth of 11,000m, and yet we have managed to put old polluting plastic bags there. At this level we are enormous champions of pollution. And huge jerks too.
2. A strange metallic sound comes from the bottom of the pit
In 2014 and 2015, scientists made sound surveys at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and heard a strange metallic sound caused by both very low and very high frequencies. At this depth, there is reason to ask questions. The most likely hypothesis remains that of a rorqual, a large whale that lives in the depths, but it has not yet been verified. And it’s not me who will go to check, I tell you.
3. The pressure there is 1,100 stronger than on the surface
Concretely, this means that your body would be crushed and crushed by the pressure if you found yourself at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. You have to imagine that with such a pressure, it is as if the water weighed tons and tons on each square inch of your body until it squeezed you like a lemon. Not super happy. Only in an underwater vehicle can you get to the bottom of the pit. Otherwise, it is impossible.
4. Expedition to get to the bottom of the pit is super dangerous
If you ever get the urge to be one of the few people to visit the bottom of the Marianas Trough (among which we find James Cameron, the director, yes yes), you will have to face a lot of risks. Already, you have to have confidence in your underwater vehicle which must withstand extreme pressure, but you also have to think about the risks of freezing since the water can reach 0°C. There are also risks of fire inside the vehicle, and on top of that you have to avoid getting stuck somewhere since the air reserves are limited. And finally, if you are claustrophobic, don’t even think about it for a second: there is really little space in the submersible. Makes you want to, huh?
5. In fact, pollution in general is very strong in the Mariana Trench
One might think that with the exception of two or three plastic bags, the place is a sanctuary where nature flourishes without any external threat, but NENNI. The pit has high levels of pollution, including mercury. As a result, there are plenty of contaminated fish between 7000 and 11000m deep. Wouldn’t that be the worst news of the day? There is a way yeah.
6. Home to the scariest shark on the planet
It’s the pixie shark, and it’s a particularly bad name because, unlike a very cute pixie, it has a very disgusting head. Additionally, if you watch the video below, you’ll notice that he looks quite snarling and his jaw thrusts forward when he attacks. We honestly don’t want to go diving with him.
7. There are springs in the pit that shoot water at 370°C
While it is generally cold in the Mariana Trench, locally there can be hot spots due to springs that squirt water from places closer to the Earth’s core. So, you have to be careful where you step. But hey, anyway, the pressure is already keeping you from going for a ride, so this caveat is useless.
8. It’s dark. Kind of all black.
Don’t even expect a single ray of sunlight to reach those depths. The Mariana Trench is plunged into darkness, and at the same time it is populated by animals with all the scarier physique than each other. We are not far from a certain definition of hell.
9. Here you can find the Opisthoproctidae, a fish whose insides of the head are visible
The Mariana Trench is also a bit like a museum of horrors, with animals that clearly don’t have an easy physique. We saw it with the goblin shark, but the Opisthoproctidae (or “Barleye of the Pacific”) is not much more beautiful. It has a liquid-filled, completely transparent head, and that’s clearly disturbing. That’s all there is to say about him. We don’t want to see him anymore.
10. There are also giant amoebas
Normally, amoebas are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but in the depths of the Mariana Trench they can reach 20cm in length. They look like they come from another planet and it’s quite disturbing to see.