Titanic director dives to deepest point in the oceans in unique craft

Film director James Cameron of Titanic and Avatar fame took to the ocean depths reaching the deepest point of the earth's oceans in a one-man submarine, becoming the first person to descend to such a depth in 52 years, according to the National Geographic Society.

Cameron, the third person to land up in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench, arrived on Sunday in the alien landscape at a depth of 10,898 metres.

He filmed and explored the trench for six hours and also collected specimens and data before resurfacing, about 500 kilometres south-west of Guam.

According to the society, on his return, the celebrated director's craft, Deepsea Challenger, clocked a faster-than-expected 70 minutes after dropping its ballast as against the two hours and 36 minutes it took for the descent.

Swiss explorer Jacques Piccard and American Don Walsh set the manned depth record in the trench on 23 January, 1960, but only robotic missions had reached remote areas since then.

Also Cameron remained in the trench much longer than Piccard and Walsh's 20 minutes.