Ocean explorers film world's deepest shipwreck

An American ocean exploration team has filmed the world's deepest known shipwreck for the first time. The ship is a World War II US Navy battleship called the USS Johnston. It was sunk by the Japanese Navy on October the 25th, 1944 during the Battle of Samar in the Philippine Sea. The wreck now sits on the ocean floor at a depth of around 6,456 metres. The film crew managed to go down to that incredible depth and darkness and map and film the whole shipwreck. They filmed the ship from a specially built submersible that can deal with the pressure of the deep ocean. They discovered it was about 30 metres deeper than previously thought. The filming took place during two eight-hour dives.

The explorers are from a company called Caladan Oceanic. Its founder is Victor Vescovo, a former US Navy commander. He has a passion for adventure and for visiting some of the world's hardest-to-get-to places. He holds the record for being the first person ever to get to the top of all the world's continents, both poles, and the bottom of all the world's oceans. Mr Vescovo said the mission to film the USS Johnston was a personal one because that ship and his submersible were made in the same shipyard and both served in the US Navy. He said: "As a US Navy officer, I'm proud to have helped bring clarity and closure to the Johnston, its crew, and the families of those who died on it."