(Yicai Global) May 25 – China's manned deep-sea research submersible, Jiaolong, finished a 4,811-meter dive in Mariana Trench, the world's deepest known trench, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is the first of the 10 deep-sea dives to be carried out by Jiaolong in the Western Pacific this year.

During the latest dive, the submersible surveyed the northern part of Mariana Trench. The crew stayed below the sea's surface for almost nine hours, and the observation lasted three hours and 11 minutes. Jiaolong, named after a mythical dragon, became the first Chinese manned submersible to carry out a scientific expedition at a depth between 4,000 and 5,000 meters undersea.

Scientists onboard the submersible surveyed environmental data and collected seawater, rocks and samples of marine life, including a giant 35-centimeter sea cucumber. The crew also brought back many high-definition photographs of the seabed.

Jiaolong will conduct four more dives in the trench to a depth of 6,300 meters to 6,700 meters. Jialong is capable of diving to a depth of over 7,000 meters.

A research ship carrying Jiaolong left Shenzhen on May 16

The research ship arrives at the Mariana area, preparing for the first dive on May 23

The dive is about to begin