A new  unique multi-year programme of voyages to explore and study the depths of the deep seas of our planet using the Mir 1 and 2 submersibles.

WildWings first offered the experience of deep sea exploration to the British public in 1998 with the first Operation Titanic, a whole new realm visited until now only by scientists. The planet’s last great frontier and even now we are only beginning to explore it. You can travel in the comfort of one of the world’s most state of the art submersibles to view famous shipwrecks, amazing marine life and sites of natural wonder, taking your own photographs and video. No scuba-diving experience is required for these amazing adventures, the air pressure inside the submersibles remains at one atmosphere throughout. Each participant is guaranteed their own viewing porthole throughout the dive. You could even discover a new species. The Akademik Keldysh is one of the best known deep diving support vessels in the world. Our expeditions are only made possible with the support and expertise of the Mir submersible team lead by Dr Anatoly Sagalevitch and Captain Yuriy Gorbach and his crew and scientists from the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology. They are a highly skilled, professional team running one of the safest underwater operations in the world. The RV Keldysh and MIR I and II have been used for National Geographic photo and film projects, and director James Cameron’s epic motion picture ‘Titanic’ and subsquent IMAX movie ‘Ghosts of the Abyss’. The BBC Natural History Unit have also broadcast footage taken from our subs. By supporting science, DOE provides a unique and very rare opportunity for small groups of the general public to experience and explore hidden depths.

In addition to its many laboratories, the mothership Keldysh features a small library covering underwater geology, oceanography and deep-sea exploration. There is a sauna, outdoor pool and sports court. Your quarters aboard the Keldysh are comfortable with good meals prepared by western chefs. Your dive will be made aboard either the Mir I or Mir II submersibles. These are vessels capable of reaching ocean depths of 20,000 feet (6,090m). The Mirs habitat compartment is seven feet (2.1m) in diameter, accommodating one pilot and two passengers.

For the next three years the ship and her submersibles will undertake a voyage which will encircle the globe and explore the deep waters of five oceans in both hemispheres including both polar regions and the tropics in the process. 97% of the earth’s seafloor is accessible to our submersibles, most of which has never been seen by human eyes before. Join this voyage of scientific discovery and ocean exploration and become a modern-day adventurer and personally explore the abyss, and contribute to science and discovery.

Virtually each dive will yield new insights about our world. Participating in the voyage will be a revolving team of deep sea scientists from many nations and on many expedition legs will be filmmakers and educators. They will be engaged in filming and documenting the ship’s explorations for the widest possible audience globally. The diverse itinerary of the Deep Frontier Expedition will dive in some of the most important and fascinating underwater environments, geological features, archaeological and historical sites and in search of the most amazing (and frequently new) species of underwater life.  From ancient deep sea coral forests to newly formed undersea volcanoes, lost ships to the Giant Squid, the unprecedented scope of this expedition will reveal the secrets of the oceans as never before. The two main science components to the expedition will be the continued investigation of chemosynthetic ecosystems and seamounts.

Expedition Sites

This ambitious three year project begins in late summer 2006 and the current planned cruise programme includes:

1      The ‘Real’ North Pole

Dive to the unexplored bottom of the sea, 13,500’ down at the top of the world. This will be a  ‘first’ in geographic exploration.

2      Gakkel Range

An unexplored volcanically active ocean ridge beneath the Arctic icecap.

3      Caribbean

Many possible dive targets including near vertical walls of coral atolls extending into the abyss, undersea brine lakes and methane seeps.

4      Hydrothermal Vents

Discovered only in the 1970s, these ‘undersea volcanoes’ occur in the areas where the seafloor is created and destroyed with their ecosystems of bizarre life that are completely different from any other on the planet. New discoveries almost daily.

5      The Red Sea

A new sea, brine lakes, strange microbes, undersea hot springs and ancient shipwrecks.

6      Mid-Pacific Ocean

Undersea mountains, atolls, ridges, trenches and plains.

7      The lost Battleships of World War II (Pacific)

A series of wreck dives.

8      Deep New Zealand and Deep Australia

DOE are working with in conjunction with government agencies on these multi-goal dives.

9      Antarctica

Little is known about the depths of this polar ecosystem either, home of the big squid.

10   Seamounts

Undersea mountains carpet the world’s ocean floor, only a tiny percentage of the 30,000 have been explored by humans.

11   Gas Hydrates

Also known as ‘flaming ice’, a possible fuel of the future.

12   Deep Sea Habitats

The onboard scientists will doubtless discover many new species to science throughout the entire expedition, who knows what benefits for mankind will result?

Prices

Individuals

A few opportunities will exist to join the majority of these unique expeditions legs, at a cost of approx £19,000 per person to include your full day’s dive. The price  includes an outside cabin with private facilities and all meals aboard the RV Keldysh for the applicable voyage, your Mir dive, services of the ship’s expedition team, lectures, briefings, slide and film shows, comprehensive pre-trip information,  DVD with photos and video of your expedition and submersible dive.  Non-diving companions can usually accompany you on the voyage for a charge of approx £2700, sharing the same cabin. Prices exclude flights to and from the expedition ports and any pre-post hotels which we can of course, arrange for you.

Expedition Packages

If you are interested in multiple trips or just wish to financially sponsor the expedition with free dive places in return, which you are welcome to give to any individual or institute (eg university or science institution) of your choosing. Each level offers more dives and other special benefits and the prices are per year (minimum one year)

Deep Adventurer    £28,000

This will entitle you to two scientific dives per year, and includes a non-diving companion traveling with you on one of the voyages.

Deep Explorer        £56,000

This level entitles you to four separate dives per year, two with non-diving companions. Your name will be shown as a sponsor on any papers published from your voyages and subject to your permission, any media releases in respect of the same expeditions.

Deep Discoverer     £139,000

In addition to nine dives, four with non-diving companions, sponsorship and media credits you may also have any new deep sea species discovered during your voyages named after you.

Corporate Sponsorship and Branding

DOE have many opportunities for corporate links for this expedition series, a sister company called Deep Ocean One handles these enquiries, we will be pleased to put you in touch.

Please contact us for further information and bookings. deepsea@wildwings.co.uk

Your Dive:

Following a final briefing, you’ll enter the submersible through the top hatch, and the Keldysh on-board crane will lift the Mir gently into the ocean. After pre-dive testing, ballast water will be pumped into the tanks and you’ll begin your descent at a rate of 100 feet (31m) per minute. Three view ports, each seven inches thick will be your windows to this undersea world. By 800 feet (245m) all traces of sunlight will be gone and you will be immersed in total darkness. To conserve power, the Mir submersibles descend without external lights. However the pilot will, at times, switch them on to observe passing marine life. Even in the darkness, the ocean is alive. Be sure to look for tiny bioluminescent creatures, whose glowing characteristics require no lights to be seen. By 4,000 feet (1,220m) the interior of the Mir will start to cool and you may want to don extra clothing. Topside, the Keldysh will help navigate the Mir below the ocean surface towards your expedition’s objective, external cameras ready for action. After several hours (depending on the depth of your dive) the descent is over and the pilot takes full control and finally switchs on the sub’s powerful exterior lights, bathing light onto the new, incredible undersea world, directly in front of your eyes and lenses. The following hours will never be forgotten as you start your underwater exploration in earnest.

Note: Clients must be flexible in terms of dates of travel (within a few days either side of their booked departure and disembarkation dates). Clients will dive subject to a final medical screening. Underwater experience is not required.

DOE are not in the business of salvage work and any shipwreck visits are respectful.