The Bathysphere

ocean exploration · deep sea · invention · adventure

A metal ball. The Bathysphere was a sphere made of steel, about the size of a small room, that could hold two people inside. It had thick walls to protect explorers from the crushing pressure miles underwater.

First deep-sea viewers. Before the Bathysphere, scientists could only study deep-sea creatures by hauling them up in nets, which often killed them. William Beebe and Otis Barton used the Bathysphere to watch fish and squid living in their dark, cold homes.

Going super deep. On August 15, 1934, the Bathysphere reached 3,028 feet down, a world record that stood until 1949. At that depth, the water pressure is strong enough to crush a car.

Lowered by cable. The Bathysphere had no engine and couldn't move on its own. Instead, a thick steel cable attached to a ship on the surface lowered it down and pulled it back up.

Amazing discoveries. Beebe and Barton saw strange creatures they'd never witnessed before, like fish with big eyes and glowing tentacles. These dives proved that life thrives in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.