Nature's Wonderland

Departing August 31 - September 12, 2003 ( Acapulco, Mexico / Acapulco, Mexico)
In conjunction with the PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology and Deep Ocean Expeditions.

This summer, be one of the first non-scientists to dive to the bottom of the ocean and explore a truly alien hidden world. A world that has been called one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the 20th Century.

It's a place so extraordinary that it may truly answer how life on our planet actually began. So unique, it whispers of the possibility of life on other planets. A world teeming with life, yet so difficult to reach that we have only just begun to explore it. Welcome to the Nine North hydrothermal vent site, one of the most beautiful and most extreme environments on Earth.

In August / September 2003, Deep Ocean Expeditions sets sail for Nine North, a vent site located 500 miles off the coast of Mexico at nine degrees North latitude in the Pacific Ocean, 8,600 feet below the surface. Along with a team of deep-ocean ecologists and other scientists, we'll travel to these immense hydrothermal chimneys, some reaching five stories tall, where we'll find ourselves in a wonderland of alien marine life.

What exotic marine life will we see at Nine North?
As you explore the vents from the MIR submersible, you'll see that every inch of these amazing structures are covered with life. On your dive you'll:

Glide over fields of tubeworms, six-to-14-foot-long creatures living in alabaster tubes. They're the fastest-growing invertebrates in the ocean.

Marvel at the hordes of shrimp, mussels, white crabs, sea stars, ribbony fish and impossibly long spaghetti worms that carpet the landscape.

View transparent jellies, seemingly straight out of science fiction, as they put on spectacular bioluminous light shows.

And keep an eye out for 'Dumbo', an octopod with giant 'ears' and beautiful blue eyes. He's just one of the many deep-sea predators inhabiting this site.

Without sunlight, these animals flourish because of a process known as chemosynthesis, which allows this food chain to thrive and sustains life in full darkness and under tremendous, crushing pressures. These life-giving processes were not even dreamed of until 25 years ago.

How do I get on board?
Nine North has provided us with a wealth of information about these extraordinary and important ecosystems that we've only just begun to explore. And this summer, you'll be right there, helping the scientists as they unlock the secrets of one of the most mysterious parts of our planet.

To reserve your space on board, just contact Deep Ocean Expeditions - info@deepoceanexpeditions.com and prepare yourself for a journey to one of the most magnificent and alien environments on Earth, the deep-sea hydrothermal vents of Nine North.

Retail price: $23,950USD MIR divers / $4,950USD Non-divers.

Nine North Itinerary (PDF)