Azores Expedition – Explore hydrothermal vents

Truly one of the best dive spots in the world, the deep waters off Portugal’s Azores Archipelago boasts a variety of deep-sea corals, one of the most diverse whale populations in the world, and bizarre lifeforms surrounding hydrothermal vents.

Although the Azores have been popular with SCUBA divers for decades, exploring the area in a deep-diving in OceanGate’s Titan submersible will open a new era of exploration of this underwater gem.  

Hydrothermal vents are extreme environments with complex biological communities of fascinating creatures unlike anything else on Earth. The deep ocean sites have fascinated scientists since they were first discovered in 1977 off of the coast of the Galapagos Islands. These extreme environments have transformed our understanding of what life needs to exist.

Few people in history have witnessed these mysterious places. You could be one of them.

After arriving at the dock, you’ll board the expedition vessel that will take you to the dive site. You’ll meet the other members of your dive team, talk with content experts about what you may discover on your dive. 

Once we arrive at the dive site, the Mission Director will lead everyone through final dive checks before going through the dive plan. Our crew will launch Titan from the expedition vessel and you will begin the descent to the bottom of the ocean.

You will begin to see alien-like lifeforms whizz by the viewport as you sink deeper and deeper into the ocean.  You may assist the pilot with coms and tracking, take notes for the science team about what you see outside of the viewport, watch a movie or eat lunch. There is a private toilet at the front of the sub if nature calls. 

The sub will gently land on the bottom and the pilot will continue navigating the seafloor. Titan’s external deep-sea lights will illuminate areas of this planet surely no other human eye has ever seen. You may see giant burgundy tubeworms, predatory octopi or graceful crabs. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what you will see because the area is unexplored; any observations you bring back to the surface will intrigue the scientific community.

You will be welcomed back by the expedition crew once you’re back on deck, and you will be able to review the imagery from your dive captured by the sub’s external cameras. 

As we motor back in to port, you’ll leave the expedition vessel with a collection of media from the dives and an amazing adventure to share when you get back home.