What do you do when challenges come your way? Fight or flight? Two women from Scotland not only fought their way to face challenges but also conquered in the end. Heather Stewart and Kate Wawatai from Scotland splashed a new record in history with their deepest dive ever into the South Pacific Ocean as an all-female crew.
All-Female Crew Makes Deepest Dive World Record
Heather Stewart who hails from Edinburgh is a Marine geologist Professor. Before her descent, she never expected that she was going to make a world record. However, her partner, Kate Wawatai had speculated that they could be the first women to dive that deep. And guess what? Her speculation became true!
The experience under the ocean
Professor Stewart described the dive as climbing Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on the earth, although in the depths of the ocean. Alongside her partner, Kate Wawatai, Stewart dived into the ocean and remained underwater for 10 long hours in the Nova-Canton Trough of the Pacific Ocean. They dived into the ocean using the Bakunawa submersible with Kate Wawatai as the pilot.
Taking to X, another scientist Dawn Wright celebrated their achievement and invited wishes. She wrote, “Please celebrate my friend & former shipmate Kate Wawatai + marine geologist Heather Stewart who just made a world-record dive into the Nova-Canton Trough (Central Pacific), a first for an all-female submersible team, with Kate as PILOT”
The determination of the two scientists towards their work
Nova-Canton Trough where both scientists work is a fracture zone. It stretches up to 400 miles long with 8,000 meters deep plunge. The duo gather data about the biology and geology of the ocean. Their determination towards their work is so strong that the two women travel for four days from Samoa to reach the ocean and conduct the study.
More about Professor Stewart
Professor Stewart started working as a Marine geologist in 2001. She dived for the first time in 2019 and since then there has been no looking back. She has dived five times with one of them being a dive into 6,000 meters.
Although Professor Stewart was nervous about the recent historical dive, she was happy about seeing things that were hidden like treasures.
Describing her experience with a sense of joy and excitement, Professor Steward said, “We’re exploring places where nobody has ever been. We’re discovering things that people didn’t know existed. I’ve seen amazing sponges, fish, octopuses, and many other creatures living in the deep sea.." With a sense of satisfaction, Professor Stewart believes that time passes quickly inside the ocean because you never know what you will see next.
Similarly, Professor Stewart and her partner Kate Wawatai fought the challenge without knowing the power that was waiting for them to embody.
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