Cameron begins deep-sea dive

Director James Cameron has begun his journey to a place only two men have gone before — the deepest point in the ocean.

The director of Titanic and other films is using a specially designed submarine called Deepsea Challenger to dive nearly seven miles (11 km).

He began his deep dive at 5.50am local time, according to Stephanie Montgomery of the National Geographic Society.

He plans to spend about six hours exploring and filming the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles (320km) south-west of the Pacific island of Guam.

Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh, a US Navy captain, are the only other men to reach it.