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James Cameron

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Ocean futuresDeep ocean scienceMaritime archaeologyOceans, earth and environmentClimate change

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Photo showing a man standing in a museum exhibition in front of a large sphere and a large green/yellow submarine. He has grey hair and a beard, is wearing a light brown shirt with a subtle pattern on it, and has his hands in his pockets..

Join ocean explorer, filmmaker and technology innovator, James Cameron, veteran of eight pioneering deep-sea expeditions and hear stories from his incredible adventures. 

Hear about his record-making dive to the deepest point on Earth in the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, built in Sydney and now on display at the Museum. Learn how his passion for the ocean has inspired some of his famous films, and how his documentaries reveal the secrets and stories of the sea.

Mark Theissen National Geographic

Mark Theissen National Geographic

Tim Pascoe

Explore the exhibition

James Cameron takes you on an adventure through Ultimate depth - A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea which features the the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, built in Sydney and now on display at the museum.

Ultimate Depth - a Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

Featuring DEEPSEA CHALLENGER 

From the surface to the darkest depths, the ocean has five zones. The lightest is known to most of us. It’s where we swim, fish and play. The deepest is deeper than Mount Everest is high. It’s a mysterious place where very few people have gone. Meet the creatures that live there, and the technologies that help us uncover their secrets.

An illustration of a squid on a blue patterned background

Marinco Kojdanovski

Marinco Kojdanovski

Marinco Kojdanovski

Marinco Kojdanovski

Marinco Kojdanovski

Marinco Kojdanovski

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Ocean Explorer and Filmmaker

James Cameron discusses how he creates stories to inspire people to care about the challenges our ocean face, such as ocean plastics. He considers the impact of his expeditions and reflects on the multifaceted legacy of his work.

"There's 8 billion people that aren't going to be able to get into a sub, that aren't going to get to be able to drive an ROV, and the vast majority of them won't even be scuba divers that can go down and see it with their own eyes. So we have to always tell that story to all the people on land who need to have that sense of, emotional investment in the ocean."

James Cameron

Ocean Youth Ambassadors meet James Cameron and Ron Allum

James Cameron and Ron Allum discuss with the Ocean Youth Ambassadors what it was like to building a monument to engineering, the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, James Cameron shares how he incorporates his passion for ocean exploring into his movies and also discuss what we all can do to help save the worlds’ oceans. 

"We're passing the baton onto you guys and other explorers... We can't lose that sense of wonder, that sense of awe, that nature is smarter than we are. And we turn our back on nature at our peril because we're part of nature and we're biological organisms.  Right. So that's your mission statement."
 

James Cameron

Hear more from Ron Allum

A deep-diving legend and prolific cave diver, Ron Allum’s ingenuity and self-taught engineering skills have revolutionised the world of deep-sea exploration. He worked closely with James Cameron as Co-engineer of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER which was designed, built and tested in Sydney. 

Photo showing an older man with short white hair, wearing a light blue button up shirt standing in a museum exhibition in front of a submarine.

Who is James Cameron?

James Cameron is an acclaimed filmmaker, explorer, inventor, and environmental entrepreneur.

As a director, writer, and producer, he is responsible for The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water, as well as 15 documentaries such as Ghosts of the Abyss, Secrets of the Whales, and The Game Changers. His 1997 film Titanic held the record for highest-grossing film in the world for 12 years, only to be surpassed by his own Avatar in 2009. His films have earned numerous nominations and awards, most notably Titanic with a record 14 Academy Award nominations and a record 11 Oscars. His latest film, Avatar: The Way of Water earned USD 2.3 Bn. Cameron has written, produced, and directed three of the four highest-grossing films in history.

A National Geographic Explorer-at-Large, Cameron has led eight ocean expeditions and has developed unprecedented robotic and submersible vehicles, lighting, and 3D camera equipment for deep ocean exploration. Among his 75 deep submersible dives, he has dived to the Titanic wreck site 33 times, and dived solo to the Challenger Deep, the deepest place on Earth, in a sub of his own design in 2012, setting a world record.  He is the recipient of National Geographic’s prestigious Hubbard Medal and the Explorer’s Club medal for Explorer of the Year.

Over the last 20 years, he has developed cutting-edge 3D camera systems for television and cinema and was at the vanguard of the 3D renaissance that has transformed the entertainment industry.

Cameron is a fierce advocate for sustainability, having founded the Avatar Alliance Foundation to take action on climate change, deforestation, indigenous rights, ocean conservation, and sustainable agriculture. The Avatar sequels production is the first entirely vegan-catered motion picture set and is dedicated to being as green and sustainable as possible. It is powered by a 1-megawatt solar array installed for that purpose. James and his wife, Suzy, have founded multiple companies in the plant-based protein and foods space. They operate farms in Canada and New Zealand dedicated to improving regenerative and sustainable organic agronomy.

Cameron has completed principal capture and photography on Avatar 3 and (parts of) 4 and is currently in post-production. 

Mark Thiessen National Geographic