Willem Marks

A huge grabbing device, like a giant metal claw, comes out of the water. It's travelled a mile up from the seabed. It's filled with tons of rock and silt, and yet you can see the jaws haven't really closed, and I suddenly realise, as I see the water dripping out, there are little bits of rock falling out as well, and it's been falling out all the way up on the journey.

A huge grabbing device, like a giant metal claw, comes out of the water. It's travelled a mile up from the seabed. It's filled with tons of rock and silt, and yet you can see the jaws haven't really closed, and I suddenly realise, as I see the water dripping out, there are little bits of rock falling out as well, and it's been falling out all the way up on the journey.

Well, it's kind of a crazy story. It started out last year. I was working on a piece about the Titan. That's the submersible that kind of imploded close to the Titanic wreck. And as my reporting continued, I went to this small island off the south coast of the UK called Jersey. I met someone there who'd been involved through his company in efforts to rescue that submersible.

Well, it's kind of a crazy story. It started out last year. I was working on a piece about the Titan. That's the submersible that kind of imploded close to the Titanic wreck. And as my reporting continued, I went to this small island off the south coast of the UK called Jersey. I met someone there who'd been involved through his company in efforts to rescue that submersible.

Well, it's kind of a crazy story. It started out last year. I was working on a piece about the Titan. That's the submersible that kind of imploded close to the Titanic wreck. And as my reporting continued, I went to this small island off the south coast of the UK called Jersey. I met someone there who'd been involved through his company in efforts to rescue that submersible.

And over the course of the day talking, he mentioned something which he said at the time, you know, I probably shouldn't be talking to you about this. But it was that he was working on subsea underwater mining in Papua New Guinea. And so he and I stayed in touch. I was immediately interested in trying to understand what that looked like.

And over the course of the day talking, he mentioned something which he said at the time, you know, I probably shouldn't be talking to you about this. But it was that he was working on subsea underwater mining in Papua New Guinea. And so he and I stayed in touch. I was immediately interested in trying to understand what that looked like.

And over the course of the day talking, he mentioned something which he said at the time, you know, I probably shouldn't be talking to you about this. But it was that he was working on subsea underwater mining in Papua New Guinea. And so he and I stayed in touch. I was immediately interested in trying to understand what that looked like.

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

And a few months later, he said his vessel was heading out there. He said, if you want to join us, we'll be there for a few weeks, just figure out dates that work. And up to this point, you know, deep sea mining, just to take a step back, has been really pretty theoretical as far as people like me are aware.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

There's been a fair amount of exploratory work and kind of an effort to try and understand what the economics would look like. But that's often been done relatively quietly, relatively privately. And so of course I did want to join.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

And so I ended up booking flights going via Singapore from London onto the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, then catching another local flight to another island, driving across that island for four hours or so, waiting on a beach in the middle of nowhere. And eventually after some time, this catamaran kind of belching smoke out the back appears over the horizon.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.

It's kind of a local ferry. And it turns up to take me to the vessel.