James Cameron – Implored to Explore

If you thought hugely-successful film director James Cameron was satisfied with a haul of awards and box office smash hits, think again. The Canadian’s life is based around water in life, as well as in fiction.

Luxurious yachts are more than just ways to get around; they represent wealth, status, a desire to explore, and a penchant for sitting back, watching the world drift past. Whatever the motive, the elite nature of owning a yacht attracts the great and the good, and few are greater – in movie terms, at least – than renowned Canadian filmmaker and deep-sea explorer, James Cameron.

“If only I had time to relax more,” begins the director of some of the highest-grossing films of all time, including Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and its follow-up Avatar: The Way of Water. Turning 70 this year, Cameron has spent decades forging a film-making path that’s decorated on one side with ground-breaking special effects, and on the other, in the pursuit of epic storytelling. “I do invest so much into my work, and people have commented that I should probably try to level the balance a bit so I can enjoy the nice things, such as being out in the open, but it seems there is always another project that happens along.”

Cameron is hampered by the fact he won’t just engage in any run-of-the-mill project. Titanic won 11 Academy Awards, while Avatar revolutionised 3D cinema and visual effects. And it could be supposed the icon’s pursuit for uniqueness and creativity comes from the same place as does his fascination for the unknown limits of the ocean.

After all, beyond film-making, he has a passion for oceanography that’s widely renowned, having led expeditions to explore the deep sea, with over 30 dives to the wreckage of Titanic itself, first discovered in 1985 by the Kansas-born oceanographer and marine geologist Robert Ballard.

“When Titanic was found it felt like a gateway to creativity had been opened in my mind,” he says. “I knew there was an inevitability I would put something into film, and really it was just a case of how big the project would be.”

Undoubtedly, the 1997 movie starring Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet fulfilled all the promise that had bubbled up inside Cameron in the 12 years previously, yet the film’s success was only really the start of the journey for the director, who admits an urge to go back to the wreckage no sooner has any latest expedition returned to the surface.

“I’ve calculated that if you add up the time I’ve spent down at the wreckage site, it’s greater than that of Captain Edward Smith himself on that famous ship! And I think that’s pretty cool.”

As a designer of submersibles, Cameron built a craft – named Deepsea Challenger – capable of descending not just to Titanic’s depth, but a distance three times greater. “Deepsea represented a game-changing moment for me, in much the same way as did Avatar,” he says. “The completion of the project in 2012 had been so long in the planning, and so meticulous, that every single detail had to be correct.”

“It’s an industry where, due to the possible dangers and very real tragedies that could occur and sadly have occurred in the recent past, we have to be diligent and serious at every turn,” says Cameron. “This isn’t a game and we’re well aware that there are huge risks attached to delving into the deep. Yes, it’s thrilling and breath-taking, but at what cost?

“You have to weigh up the value of these dives. Now, in 2024, I have a team with the required engineering knowledge to do these ourselves, and in the past I was fortunate enough to travel with very proven Russian submersibles. Either way though, you are only ever as good as the craft you are in, and the craft you are in is only ever as good as the person piloting it, so the whole package has to be exact.”

Back on the surface of the water, Cameron’s pride and joy is his superyacht, the Alucia 2, purchased for a cool $25million almost 15 years ago. It is equipped with the latest scientific apparatus for cross-the-board maritime investigations, although the Hollywood heavyweight uses it just as much for relaxation and replenishment, when the time allows.

Cameron clearly deserves to enjoy the fruits of his labour; albeit his exploits in adult life may never have evolved in the way they did, were it not for a letter he wrote at the age of 14 to the designer of the Toronto Royal Ontario Museum exhibit Subliminos, Dr Joe MacInnis “At the time, the ROM was my favourite place to go and I would draw whatever I found there,” he explains. “On one particular visit, I saw this amazing exhibit and it inspired me immediately to want to build something similar. It was Subliminos. I wrote the name of the designer down and thought I would pen him a letter. Back then it was pretty much the only way of following up!

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that the most well-regarded oceanographer in Canada would reply to my note, and when he did it inspired me to explore further and devote my teenage years into making the study of the ocean such a big part of my life. I’m not sure how the future would have turned out had Dr MacInnis not replied to my letter.”

Wind forward and the Alucia has become instantly recognisable in the field of marine exploration. Her dedicated owner and crew have pushed the boundaries of science, technology and conservation, while the team have also partnered with Triton Submarines to explore the Mariana Trench, enhancing deep-sea film-making and research.

A state-of-the-art 67m research vessel, comes with two manned submersibles that can dive up to 1,000m, a fleet of support boats, and a helicopter for aerial surveys. It is truly Cameron’s pride and joy, but when does he get the chance to relax with his family?

“I’m not particularly good at relaxing,” he laughs. “For me, a real vacation involves bringing my family to Tahiti, where we spend our days engaged in underwater photography.”

“I know it seems a strange way to switch off!” he laughs. “It probably won’t work for many, but it works for us, and I’m just thrilled to be able to combine these passions.”