A TRIP many leagues under the sea was an experience for students from a Newton Abbot school.

Year 9 students got the chance to connect with a team of explorers who are currently deep in the Pacific Ocean.

The virtual voyage gave the young people the opportunity for a live link with the world renowned Nautilus Exploration Programme.

Broadcasting directly from the ocean where they are currently exploring the Mariana Trench and mud volcanoes in Metaw, the Nautilus team gave students a front-row seat to some of the most cutting-edge research happening on, and under, the planet.

During the session, students were able to pose questions to two members of the ship’s communications crew, including a former teacher from Oregon and an American zoologist, who shared insights into their expeditions, scientific discoveries, and day-to-day life aboard the ship.

Highlights of the talk included footage of a whale carcass being consumed by deep-sea creatures, sharks swimming at extreme depths, and the staggering statistic that over 1,000 new deep-sea species have been discovered in the last five years alone.

The link up was part of the school’s 11 by 11 programme which gives students the opportunity to experience 11 cultural, character-building, and creative activities by the age of 11.

Helen Coulson, Headteacher at Coombeshead Academy, said: ‘This was science education at its very best, inspiring, interactive, and completely unforgettable.

'Our students asked thoughtful questions and came away buzzing with curiosity about the world beneath the waves.

‘The Nautilus team did more than show us science in action, they reminded us that the future of exploration belongs to everyone.’

To find out more about the Nautilus live expedition, visit: www.nautiluslive.org/expeditions/2025