China Deep-Dive Expedition Anchors to Avoid Typhoon

The oceanographic ship carrying 'Jiaolong', China's manned deep-sea submersible, anchored in Yangtze entrance to avoid typhoon Mawar ahead of a 7,000-meter attempt

The ship, the Xiangyanghong 09, left the eastern port city of Jiangyin earlier on Sunday and travelled about 155 nautical miles to an anchorage at the mouth of the Yangtze River near Shanghai, according to the onboard headquarter of the operation.

The submersible, named after a mythical sea dragon, will dive 7,000 meters below the surface of the Pacific Ocean between mid-June and early July at the Mariana Trench.

Tropical storm Mawar battered northern Philippines Saturday and was moving north. Meteorological experts said that Xiangyanghong would encounter Mawar on Tuesday if it had kept to the original plan.

The ship would continue its voyage at a proper time and typhoon Mawar would not affect the planned dive of Jiaolong, said the headquarters.

The Haiyang-6, a Chinese research vessel dispatched to assist the dive, left Guangzhou Saturday and had also anchored to take shelter, it added.