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Alvin60

Since 1964, the human-occupied submersible Alvin has helped scientists expand human knowledge of the ocean and inspired countless more to learn more about the ocean.

 

This year, ALVIN TURNS 60, and we want YOU to help us celebrate all summer long.

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Wish Alvin a
Happy Birthday!

Join us in commemorating Alvin’s 60th birthday by sharing a birthday message to Alvin on your social media channels with the hashtag #Alvin60. Posts on Instagram will also appear right here!

Milestones

1956
1956
Customer
Al Vine

1956

At a meeting of more than 100 scientists to discuss how to study the ocean depths, WHOI scientist Allyn Vine suggests building a submersible, prompting participants to draft a resolution that the U.S. should develop manned undersea vehicles.

1962
1962
1962 title

1962

1962

WHOI contracts with General Mills for $498,500 to build a small research submersible capable of diving to 6,000 feet (1,829 meters). Soon after, the newly formed WHOI Deep Submergence Group begins using the name Alvin, after Allyn Vine, for referring to the sub.

1964
1964
Customer
1964

1964

Alvin is commissioned on June 5 in Woods Hole. Alvin's first pilot is William Rainnie, who takes the sub on a tethered test dive in Woods Hole Harbor on June 26 and conducts the first untethered dive on August 4 to a depth of 39 feet (12 meters).

1965
1965

1965

1965

On July 1, Alvin makes a 7,500-foot (2,290-meter) dive, tethered and unoccupied, to obtain Navy safety certification. Pilot William Rannie makes the first deep dives-to 3,600 feet (1,097 meters) on July 16 and to 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) on August 2.

1966
1966

hydrogen bomb

1966

The U.S. Navy calls in Alvin to help find and recover a hydrogen bomb that was accidentally dropped into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain.

1968
1968

cable snapped

1968

On October 16, at the beginning of a dive off Cape Cod, support vessel Lulu's launch platform cables holding Alvin snap. The pilot and observers scramble out, but Alvin sinks more than 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) to the sea floor.

1969
1969

Alvin recovered

1969

Alvin is recovered after 10 months underwater, transported to WHOI, and repaired. Lunches left on board are soggy but not decayed. The discovery leads to new avenues of research on deep-sea microbes.

1971
1971

Ruth Turner

1971

Harvard biologist Ruth Turner becomes the first woman to dive in Alvin and returns with proof of the existence of a deep-sea species of shipworms.

1974
1974
1974

1974

A new titanium personnel sphere means Alvin can dive to 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) and the sub departs on Project FAMOUS, a French-American expedition to investigate the Mid-Atlantic Ridge for the first time.

1977
1977

tube worms

1977

Scientists take Alvin to the Galapagos Rift to explore previously unknown communities of deep-sea organisms that are sustained not by photosynthesis and sunlight, but by chemosynthesis and chemicals flowing from the seafloor. The discovery transformed conceptions of how and where life can exist.

1979
1979

hydrothermal vents

1979

Alvin returns to the Galapagos Rift, where scientists discover the first black smoker hydrothermal vents.

1983
1983

cold seep animal communities

1983

Scientists diving in Alvin in the Gulf of Mexico discover cold seep animal communities where organisms are sustained by chemical-rich fluids flowing gently from the seafloor.

1986
1986

alvin and titanic

1986

Alvin explores the wreck of the RMS Titanic with a small, remotely operated vehicle named Jason Jr. and returns with photographs of the ship that capture the public imagination.

1987
1987

whale bones on seafloor

1987

Scientists in Alvin explore whale falls, a newly discovered type of chemosynthetic community that forms around decaying whale carcasses on the seafloor.

1990
1990

Cindy Van Dover

1990

Cindy van Dover becomes the first and, so far, only female Alvin pilot.

1994
1994

Alvin 4500 meters dive

1994

Alvin proves it can safely dive to 4,500 meters (14,764 feet), permitting it to reach 68 percent of the seafloor.

2000
2000

Lost City

2000

Alvin explores the "Lost City" on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a recently discovered environment where seawater reacts with mantle rock to produce unusual geological structures and chemosynthetic communities.

2002
2002

Galapagos Rift

2002

Alvin returns to the Galápagos Rift for the 25th anniversary of the discovery of hydrothermal vents. There it finds animal communities wiped out by fresh lava flows and newly colonized post-eruption communities thriving.

2004
2004

4000th dive

2004

Alvin celebrates its 4,000th dive in January and its 40th anniversary in June.

2007
2007

Tim Shank and Sunita Williams

2007

WHOI biologist Tim Shank has a telephone conversation in Alvin with NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams in orbit aboard the International Space Station.

2010
2010

Deepwater Horizon

2010

Alvin dives at the Deepwater Horizon site to help scientists investigate impacts of the oil spill on deep-sea coral communities in the Gulf of Mexico.

2011
2011

Alvin in the highbay

2011

Alvin returns to Woods Hole to begin the first stage of a comprehensive overhaul that includes a new titanium personnel sphere and upgrades to almost all of the sub's systems.

2014
2014

Alvin underwater

2014

The newly upgraded Alvin resumes science operations and picks up where it left off: investigating impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Alvin marks its 50th year of operation.

2018
2018

Alvin 5000 dive

2018

Alvin dives off the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast reveal a previously unknown deep-sea coral reef nearly 90 miles long. The sub competes its 5,000th dive during an expedition to the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California.

2020
2020

Alvin rehab

2020

Alvin returns to Woods Hole to begin the final phase of the upgrade that will extend the sub's maximum depth from 4,500 meters to 6,500 meters (about 4 miles), putting 99% of the seafloor within reach.

2022
2022

Alvin 6453 meters

2022

Alvin makes its deepest dive to 6,453 meters, earns certification for its new depth range from the U.S. Navy, and is cleared to return to scientific research at the conclusion of a three-week NSF-funded science verification expedition.

2023
2023

alvin coral discovery

2023

Scientists using Alvin discover extensive, ancient deep-sea coral reefs within the Galápagos Marine Reserve-the first of their kind ever to be documented inside the marine protected area since it was established in 1998. The reef supports a breathtaking mix of marine life.

Previous
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Vehicle Tour

By the Numbers

numbers
5100+
DIVES
Equivalent to 1 dive a day for 14 years.
clock
6-10
HOUR DIVES
But the sub carries an additional 72 hours of reserve
bus
20.4
METRIC TONS
(45,000 LBS)
The equivalent of a fully loaded school bus.
whale
7
METERS LONG
(23 ft)
The average length of an adult orca whale.
cow
680
KG PAYLOAD
(1,500 LBS)
Includes crew, ascent/descent weights, ballast, and science equipment and samples. That's like being able to carry an adult Holstein cow.
people
3
CREW MEMBERS
One pilot and two scientific observers share the same 'cozy titanium sphere without a bathroom.
elephant
3.7
METERS TALL
(12 ft)
The same as a fully grown African elephant.
alvin
6,500
METERS DEPTH
(21,325 ft)
It takes Alvin about 2.5 hours to descend to its maximum depth.

Fun Facts

How did Alvin get its name?

The submersible is named for Allyn Vine, a WHOI engineer and geophysicist who helped pioneer deep submergence research and technology. The sub's first support ship was named Lulu after Vine's mother.

Is there a bathroom in Alvin?

No. On a wall inside Alvin's support ship, Atlantis, there is a sign that reads "PB4UGO." Experienced divers urge newcomers to take the sign seriously. If there is an emergency, divers have to use a bottle.

What about marine life?

In 1967, an 8-foot, 196-pound swordfish lodged its bill into a joint on Alvin's hull during a dive off the east coast of Florida. Members of the Alvin team removed the swordfish with minimal damage to Alvin. The fish, however, was turned into steaks.

How many people have been Alvin pilots?

Since 1965, the job of driving Alvin has gone to just 45 men and one woman. Compare this to the 191 NASA pilots.

What is the temperature in Alvin?

The average temperature outside the submersible is usually around 35°F. Inside the sub with all the electronics, and body heat and body heat from three passengers, it gets down to 45° to 50°F.

Has Alvin ever gotten stuck?

Yes. Once in 1975, Alvin drove into a fissure wider than the submersible. Before the pilot could tell that the fissure's walls were narrowing, the sub became wedged in the crack. Initial attempts to maneuver out failed. Finally, the pilot backed out, to the relief of Alvin's passengers and the ship's crew.

Has anyone famous ever traveled in Alvin?

Yes. Walter Cronkite (late broadcast journalist); Rita Colwell (former director of the U.S. National Science Foundation); William Broad (Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The New York Times); Gary Comer (founder of the Lands' End clothing company); Ann Curry (television news journalist); Loral O'Hara (NASA Astronaut), Jim Toomey (author of the comic strip "Sherman's Lagoon").

How many pieces of Alvin remain from the original sub?

Only the name. The last physical pieces of the original sub were phased out during the last overhaul in 2013. The oldest pieces used today date from the 1980s: a portion of the titanium frame; one of the manipulator arms; and the aluminum ladder which scientists use to enter the sub.

What deep sea creature was named after Alvin?

The Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is a furry worm with red tentacles that can withstand the hottest temperatures of any animal, even short periods at 130°F. Strickrott's hagfish (Eptatreus strickrott) and a new species of deep-sea worm (Pectinereis strickrotti) are both named after Alvin Pilot Bruce Strickrott.

How did Alvin get its name?

The submersible is named for Allyn Vine, a WHOI engineer and geophysicist who helped pioneer deep submergence research and technology. The sub's first support ship was named Lulu after Vine's mother.

Is there a bathroom in Alvin?

No. On a wall inside Alvin's support ship, Atlantis, there is a sign that reads "PB4UGO." Experienced divers urge newcomers to take the sign seriously. If there is an emergency, divers have to use a bottle.

What about marine life?

In 1967, an 8-foot, 196-pound swordfish lodged its bill into a joint on Alvin's hull during a dive off the east coast of Florida. Members of the Alvin team removed the swordfish with minimal damage to Alvin. The fish, however, was turned into steaks.

How many people have been Alvin pilots?

Since 1965, the job of driving Alvin has gone to just 45 men and one woman. Compare this to the 191 NASA pilots.

What is the temperature in Alvin?

The average temperature outside the submersible is usually around 35°F. Inside the sub with all the electronics, and body heat and body heat from three passengers, it gets down to 45° to 50°F.

Has Alvin ever gotten stuck?

Yes. Once in 1975, Alvin drove into a fissure wider than the submersible. Before the pilot could tell that the fissure's walls were narrowing, the sub became wedged in the crack. Initial attempts to maneuver out failed. Finally, the pilot backed out, to the relief of Alvin's passengers and the ship's crew.

Has anyone famous ever traveled in Alvin?

Yes. Walter Cronkite (late broadcast journalist); Rita Colwell (former director of the U.S. National Science Foundation); William Broad (Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The New York Times); Gary Comer (founder of the Lands' End clothing company); Ann Curry (television news journalist); Loral O'Hara (NASA Astronaut), Jim Toomey (author of the comic strip "Sherman's Lagoon").

How many pieces of Alvin remain from the original sub?

Only the name. The last physical pieces of the original sub were phased out during the last overhaul in 2013. The oldest pieces used today date from the 1980s: a portion of the titanium frame; one of the manipulator arms; and the aluminum ladder which scientists use to enter the sub.

What deep sea creature was named after Alvin?

The Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana) is a furry worm with red tentacles that can withstand the hottest temperatures of any animal, even short periods at 130°F. Strickrott's hagfish (Eptatreus strickrott) and a new species of deep-sea worm (Pectinereis strickrotti) are both named after Alvin Pilot Bruce Strickrott.

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