Paul Allen's Twitter stream chronicled the deep sea dive of James Cameron who today explored the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean.

I never took Paul Allen — the billionaire software tycoon — for a citizen journalist. But that’s what the Microsoft co-founder essentially became today as Allen shared a series of Tweets chronicling the deep sea dive of James Cameron.

Cameron's vessel. Photo via National Geographic

If you missed the action, the director of Avatar and Titanic today successfully completed a seven-mile solo descent to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, a spot on Earth that only two other people had previously visited in 1960.

Allen’s account of Cameron’s descent in the lime-green sub was both factual and emotional, and it had me glued to the Twitter stream earlier today. Allen penned more than 30 Tweets from aboard his mega-yacht The Octopus, which was stationed near by.

He followed the action through an underwater communications system, reporting on the activities as they unfolded.

#DeepseaChallenge Pressure at bottom is 16,285 Pounds per square inch at that depth. Design pressure was 16,500 …Yikes/Amazing!

Of course, Allen certainly has the means to take part in Cameron’s historic adventure, even if from afar.

After all, Allen’s abundant wealth came in to perspective when he also noted during Cameron’s dive that he was tuning in to a Portland Trailblazers game, the NBA franchise that he owns.

Now, there’s just something strangely fascinating about that picture. Allen watching a NBA game in the middle of the Pacific on his megayacht while the director of Titanic explores the ocean floor.

Previously on GeekWirePaul Allen’s new space project will launch rockets into orbit from world’s biggest plane

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