Average and Maximum Ocean Depth

The world ocean's average depth is 3,700 meters (12,100 feet). The deepest point is the Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep) in the western Pacific at 11,034 meters (36,201 feet)—deeper than Mount Everest is tall. Depth varies enormously: continental shelves (<200 m), abyssal plains (3,000–6,000 m), and trenches (>6,000 m).