Equipment used in underwater sensing and exploration typically relies on cables or batteries for energy supply, resulting in a limited and inconvenient energy supply and marine environmental pollution that hinder the sustainable development of distributed ocean sensing networks. Here, we design a deep-sea differential-pressure triboelectric nanogenerator (DP-TENG) based on a spiral shaft drive using modified polymer materials to harness the hydrostatic pressure gradient energy at varying ocean depths to power underwater equipment. The spiral shaft structure converts a single compression into multiple rotations of the TENG rotor, achieving efficient conversion of differential pressure energy. The multi-pair electrode design enables the DP-TENG to generate a peak current of 61.7 μA, the instantaneous current density can reach 0.69 μA cm−2, and the output performance can be improved by optimizing the spiral angle of the shaft. The DP-TENG can charge a 33 μF capacitor to 17.5 V within five working cycles. It can also power a digital calculator and light up 116 commercial power light-emitting diodes, demonstrating excellent output capability. With its simple structure, low production cost, and small form factor, the DP-TENG can be seamlessly integrated with underwater vehicles. The results hold broad prospects for underwater blue energy harvesting and are expected to contribute to the development of self-powered equipment toward emerging “smart ocean” and blue economy applications.