The Titanic’s propeller.Photo:Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty
TheRMS Titanichas sustained over a century’s worth of damage since it tragically crashed and sank miles below the surface. But while the decay is extensive, the ocean hasn’t yet rendered the ill-fated ship unrecognizable.After nearly 75 years of searching, remnants of the boat werefinally discoveredin 1985. Researchers could identify significant pieces of the ship — like the renowned bow replicated in James Cameron’s 1997 film.Such fallen pieces of history have enticed explorers and enthusiasts, some of whom have ventured into the depths to view it themselves. Five ofthese enthusiastsboarded the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible, theTitan, only tonever return.See details fromthe wreckthat claimed over 1,500 lives in 1912 and has captivated the world ever since.
TheRMS Titanichas sustained over a century’s worth of damage since it tragically crashed and sank miles below the surface. But while the decay is extensive, the ocean hasn’t yet rendered the ill-fated ship unrecognizable.
After nearly 75 years of searching, remnants of the boat werefinally discoveredin 1985. Researchers could identify significant pieces of the ship — like the renowned bow replicated in James Cameron’s 1997 film.
Such fallen pieces of history have enticed explorers and enthusiasts, some of whom have ventured into the depths to view it themselves. Five ofthese enthusiastsboarded the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible, theTitan, only tonever return.
See details fromthe wreckthat claimed over 1,500 lives in 1912 and has captivated the world ever since.
01of 09Below the SurfaceWreck of Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho GettyTheTitanic’s debris field is located about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Former navy officer and professor of oceanography Dr. Robert Ballard led a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 12,500 feet underwater to successfully locate the famed wreck after decades of searching in 1985.
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Below the Surface
Wreck of Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho Getty

Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho Getty
TheTitanic’s debris field is located about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Former navy officer and professor of oceanography Dr. Robert Ballard led a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 12,500 feet underwater to successfully locate the famed wreck after decades of searching in 1985.
02of 09An Unforgiving OceanWreck of Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho GettyBacteria, salt corrosion and deep sea currents havetaken their tollon the ill-fated ship.Business Insiderreported that experts believe the ship could disintegrate over the next few decades.
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An Unforgiving Ocean

Bacteria, salt corrosion and deep sea currents havetaken their tollon the ill-fated ship.Business Insiderreported that experts believe the ship could disintegrate over the next few decades.
03of 09’A Preserved Museum’Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/GettyIn February 2023, the WHOI released previouslyunseen footageof the wreck shot in 1986. Speaking on theTodayshow in February 2023, Ballardcompared the sunkenTitanicto “a preserved museum,” adding that the deeper his team explored, “the more preserved it was.”
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‘A Preserved Museum’

In February 2023, the WHOI released previouslyunseen footageof the wreck shot in 1986. Speaking on theTodayshow in February 2023, Ballardcompared the sunkenTitanicto “a preserved museum,” adding that the deeper his team explored, “the more preserved it was.”
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Details in the Debris
The shoes of a Titanic victim photographed in a debris field.NOAA-IFE/URI/shutterstock

NOAA-IFE/URI/shutterstock
05of 09Sunken DamageNOAA-IFE/URI/shutterstockRust covers the starboard railing near the ship’s bow. In 2022, OceanGate Expeditions released"the very first 8K video"of the wreck. Thehigh-definition footageshowed other places where the railing had collapsed.
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Sunken Damage

Rust covers the starboard railing near the ship’s bow. In 2022, OceanGate Expeditions released"the very first 8K video"of the wreck. Thehigh-definition footageshowed other places where the railing had collapsed.
06of 09In the CabinsA bathtub is one of the Titanic’s cabins.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/GettyA bathtub can be seen among the rotting matter within what remains of the luxury ship.
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In the Cabins
A bathtub is one of the Titanic’s cabins.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

A bathtub can be seen among the rotting matter within what remains of the luxury ship.
07of 09Structural PiecesA boiler from the Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/GettyCameras can make out the top of aTitanicengine in the debris field.
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Structural Pieces
A boiler from the Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Cameras can make out the top of aTitanicengine in the debris field.
08of 09’Somber' and ‘Haunting’Wreck of Titanic.Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho GettyIn the wake of the lost OceanGate submersible, award-winning physicist Michael Guillen spoke out about hismission to the wreckin 2000. As they arrived at the ship’s bow, Guillen revealed, they held a moment of silence for the victims of the crash. “It’s all very somber, very haunting,” he said.
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‘Somber’ and ‘Haunting’

In the wake of the lost OceanGate submersible, award-winning physicist Michael Guillen spoke out about hismission to the wreckin 2000. As they arrived at the ship’s bow, Guillen revealed, they held a moment of silence for the victims of the crash. “It’s all very somber, very haunting,” he said.
09of 09The Titanic’s PropellersXavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/GettyGuillen toldSky Newsabout his own brush with tragedy while on the mission to the sunken ship, telling the outlet that a “very high-speed underwater current” caught his vessel and slammed it “right into the blades of the propeller.“His group was reportedly trapped within the blades for “the better part of an hour.” While the sub’s pilot worked to wriggle them free, “huge pieces” of the Titanic rained down.The level of danger dawned on Guillen then, as he remembered thinking, “This is how it’s going to end for you.”
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The Titanic’s Propellers

Guillen toldSky Newsabout his own brush with tragedy while on the mission to the sunken ship, telling the outlet that a “very high-speed underwater current” caught his vessel and slammed it “right into the blades of the propeller.”
His group was reportedly trapped within the blades for “the better part of an hour.” While the sub’s pilot worked to wriggle them free, “huge pieces” of the Titanic rained down.
The level of danger dawned on Guillen then, as he remembered thinking, “This is how it’s going to end for you.”
source: people.com