The tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 remains a haunting reminder of one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
With over 1,500 lives lost, the Titanic hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York, ultimately leading to its demise. The wreckage of the ship was found decades later, lying 3,800 meters below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The depth of the Titanic, about 12,500 feet below sea level, has allowed the wreckage to remain well-preserved over the years. However, scientists have warned that the remains of the ship may disappear completely by 2030 due to “hungry” bacteria in the ocean. It was reported that proteobacteria were found on rusticles recovered from the wreckage, indicating that the ship may be eroded entirely within the next decade.
Efforts to locate the Titanic wreckage began almost immediately after its sinking, but it took 73 years before American oceanographer Robert Ballard and French oceanographer Jean-Louis Michel finally discovered the wreck in 1985. The Titanic was found lying in two main pieces about 2,000 feet apart, making it a significant archaeological discovery.
The remains of the Titanic currently rest on the ocean floor about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. However, in a tragic turn of events, a research submersible exploring the wreckage went missing in June 2023, marking the 110th anniversary of the Titanic sinking. The vessel, known as Titan and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, had five people on board and reportedly vanished while exploring the iconic ship’s debris field.
Despite the extensive search efforts by the US Coast Guard and other deep-sea companies, the fate of the crew on board the missing submersible remains unknown.
The vessel, weighing over 10,000kg and powered by electric thrusters, was steered by a team using a reinforced PlayStation controller.
