The Wreckage of Titanic

On September 1, 1985, Dr. Robert Ballard and his team discovered the wreckage of Titanic approximately 400 miles east of Newfoundland. It had been undiscovered on the ocean floor since it sank over seventy years prior. The bow and stern were almost 2,000 feet apart, and contrary to some scientific hypotheses, the ship was greatly deteriorated since it had sunk so many years prior. Scientists believed that perhaps due to the temperature and the depth of the wreckage, more of the ship and the deceased might be preserved. Finding the wreckage was a years-long pursuit, especially considering that the ship sank in some of the deepest waters on the planet (diagram below for perspective).

In the decades since it was first discovered, the wreckage of the Titanic has been explored by both crewed and uncrewed vessels and many artifacts have been recovered. Two distinct camps have emerged in the years since the wreckage was discovered: those who believe that the wreckage should be left alone as the final resting place of those who perished, and those who feel that the artifacts of the wreck should be recovered and conserved.

DSV Alvin, the submersible used in 1986 for the first crewed expedition to the wreckage. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Wreckage of Captain Smith’s Bathroom. Photo credit: NOAA.