Summary

  • The RMS Titanic, once a luxurious steamship, now lies at a depth of 12,500 feet and has decayed over the past 106 years, but remains a fascination for many.
  • Despite efforts to raise the Titanic, its fragility has thwarted all attempts, and the presence of "extremophile bacteria" could contribute to its disappearance by 2030.
  • Diving tours are available for interested individuals to explore the remnants of the Titanic, allowing them to witness this iconic piece of history for a steep price.

The "unsinkable" RMS Titanic met its tragic fate on April 15, 1912, when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. Today, lying at a depth of about 12,500 feet off the coast of Newfoundland, the once luxurious steamship has decayed and deteriorated over the past 106 years, rendering it nearly unrecognizable. Despite its state, the Titanic remains a source of fascination, being the world's most renowned and cherished shipwreck. Seeing a sunken ship will always intrigue humans.

Several attempts have been made to raise the Titanic, but its fragility has thwarted all efforts. In 2016, a study by nature.com revealed the presence of "extremophile bacteria" that could potentially consume the remaining wreckage, leading to the disappearance of the famous shipwreck by 2030.

Despite this looming threat, diving tours will be available for interested individuals to explore what's left of the Titanic. For a price, they can venture into the depths to witness the remnants of this iconic piece of history.

Here are 21 images of the most famous luxury steamship of its time: RMS Titanic.

UPDATE: 2023/07/24 18:32 EST BY NOAH STAATS

The Titanic Ship Wreck Continues To Intrigue Us

This article has been updated with new information regarding the RMS Titanic, as well as new photos of the actual ship before and after it met its fate. Whether someone wants to explore this site from home or the bottom of the ocean: it's certainly a somber story.

Related: Here's Why Titanic Belfast Is The Most Authentic Titanic Museum In The World

21 OceanGate's Titan Was The Newest Watercraft To Fall In The North Atlantic Ocean

OceanGate Titan Sub
MadelgariusCC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Titan Submersible OceanGate rendering

Earlier last month, global news networks began running pieces on a missing, five-man submersible in the North Atlantic. Unfortunately, the five people were hoping to see the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean, which resulted in their deaths. Titanic exploration has always been something people love doing, as many have strong attachments to the incident. This submersible was created by deep sea exploration company, OceanGate, and the CEO (and designer of the sub), Stockton Rush, was also on board. One of the issues with this voyage was that the underwater vehicle they were in was not properly tested or certified to depths of 12,000+ feet, which proved to be a deadly oversight.

  • The Titan was not tested or certified by any government safety agency.

It's also worth mentioning that each passenger paid $250,000 for their ticket, making this an incredibly pricey underwater adventure. The Titanic, like most sunken ships, is so far below the surface that the pressure at that depth can cause submarines/submersibles to implode. It's reported the psi at the Titanic's resting place is 6,000, making this one of the more deadly things someone can attempt.

20 RMS Titanic One Of The Deadliest Maritime Disasters

Titanic ship Computer generated 3D render
Shutterstock
Titanic ship Computer generated 3D render

The RMS Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, from Southampton, England, and sank just a few days into her first voyage to New York City on April 14, 1912, when she hit an iceberg and broke apart in the early hours of the next morning. The sinking of the Titanic is one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.

  • The Titanic's sinking remains one of the most deadly maritime disasters.

She was the largest and most luxurious ship of her time, which made her so special. Millions of people have been and are still so fascinated with her story, and the RMS Titanic's wreckage has also been highly talked about.

19 The "Unsinkable" Ship

Sunken Titanic
Photo by NOAA on Unsplash
Bow of Titanic at bottom of North Atlantic Ocean

Why was the Titanic considered unsinkable? According to History on the Net, shipbuilders Harland, and Wolff insisted that the Titanic was never advertised as "unsinkable," but it was the result of people's interpretation reading newspaper articles about the ship. There were even articles describing the ship as unsinkable in Shipbuilder magazine in 1911. When the White Star Line Vice President P.A.S. Franklin heard the news that the Titanic was in trouble that night, he stated, "We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is unsinkable.

  • The Titanic was believed and advertised to be unsinkable.

One of the reasons so many perished when the Titanic went down was that it was widely believed this ship could not sink. Therefore, the ship's management took out essential lifeboats to preserve the view of first-class passengers: proving to be a deadly mistake.

18 The Titanic Was Doomed After It Struck The Iceberg

Documental picture of Titanic in the Titanic Belfast
Shutterstock
 Documental picture of Titanic in the Titanic Belfast

The sinking of the RMS Titanic is one of the worst cruise ship disasters of all time. Thomas Andrews, the chief naval architect at the Harland and Wolff shipyard, designed the Titanic to withstand damage if ever faced with head-on collisions and ramming from other ships, reports Oyster. The iceberg that the ship struck scraped through five of the sixteen watertight compartments. However, if it only went through four of the compartments, the boat would have remained afloat.

  • When the Titanic hit the iceberg, five of the 16 water-tight compartments were damaged. The ship may have survived if only four were destroyed.

Andrews was on board when the Titanic set sail, and his role was to observe all parts of the ship during its passage. It was Andrew who inspected the damage down to the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, and it was also he who told Captain Edward Smith that the ship was going to sink, according to BBC.

People can visit one of the Titanic's heroines' homes in Denver.

17 She Wasn't Equipped To Save All Passengers

Titanic museum in Belfast, Ireland
Shutterstock
Titanic museum in Belfast, Ireland

The RMS Titanic was not even equipped to save all the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew members on board if something tragic like striking an iceberg was to occur. According to Oyster, the ship's lifeboats were similar to other systems during its time, which meant that they were created to "shepherd passengers to nearby rescue ships, not take them to shore."

  • The lifeboats on board the Titanic were not made for long-distance travel.

When the ship was going under, help was hours away, and poor crew organization failed to fill lifeboats at full capacity. Also, let's not forget to mention that the ship only had enough lifeboats for about a third of the people on board. Did they really think the Titanic would never sink? Because of the failed proper precautions, over 1,500 people lost their lives, either on the ship or in the freezing ice waters.

16 Every Single Engineer Perished With The Ship

last Bell Of Titanic
Unsplash, K. Mitch Hodge
The last bell of the RMS Titanic on display

According to Insider, there were 25 engineers on board the Titanic, and not one survived. In fact, all of the men stayed on board to keep the ship's power running up until she continued to sink into the ocean. The ship's lights only went off when she finally went underwater, and that is because of the effort of the engineers, who decided to stay behind and keep the electricity and pumps going while she was sinking. The engineers also kept the radio running, which put out distress signals minutes before she sank. There is a memorial for these brave men in Southampton, England, which anyone can visit.

  • When the Titanic went down, so did all of its engineers. They kept the ship running until it split apart and went down.

Related: Titanic Had A Pool & 9 Other Unusual Things You Didn't Know

15 A Book Published 14 Years Before The Ship Sank Might Have Predicted Her Fate

North Atlantic Ocean
Photo by Heiko Schuff on Unsplash
North Atlantic Ocean, Ireland

A book titled Futility, published 14 years before the sinking of the Titanic, may have predicted the disaster. Written by American author Morgan Robertson, the book focused on a sinking fictional ship called the Titan. According to Time, there are some bizarre similarities between the book and the tragic sinking of the ship. First, the ship's name is only two letters off. Both ships were supposedly the same size, and they both sank in April after striking an iceberg. It is also mentioned that both ships were unsinkable, and both ships did not have the legally required amount of lifeboats. Robertson was accused of being psychic but explained, "I know what I am writing about, that's all."

  • There was a book, Futility, published 14 years before the Titanic went down, describing the "Titan" sinking by an iceberg.

14 Not Everyone Believed The Titanic Was Unsinkable

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, a famous museum in Las Vegas
Shutterstock
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in the Luxor hotel, Las Vegas

The RMS Titanic was the most luxurious ocean liner ever built at the time, and many people believed she truly was an unsinkable ship. However, one passenger aboard the Titanic named Charles Melville Hays predicted that a "disaster" might occur to the ship. Insider reports that Hays was president of the Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Companies, which later became known as the Canadian National Railway, and was very knowledgeable in "technological advancements happening in the field of transportation." Hays perished with the ship, but according to a survivor, Hays "pondered if continuing to build bigger and faster ships was wise."

  • There were many people on board this ship that didn't believe it was "unsinkable."

Here are the best Titanic museums in the world.

13 The Titanic Wasn't Found Until 1985

Titanic_starboard_side_Odell
The Odell family, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Starboard side of the RMS Titanic

The Titanic wreck was not found until 1985, more than 70 years after the tragic sinking, after numerous attempts using sonar to map her were unsuccessful. The wreck was finally found by a French-American joint expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel of IFREMER, an oceanographic institution in France, and Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. When the ship was found, the team discovered that the ship was split in two, with the bow found more intact and some surprisingly intact sections than the stern, which was completely ruined.

  • The Titanic wasn't found until 70 years after its sinking: by French American expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel

According to Ballard's book, titled "The Discovery of the Titanic," "the much greater level of damage to the stern is probably due to structural damage incurred during the sinking. Thus weakened, the remainder of the stern was flattened by the impact with the seabed."

12 After Finding The Titanic, It Was Confirmed That She Broke Into Two

Titanic_to_Queenstown
Francis Browne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Titanic photographed in 1912

Before the Titanic was discovered in 1985, it was long disputed that she did not break in two when she was going down into the depths of the ocean. Insiders reported that there were at least fifteen witnesses who swore on record that they saw the ship break into two pieces before completely sinking. However, these witnesses were ignored when politicians in the United States and Great Britain who led disaster probes did not believe them and instead believed the ship’s highest-ranking surviving officer, who said she sank in one piece, reported the Daily News. Of course, we know now that she is, in fact, split in two.

  • Many people could not believe that the Titanic broke apart on its way down to the ocean floor. Even survivors of the ship claimed it sunk altogether.

Here is how current cruise ships compare to the Titanic.

11 Numerous Expeditions Began Thanks To Technological Advances​​​​

Titanic_anchor_Queenstown
Francis Browne , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Titanic anchor going down in Queenstown

Numerous dives to the Titanic began with BBC correspondent Mike McKimm participating in one of them. McKimm visited the wreckage of the RMS Titanic in 2005 in order to place a memorial plaque on the bridge of the ship. The plaque reads, "In memory of all those who died on RMS Titanic. From Harland and Wolff and the people of Belfast." Irish diver Rory Golden and pilot Anatoly Sagalevich in a small Russian MIR submarine accompanied McKimm.

  • Thanks to technological advancements, there have been many voyages down to where the Titanic rests. However, the most recent one ended in the death of five people.

The men took amazing footage of the wreckage, including the Marconi Room, where radio signals were sent and received, the forward mast, the grand staircase, and even the Captain’s room, where pictured above is what remains of his private bathroom.

10 Titanic Director James Cameron Visits The Wreckage

RMS_Titanic
Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo of the Titanic's maiden voyage in 1912

Thanks to technological advances in sonar scanning, it wasn't until the 1980s that the dream of finding the wreckage of the Titanic was possible. After the Franco-American expedition headed by oceanographer Robert Ballard, there were a number of other dives to take a look at the wreckage. One of the most famous expeditions was by the director of the film Titanic, James Cameron. According to the BBC, Cameron used footage gathered from eleven dives to the wreck in the popular movie. Cameron's action-packed romance became the fifth highest-grossing film of all time in Canada and the United States.

  • Before the movie Titanic, hit the big screens, director James Cameron convinced the studio executives to go down to the ship and even used footage in the Hollywood film.

9 A 2010 Expedition Showed Detailed 3D Images Of The Titanic Wreckage

Captain Smith on the Titanic
Newspaper Illustrations Ltd., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Captain Smith on board the RMS Titanic

Scientists took part in an extensive dive of the wreckage in 2010, and the 3D images were assembled to show and explain to the public and oceanographers how violent the ship's descent to the ocean bottom was. According to Fox News, the most striking images involved the 3-D tour of the ship's stern, which lies 2,000 feet from the bow.

  • It wasn't until 2010 that explorers went to scan the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean, providing people with 3D images of the wreckage.

Many veterans of past Titanic expeditions took part in the 2010 dive and gathered nearly 6,000 objects from the ship, which are valued in excess of $110 million. "Scientists said the images collected by the expedition will someday be available to the public to explore the wreck, navigating the ocean depths as a teenage operates a video game with joy sticks," Fox reported.

This more recent exploration brought even more detailed scans of the Titanic.

8 A Lifeboat Drill Was Canceled By The Captain The Day Of The Sinking

Titanic_earlier_Southampton
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Titanic in Southampton, England

According to survivors of the Titanic, it was "completely out of the ordinary for a Sunday to pass without a lifeboat drill." It was unclear why the lifeboat drills never happened and if they would have made a difference when it came to getting people onto the boats when the sinking occurred.

  • A scheduled lifeboat drill was ultimately canceled by the ship's captain before Titanic set off.

The Star reported that it was Captain Edward John Smith who canceled the drill, and he would soon learn later that evening that an iceberg hit the ship, and by midnight, something "strange" was happening in the first six of the Titanic's watertight compartments. We know of the fate of the Titanic soon after the flooding began.

7 Fewer Than 200 People Have Visited The Wreckage

Titanic_leaving_port_Southampton
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Titanic leaving port in Southampton, England

According to History, since 1985, the year of the first expedition of the Titanic, fewer than 200 people have gone to the depths of the ocean to visit its final resting place. The last crew mission was in 2005, while a remote-operated vehicle explored the wreckage site in 2010. The year 2012 made it 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, and Deep Ocean Expeditions led a series of 12-day dives where groups of 20 tourists, paying $59,000 each, had the chance to explore the remains of the ship. These trips were intended to be the last time tourists were able to explore the wreckage of the RMS Titanic but turns out that more expeditions will continue this year and next year.

  • There have only been under 200 people who made it down to the Titanic.

6 The Titanic Might Only Be Around For Another 20 Years

Titanic_outdoor_gym
Francis Browne , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Passenger on Titanic near outside gym

According to Live Science, a species of rust-eating bacteria has been taking over the Titanic, and it is currently eating away at her remains. Experts were able to identify a new bacterial species collected from rusticles from the wreck, formally named Halomonas titanicae, that is quickly making the ship deteriorate. Dalhousie University at Halifax scientist Henrietta Mann stated, "In 1995, I was predicting that Titanic had another 30 years. But I think it’s deteriorating much faster than that now. Perhaps if we get another 15 to 20 years out of it, we're doing good ... eventually, there will be nothing left but a rust stain."

  • Because of rapid rusting, the Titanic won't likely make it another 20 years.

5 Preserving The Titanic Is Impossible

Titanic_Portside_Diagram
published by Wikipedino88, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Diagram of the Titanic's portside

While it would be astounding to save what's left of the Titanic, Live Science reports that it is just "impossible." However, the bacteria found eating away at the ship can help in the "accelerating disposal of other old ships and oil rigs. Further, it could also help scientists develop paints or protective coatings to guard against the bacteria for working vessels." This bacteria is continuing to slowly eat away at the Titanic's iron hull, and come researchers now give the shipwreck just 14 more years before it is gone entirely. The BBC states that this bacteria can survive in conditions that are "completely inhospitable to most life forms on Earth: water that is pitch-black and at crushing pressures."

  • Unfortunately, there is no way to preserve or slow the Titanic's decomposition.

4 For A Price, You Can Visit The Remains Of The Wreckage

North Atlantic Ocean
Via Shutterstock
View of the Atlantic Ocean 

For $105,129 per person, you can embark on an eight-day tour with Blue Marble Private and see what remains of the Titanic. The tours were initially going to begin in May 2018, but after some delays, they are confident dives will start in 2019. According to The Manuel, only nine people will be allowed on each dive to the wreck aboard a submarine. The six-week expedition plans to depart from St.John's, Newfoundland, in late June 2019, with voyagers experiencing "three potential days of hard-nosed diving with the goal to capture the first ever 4K images and laser scan of the wreck site in an effort to create a 3D photorealistic model."

  • There are high-cost ways to see the Titanic, with many companies sending vessels down more than 10,000 feet into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Each dive will be three hours each and will include exploring all parts of the remains, including the bow, the deck, and the cavern where the grand staircase used to be.

3 Tourists Will Become "Mission Specialists" While Exploring The Site

Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, Ireland
Photo 107624236 © Brian Wilkinson | Dreamstime.com
Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, Ireland

History reports that the groups of nine tourists that will accompany experts, specialists, submersible pilots, and an operations crew will become "mission specialists." "These specialists will not only get to glide over the picturesque grand staircase but will be assisting with the research and helping to underwrite the mission itself with their fees." It has also been established that the groups will follow the guidelines established by UNESCO and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make sure they do not damage what is left of the wreckage.

  • There will be options for explorers to head to the Titanic as "mission specialists," although with the recent OceanGate debacle: these things may be put on pause.

Experts from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution also hope to preserve history by capturing images of the ship.

2 High-Resolution Images Show The Wreckage Of The Titanic

Titanic swimming pool
Francis Browne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo of the Titanic swimming pool

The first high-resolution images of the Titanic wreckage were shown in the April 2012 issue of National Geographic, and they are astounding. The photos are the clearest, most high-resolution images that have ever been developed of the Titanic on the ocean floor. An excerpt from the magazine's article reads: "The wreck sleeps in darkness, a puzzlement of corroded steel strewn across a thousand acres of the North Atlantic seabed. Fungi feed on it.

  • The first HD photos of the Titanic were issued in 2012 via National Geographic.

Weird colorless life-forms, unfazed by the crushing pressure, prowl its jagged ramparts." Technology today has allowed us to see what's left of the Titanic, "on closer inspection, though, the site appears to be littered with man-made detritus - a Jackson-Pollock - like scattering of lines and spheres, scraps and shards."