Wreck of the Titanic

The wreck of the Titanic has been lying under the Atlantic Ocean since the tragic dates of April 14 and 15, 1912, after it collided with an iceberg. Today, the liner lies at a depth of more than 3,821 metres in the North Atlantic Ocean, a few kilometres from where it sank. The wreck was not officially found until 1985, by Robert Duane Ballard on a secret mission for the U.S. Navy. Since then, the liner remains the object of many fascinations…

A Remnant of the History of a Ship Built in Northern Ireland

The Titanic, a wreck in the process of disappearing

The Titanic liner, belonging to the White Star Line, has been explored many times by submarines specialized for deep-sea diving. This has brought back amazing images of the wreck, as well as many objects that belonged to the passengers.

These explorations have led to a better understanding of what happened at the time of the shipwreck. A lighting that literally unleashed passions, especially with the release of James Cameron’s film Titanic.

What we know

The wreck of the Titanic now lies on an area covered with debris and objects related to the ship. Pieces of hull, dishes, objects that belonged to the passengers… The bow section is still recognizable, although heavily corroded by the ocean and salt. As for the stern section, it’s something else: it seems to be dislocated.

Probably from the impact when the vessel struck the bottom at the time of sinking. This is why the wreck is literally cut into 2 distinct parts, separated by 600 meters. It must be said that the liner, at the time of its sinking, sank in 2 parts. It would have broken between the second and third chimney when it tipped under water.

This second part is unrecognizable, and even un-explorable on a submarine. The wreck has subsided and the corrosion is such that the liner could collapse on itself within the next few years. The stern is nevertheless in better condition: we can still see its 2 lateral propellers and 2 alternative engines.

Nowadays, the wreck of the Titanic worries historians a lot. The wreckage has indeed disintegrated considerably. The fault lies with natural corrosion, the marine micro-organisms present, pollution but also with human exploration.

Between 1986 and 2004, its structure was strongly attacked by a bacterium called Halomonas titanicæ. This bacterium is currently gnawing at the steel, making the wreck increasingly unstable, ready to collapse in the decades to come.

Scientists estimate that the wreck could simply disappear between 2025 and 2050.

So much more to discover...