This summer, scientists returned to the legendary Titanic's resting place in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in 14 years. The 20-day-long remote imaging expedition ended on August 9, 2024. It was conducted by RMS Titanic Inc., the US company with legal rights to salvage the wreck.
This was the company's ninth trip to the Titanic since 1987. However, the more than two million images of the ship and surrounding areas captured by the state-of-the art high-resolution cameras and scanning equipment were unlike any taken before. They revealed new discoveries and evidence of increased damage to the wreck.
"We haven't been to the wreck since 2010. It's been 14 years. So 14 years of technology, as we all know, is quite advanced from what we had back in 2010," James Penca, a researcher with the RMS Titanic, told NPR. "What we were able to take down there, the cameras and the scanners, would make 2010's expedition look like child's play in terms of what we were able to learn from the wreck."
Among the most exciting finds was a two-foot-tall bronze statue of Diana of Versailles. The Roman goddess had once adorned a fireplace mantle in the Titanic's first-class lounge. As the ship sank and the room tore apart, Diana was flung into the sea along with other debris. The artifact was photographed only once in 1986. The photo gave the researchers a rough idea of where to look. However, the location was undisclosed making the odds of finding the statue again in the pitch-black waters low. After weeks of effort, they finally spotted Diana on the last day, just 20 minutes before the expedition ended.
"With just hours left on the final day of Expedition 2024, Diana was found and photographed," the company said in a statement. They added that Diana "is still resting upright among miles of debris."
On a more somber note, a 15-foot (4.5-meter) section of the railing on Titanic’s bow has fallen. For reference, this is the spot where Rose declared "I am flying" in James Cameron's 1997 movie based on the legendary ship. RMS Titanic, which revealed the discoveries on September 2, 2024, says the railing had been intact as recently as 2022.
"Titanic's bow is iconic," the company said. "We are saddened by this loss and the inevitable decay of the Ship and the debris."
The expedition's primary goal was to extensively document the wreck and its debris to improve our understanding of the site. RMS Titanic plans to share the data with the broader scientific community. They hope to return as early as next year to recover historically important artifacts, like Diana, and preserve them for future generations.
The Titanic
Dubbed "The Ship of Dreams," the Titanic was a luxury cruise liner unlike any other. Considered an engineering marvel in 1912, it was the largest ship ever to grace the seas and featured unmatched grandeur and amenities. Its first and only list of passengers included some of the world’s most powerful and wealthiest individuals. Tragically, the 50,000-ton behemoth sank after striking an iceberg just days after its launch. Over a century later, the iconic ship continues to captivate the interest and imagination of people worldwide.
Resources: discovertitanic.com, NPR.org
