Titanic: What’s left to see of the world’s most famous shipwreck?
More than 111 years after it sank, the Titanic remains one of the world’s most famous shipwrecks and a source of huge intrigue.
With the vessel having long been deemed too fragile to raise back to the surface, the only hope researchers and explorers have had of seeing what’s left is to head underwater.
‘No way to escape’ – latest on missing Titanic submarine
It had already been more than 70 years since the Titanic collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage when it was finally discovered off Newfoundland, Canada, in 1985.
More than 1,500 people were killed, with just 705 survivors.
What was left when the Titanic was found?
The wreckage was found by a French-American expedition.
The ship had been split into two pieces some 2,600ft apart, with the stern (the back of the hull) left largely unrecognisable but the bow (the front) remarkably intact.
Pic: OceanGate Expeditions
Pic: OceanGate Expeditions
Incredible images from the site featuring the Titanic’s bow, a propeller, an officer’s cabin window, and even several cooking pots and dozens of dinner plates led news bulletins around the world at the time.
It kicked off a wave of expeditions to the wreckage, including further research ventures, and famous trips by film director James Cameron to get footage for his 1997 blockbuster based on the tragedy.
The bow flooded slowly and more smoothly than the stern, and has proved easier to traverse. Explorers have been inside toilets and bathrooms, and you can watch footage online from inside a reception room and dining area.
Staff rooms and cargo holds have also been explored, though some of the most iconic parts of the bow’s interior, including the grand staircase, are thought to have been destroyed when the Titanic sank.
Some items recovered over the years have sold at auction, including a lunch menu saved by a first-class passenger that fetched $88,000 (£58,000) back in 2015, shaving kits, children’s toys, and tobacco pipes.
The captain’s bathtub was found but has since disappeared. File pic: AP
What can be seen now?
Since 2021, OceanGate – the operator of a submersible that has gone missing exploring the site – has offered commercial missions, with tickets costing $250,000 (£195,000) for an eight-day trip.
Last year, the company released new footage showing the ship’s bow, port side anchor, hull, and anchor chain.
It said it had noticed some differences at the wreckage compared to its previous visits, as the 12,500ft depths of the North Atlantic continue to place immense strain on what remains.
Along with the deep sea currents themselves, scientists have said the ship is succumbing to metal-eating bacteria called halomonas titanicae, with more holes spreading across the wreck.
Other marine life also now calls the area of the wreckage home, and rusticles hang from the hull.
Since being found, the forward mast, crow’s nest, poop deck, and the captain’s bathtub are known to have either been destroyed or disappeared – and there are fears the iconic bow could soon follow.
A digital scan of the Titanic reveals its twisted stern. Picture: Atlantic Productions/Magellan
Picture: Atlantic Productions/Magellan
How long does the wreckage have left?
While the wreckage is protected by the United Nation’s UNESCO heritage programme and a UK-US agreement, scientists have long been concerned that too many expeditions risk causing the Titanic to decay faster.
OceanGate has said the ship’s deterioration makes their expeditions all the more important, so those visiting the wreckage can see it before it disintegrates and researchers can try to unlock more secrets of the disaster.
The company’s missions are “conducted respectfully” and comply with UNESCO guidelines, it says on its website.
Experts have suggested the Titanic may no longer be explorable within the next 10 to 15 years.
Researchers have prepared for the inevitable by creating a digital twin of the Titanic, which recreates the ship in never-before-seen detail.
Titanic expert Parks Stephenson said it is “the beginning of a new chapter” for Titanic exploration and research.
World
Donald Trump threatens sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on first day in office
Conor McGregor has spoken out after losing a civil rape case as a feminist march was held in Dublin.
The MMA fighter was accused of raping Nikita Hand, who was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages on Friday after a jury at Dublin’s High Court found McGregor assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
Nikita Hand.
Pic: PA
Posting on social media, the 36-year-old said: “I know I made mistakes”.
It comes as hundreds of people in Dublin staged a demonstration in “utter solidarity” with Ms Hand.
Posting on X, McGregor said: “People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me.
“As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath. I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.
“I can’t go back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family, friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side.
“That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits!”
Conor McGregor (centre) and partner Dee Devlin leave the High Court in Dublin after he lost a civil case.
Pic: PA
Speaking outside court after the decision, an emotional Ms Hand said the two-week-long civil case had been a “nightmare” but that “justice has been served”.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” she added.
In Dublin on Monday night, a march in support of Ms Hand was organised by the socialist feminist movement group Rosa to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The demonstration in Dublin.
Pic: PA
Ruth Coppinger (left) and Natasha O’Brien at the solidarity march.
Pic: PA
Participants chanted “stand with Nikita” and “no more fear, no more shaming, we reject your victim blaming” as they carried signs and banners through the capital’s streets.
Ruth Coppinger, a councillor and general election candidate, and Natasha O’Brien, who became a public figure after a soldier received a suspended sentence for assaulting her, both spoke at the event.
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Ms Coppinger said Ms Hand was “an incredibly brave woman” and that she was watching the event via a live stream.
Ms O’Brien was cheered as she said she’d been “in awe” of Ms Hand’s courage and that Ireland had let out a collective “sigh of relief” after the jury found in Ms Hand’s favour.
McGregor was accused of having “brutally raped and battered” Ms Hand.
She was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital the following day where the paramedic who assessed her told the court she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.
Following eight days of evidence, and three days of closing speeches and the judge’s instructions to the jury, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and ten minutes deliberating before returning their verdict.
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