Most people know the tragic story of the RMS Titanic. This extravagant cruise liner, which spanned almost one-sixth of a mile long, was the largest ship ever built and also the most opulent. But despite its magnificent presence, it crashed into an iceberg on April 14, 1912 during its first transatlantic journey, and sunk shortly afterwards. While some of its passengers safely escaped in time on the limited number of lifeboats available, more than 1,500 of them went down with the ship.
Almost a century later, the Titanic lies deep at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Newfoundland, and the story of its ill-fateful journey continues to capture the interest of people from all over the world. In fact, a few people are even willing to invest a large sum of money to go and visit the wreckage site personally.
The Expedition
If you are interested in seeing the wreck of the Titanic yourself, there is only one company in the world, Deep Ocean Adventures ,that is officially approved to visit it. Deep Ocean Adventures uses deep diving submersibles to carry people all the way down underwater to where the Titanic currently sits. According to the company’s website, the expedition offers a unique adventure and learning experience to the participants without disturbing the site itself in any way. The journey is led by a staff of expert Russian scientists from the P.P. Shirshov Institute and the Russian Academy of Sciences. They are trained in operating submersibles and also in conducting scientific research and education on numerous levels, so the journey is a truly unique experience. But it is also out of the reach of the average person, as it requires a substantial financial commitment. (In fact, it is such an exclusive opportunity that more people to this day have actually traveled into outer space then ventured to the depths where the wreckage lays.)
The Titanic’s Ill-Fated History
The Titanic, which was owned by the White Star Company Line and built by an Irish shipyard called Harland & Wolff, was said to be the largest moving vehicle ever built. More than 14,000 laborers helped to construct the ship, which took a full four years to complete. The boat had a total of 20 lifeboats on board, which was more than the law required back then, but this wasn’t nearly enough to save all of the passengers and crew members.
When the ship struck an iceberg early on in her voyage, many of the passengers and crew flocked toward the life boats, but poor planning, combined with the panic that ensued, led some of the life boats to leave only partway full. In addition, many of the ship’s third class passengers were trapped onboard. And it wasn’t long into the crisis before the Titanic suddenly split apart and began to plunge underwater, taking the people left on its decks down with it.