The Titanic has always been shrouded in mystery and fascination. The imaginary story set against the backdrop of a genuine tragedy has always been at the forefront thanks to the 1997 blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The first-known footage of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean floor, shot in 1986, has now been shown to the public for the first time.
A video released on the Instagram page Now This News shows footage from 1986. Researchers spent decades searching for the remains of the ocean liner after it sank during her maiden trip in 1912. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discovered the wrecked ship more than 12,000 feet below the surface in 1985.
Expedition lead Doctor Robert Ballard recalled his first time viewing the ship as “spooky”
Mission lead Doctor Robert Ballard recalled his first time viewing the ship as “spooky”. The Titanic split in half after colliding with the iceberg, and the stern fell through the sea before crashing into the ocean floor hard. The bow, however, struck the ocean floor at such an angle that vast parts of the interiors were preserved.
The team was able to film the wreckage for the first time using a human-occupied submersible named Alvin and a remotely operated vehicle dubbed Jason Jr. The material is now being made public to commemorate the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster.
“I had a relative that perished in the disaster. She was originally coming from Sweden with an end destination of Minnesota to be the nanny for my great-grandmother and her siblings after their mother died young. Her name was Ida Strandberg and she was only 23 years old and traveling alone in third class; I can’t imagine how scary it must have been for her. Makes me sad to even type but I’ve always thought the titanic’s victims have in a way been dehumanized for our entertainment and I wanted to share a part of her story,” commented a user. “Why wait 25 years to release the footage? If I ever find such an important thing that marked humanity, I’d want the world to know immediately my discovery,” said another.