Rare Footage Of The Titanic Gives The World An Eerie Look Within The Wreck

At first it looks like a murky soup of nothing, but particles in your field of vision let you know that you’re definitely somewhere. Then shapes hover into view which become increasingly familiar — from a handrail to a sturdy pillar, this was a place where humans once went about their business. Now it’s a rusted hulk deep down in the eerie depths. Hard to believe this was billed as the height of seagoing prowess. But even the most formidable construction isn’t immune to the ravages of nature. For many, the Titanic is arguably the ultimate example of how something mighty can fall, despite all expectations.

The RMS — or Royal Mail Ship — Titanic got the chance to shine on the water, though ultimately its period afloat was brief. It certainly set off in grand style from Southampton, with a great deal of admiration from the crowd. The luxury craft was bound for New York, with stops in France and Ireland along the way. It had originally traveled to Southampton from the Emerald Isle in the first place. Belfast is where the White Star Line ship was built, courtesy of the Harland & Wolff company. The vessel was actually heading to Queenstown, now Cobh, in County Cork, prior to its final destination.

You no doubt already know the Titanic hit an iceberg, but what were the specifics? The natural wonder turned destructive force was spotted close to midnight on April 14, 1912. It wasn’t a totally out of the blue occurrence. The crew had time to turn and, at the time, it may have seemed like a crisis was averted. Turned out the situation wasn’t what it seemed, as they got up close. History writes that, while the craft didn’t hit the ice head on, it “seemed to graze along the side of the berg, sprinkling ice fragments on the forward deck”. A nerve-jangling sight for certain.

The North Atlantic Ocean that carried both the Titanic and the iceberg had a nasty surprise waiting. Below the surface, a frozen spur jutted out. As the ship appeared to survive a close shave, it was in fact sliced open at the bottom. The hull suffered a fatal injury, with a reported 300 feet taking in gallons of water. There was nothing else to do but evacuate the ship. Chaos followed, with the divisions between upper and lower decks never more starkly illustrated. Lifeboats weren’t properly organized and panic appeared to take over. Three hours later and the ocean claimed the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland.

During this agonizing time, the ship broke apart. Approximately 1,500 lost their lives, with 706 making it out alive. As the world absorbed the tragedy, other details were highlighted as contributing factors to the disaster. Famously described as “unsinkable,” the bulkheads had separating walls that were deemed too shallow. When the Titanic came into contact with the iceberg and started sinking, water simply breached these walls and flooded the ship. There also reportedly weren’t enough lifeboats for the number of passengers. National Geographic mentions that the International Ice Patrol and stricter rules regarding lifeboats were established in the wake of the tragedy.

Another White Star Line craft that had a dramatic fate was HMHS — His Majesty’s Hospital Ship — Britannic. Launched in 1914, it was a sister ship to the Titanic, and lasted until late 1916, when a German mine put it out of action. The vessel started out as a luxury vehicle but was later used by the Navy during World War I. The company had changed the original name, “Gigantic,” and made other alterations post-Titanic. Sinking to the bottom of the Aegean Sea, it took 30 souls with it, though the majority of those on board survived. Legendary undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau found the wreck in 1975.

A decade later, a different team discovered Britannic’s older sibling, after many previous endeavors from other explorers. On September 1, 1885, American naval officer Robert Ballard and French oceanographer Jean-Louis Michel succeeded where their predecessors had failed. They located the wreck of the Titanic, which was lying at a depth of approximately 12,000 feet in the North Atlantic. It was the very definition of a pressurized environment. Plus, humans couldn’t simply dive down there and take a peek. It took some time for the technology to be developed that could properly explore the ship in the first place.

Also present during the big moment of discovery were scientists Jean Jarry and Bernard Pillaud, as mentioned by Ballard during a 1996 interview for Naval History Magazine. As you can probably tell, the mission the group undertook was a joint effort between U.S. and French authorities. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — WHOI — teamed up with IFREMER — French Research Institute for the Sustainable Exploitation of the Sea — for the epic project. Ballard described how Michel banged his fist on the table, when realizing he’d personally missed the Titanic’s resting place by 300 yards. Still, the important thing was they’d found it!

Spotting the RMS Titanic was one thing. Going down and inspecting it was quite another. It wouldn’t be until 1986 that Ballard and company revisited the wreck. They’d endured nine months of what must have been nail-biting suspense, building up to the moment they could plunge into the North Atlantic and investigate this extraordinary slice of maritime history. Ballard was aboard ex-naval research vessel the Knorr when the ship came to light. This time, he would climb inside a submersible and get up close. Three men representing WHOI would embark on this journey, the first time people had been near the Titanic in 75 years.

The name of the sub was the Alvin, named after WHOI physicist Allyn Vine, who actually began developing the pressure-sustaining vehicle back in the 1950s. Accompanied by two pilots named Ralph Hollis and Dudley Foster, Ballard and the organization would take a total of 11 trips to scope out the mighty ship. But there was another member of the team, too, albeit one made of metal and circuit boards. “Jason Jr.” was a game changer in the field of underwater exploration. Alvin was an old sea dog by comparison. The new kid was an ROV, or Remotely Operated Vehicle.

On their website, WHOI explained what was going on back in 1986. They state that the vehicles were equipped with video cameras, at a time when such activity wasn’t the norm. There were two motivating factors behind the trip, “to capture carefully the present state of Titanic, should other organizations eventually attempt to salvage the wreck, and demonstrate the rapidly evolving technology of ‘telepresence,’ which is hoped to eliminate the need to salvage wrecks.” In an interview for the Nautilus Live trust, WHOI team member and scientist Dana Yoerger talked about the skepticism he faced from some experts on bringing tech like robotics into the mix.

It was a period of firsts for WHOI. Not only were they venturing into unknown territory at the bottom of the ocean, but Jason Jr. was also going on his very first assignment. Testing the technology was crucial, for this and future dives. But you couldn’t ignore the unique aspects of the project. Finally, the Titanic and its secrets were revealing themselves to a fascinated world who long considered the ship lost. In 1985 scientists relied on a towed vehicle named Argo to capture some basic images. The camera and sonar-laden sled’s images were priceless, but now the team needed to go deeper.

The fresh footage, generally unseen outside of WHOI since the ’80s, comes from the dive with Alvin and Jason Jr. According to Popular Science, the vehicles used quartz lamps that had a range of around 50 feet, compared to the brighter LED lights of today. So, Ballard and the group would be able to see a fair amount of detail, but nothing like what they wanted to, we’re guessing. There was no guarantee of a smooth operation, with a myriad of potential snags easily cropping up, thanks to the unwieldy combination of technology and freezing cold, pressurized salt water.

Communications between the Alvin and its small robot companion Jason Jr. would be conducted via fiber optics, another unknown quantity. “No one had successfully operated an ROV in very deep water, or used a fiber optic cable system like this in the deep sea before,” WHOI writes. Popular Science also refers to the tethers on the sub possibly getting caught on any obstacles. Rusted metal and all manner of pitfalls awaited. There was also the small matter of water infiltrating and affecting battery power, something that led to the Alvin having to surface. It was an exciting journey, but also a hazardous one.

The previously unseen footage has been released to coincide with a special anniversary. Not of a scientific nature, but a Hollywood-flavored celebration. James Cameron’s epic film Titanic reaches a quarter of a century in 2023. He’s a fan of Ballard’s adventures, and filmed footage of the wreck himself. Cameron descended into the North Atlantic 12 times, in fact! He saw the movie as the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal. While the grainy video footage isn’t exactly of the highest quality, it’s nonetheless as compelling as any IMAX presentation. The results Ballard and company obtained are nothing less than essential viewing.

The hour-and-a-half’s worth of material opens with a scene that’s not unlike an alien planet. Ambient music accompanies the murky and indistinct environment. Alvin records the action in black and white, adding to the sense of remoteness. WHOI are on hand to describe what you’re seeing, care of their site. The footage shows the bow section of the Titanic, still relatively solid in the depths, despite the elements. Ballard and team previously discovered that the ship had broken in half, with one piece over 600 feet from the other. This confirmed something that was only speculated on beforehand.

One immediately identifiable part of the ship, seen through the detritus-filled water, is a handrail. These are in a crumpled state, but then it’s hardly a surprise. Floating above the wreck, viewers get an impression of the sheer size and scale of the Titanic. The deck in this section is still intact, and there are plenty of sturdy metallic shapes that show the liner hasn’t succumbed too badly to the North Atlantic. The footage switches between black and white and color. Alvin has taken the former and the more modern Jason Jr. is capturing the latter. This is clear with the separate feeds displayed side by side.

Watching the two feeds from Alvin and Jason Jr. isn’t the most settling experience. After all, this was the latter’s debut mission, and there’s plenty of wobbling as the vehicle gets its bearings. Once it calms down and moves over the edge of the hull and along the bodywork, you can see what time has done to RMS Titanic. The surface is weathered and brown, and looks for all the world like it’s melting. Jason Jr. proved crucial in accessing the ship’s long-forgotten interior, where fascinating and eerie sights lay in store for Ballard’s expedition. In some ways things truly had stayed the same.

Much of what remained from Titanic featured a combination of the ordinary and extraordinary. Take this attention-grabbing space, which looks like a hatchway. While the frame of the hatch is recognizable, it’s now bordered by what appear to be undersea growths. This turns it from a regular part of the ship to something that is almost alive. Also, the metal is obviously under threat in the water, yet identifying details remain. The word “London” is still clearly visible, molded into the steel and spelled out for any passing marine life. It’s lost on them, but it’s a fascinating sight for human eyes.

The 1986 footage is characterized by rubble, thousands of particles in the water, general detritus, and, of course, bubbles as Jason Jr. explores the inside. The appearance of a light of some kind, which went out decades ago but still hangs ominously from above, is another reminder of what this place used to be. Electricity on board ships came through steam power, with everything from lights to elevators relying on the supply. According to the Emma Cruises website, there were approximately 10,000 bulbs on the vessel. Backup generators ensured that things could start up again in the event of a technical problem.

The strangest moment during the ground-breaking dive is surely this, where the camera passes over what appear to be two capstans. These are rotating hubs, used to assist sailors when hauling in enormous quantities of rope. The features have long since been covered by organic material. In this state, you could be forgiven for thinking they were creatures of some kind. Another example of the regular turning into the bizarre. In terms of actual marine life, Titanic plays host to 24 species, from coral to crabs. With no other use, the ship became a thriving reef, a fact noted by the Canadian government website.

On a serious note, remnants of passengers were apparent to the crew. Ballard didn’t see any skeletons it seems, but he did spot a large number of shoes. Popular Science comments on the tombstone-like footwear that lay among the wreckage, their wearers now passed into memory. The team leader would go on to mention the sight of a mother and baby’s shoes. It proved overwhelming for the explorers inside the sub. The environment outside of the Alvin may have been pressurized. But the inside of a sub can be under pressure, too, both physically and emotionally, as the group would discover.

Ballard has spoken of the need to reach topside, prompted by water getting into the batteries. Before surfacing, he and the crew observed the portholes of the Titanic passing before them. Talking to the Associated Press, Ballard described the sight as “haunting.” Here he got the impression of souls staring back at him through the glass. He was certainly glad of the fresh air once the vehicle surfaced. “I said, ‘I’m going to go outside and just get myself back together,’ and everyone else followed,” he went on. “We had a small memorial service for all those that had died.”

Ballard also refers to the awesome spectacle of the hull, which rose over 100 feet above their heads. He was touched, not only on a scientific level, but a human one. His entry point to investigating the Titanic was not the one you might expect. As he also mentioned to the Associated Press, he worked for naval intelligence, and his main job was national security rather than maritime archeology. Whether he knew it or not, his work would inspire generations of enthusiasts to come. As it was, the mission set new standards for deep sea exploration, bringing the pursuit into modern times.

As he took in the vastness of the undersea graveyard and its significance, Ballard compared the setting to a wartime place of remembrance, Gettysburg. The finding of the Titanic fleshed out the story for people who feared it might fade away, not to mention grabbing the attention of the press and public at large. The crew, including little Jason Jr., enabled the past to be resurrected, leading to Cameron’s award-winning epic. The footage concludes with an exterior view of the Alvin, sitting on the metal surface of the ship. We then get Jason’s eye-view of the test vehicle returning to its compartment, thus ending the mission.

The mid-’80s finding and exploration of the Titanic set a benchmark in various fields, from marine archaeology to technological development. Quoted by Popular Science, WHOI’s Andrew Bowen comments that “despite the advances in technology, we still have a tremendous amount to learn.” Robots can help to uncover these hidden gems, but ultimately history shows the way. What was once cutting-edge is only a next step on a bigger journey. Following its experience with the great ship, Jason Jr. provided information in the building of Jason, a big brother that went to work in deep sea archeological environments three years later.

A key factor in locating the Titanic was time. Had another few decades passed before the ship was found, then the results could have been quite different. The vessel was famously branded “unsinkable,” but, having sunk, it was arguably at greater risk. Nature has a habit of claiming even the biggest objects, testing them until they disintegrate and join the ecosystem. That was certainly true in 1986 and applies increasingly as time passes. Ballard’s exploration was welcomed by biologists, who began gaining an insight into the creatures that made a home in the unlikely setting of a luxury liner. That said, swimming with the fishes takes its toll.

The 1980s footage, plus subsequent documentation and, of course, James Cameron’s film, preserve the Titanic in a cultural time capsule. But what is the current state of the wreck, and how long do we have left before this iconic sight almost completely disappears from the map? Reports from 2021 reveal that we have a matter of decades before the inevitable happens. Bacteria has turned the vast craft into a multi-course meal. CBS News mentions the involvement of OceanGate Expeditions, led by ex-aerospace engineer Stockton Rush. He wants to add to Ballard’s legacy and record the ship during this critical phase of its existence.

OceanGate Expeditions is described as a deep sea tourism company that has offered tours of the wreck to adventurous clients. With time running out, Rush is focused on the condition of the ship. CBS News wrote that the Titanic is being “battered by deep-sea currents and bacteria that consumes hundreds of pounds of iron a day.” The prospect of the liner being no more within decades is speculation, but still possible. The report states that, in 2019, it was discovered that an important part of the scenery had been taken by the tide. Namely, the bathtub used by Captain Edward Smith, who ultimately perished.

Major features, such as the Titanic’s gymnasium, have collapsed, with more to follow. OceanGate sees itself at the forefront of a rescue mission against the elements. They can’t salvage the boat itself, but they can make sure people know what it looked like during its final years. Writing for Elite Traveler in 2019, Rush explained his modus operandi behind the business exterior. For him, he’s opening up the area of deep sea exploration. Referring to the lack of resources available to researchers and explorers looking to undertake such work, he has led missions and also supplied modern tech to push the envelope further.

You could see this latest crew to explore the Titanic as continuing in the spirit of Robert Ballard and the team at WHOI. Ballard is still very much alive, of course. Indeed, the latter organization has collaborated with Rush in his expeditions. As reported by the Cape Cod Times, WHOI assisted with image capturing. A 3D photographic model was then going to be created, another way in which the wreck is being examined in a modern context. Speaking of which, the 25th anniversary of the famous movie is taking up column inches. It took audiences aboard the vessel with special effects, though it nearly wound up a filmmaking disaster of its own.

Cameron is on record as saying that he sought to make the film in order to gain access to the genuine article. Inspired by IMAX footage of the Titanic, he wanted to dive into the science of it. Before becoming a director, he studied physics at California State University. The project would be a labor of love, though the history books show that the shoot wasn’t plain sailing. Far from it. Having planned an old school romantic blockbuster with an immaculately-recreated ship as the backdrop, Cameron then faced the enormous challenge of getting it finished. There were more than icebergs ahead.

The shoot itself took eight months, between 1996 and ’97. The epic logistical challenge drew attention in the industry. It wasn’t long before the press twigged that all wasn’t right with this voyage. “I think the media had made up its mind that the film was going to be this complete failure, that it was going to be another Waterworld,” Cameron tells The Hollywood Reporter for their 25th anniversary look back. Waterworld was the sci-fi action adventure set on the oceans, starring Kevin Costner. The hero of the picture famously had gills. Seems Cameron was starting to feel a little green around his own.

Never one to do things by half measures, Cameron built the ship for actors to hang off once the mighty vessel broke in two. There was also CGI, plus lavish sets and big name actors for the production to navigate. Alongside Leonardo Diaprio and Kate Winslet were the likes of Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, David Warner, and Billy Zane. The central couple of Rose and Jack were fictional characters, but others weren’t. For example, Bates played Margaret Brown, aka “The Unsinkable” Molly Brown. A movie about her experience came out in 1964, and starred Debbie Reynolds. RMS Titanic was the main star of Cameron’s classic, but the cast had their moments to shine.

Despite a degree of skepticism as large as the ship itself concerning the fate of the movie, it went on to win big at the Oscars. As Best Director, Cameron was moved enough to ditch any scientific approach and utter the immortal words “King of the world!” whilst clutching his well-deserved trophy. For him, it was the end of a long road that had started way before he conceived the screenplay. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, Titanic won 11. It exceeded expectations and entered into legend as probably the last great Hollywood epic of the twentieth century. Cameron wasn’t finished with the wreck quite yet, though.

In 2003 the award-winning director released the documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, which saw him travel down into the North Atlantic to conduct his own personal exploration of the vessel. Bill Paxton joined the adventure, with the pair teaming up in real life, just as they did over various movies together. Aiming to capture the Titanic in unrivaled detail, Cameron witnessed what Robert Ballard and his submersible crew did, back in the 1980s.  As with Ballard’s trip, the exploration was accomplished with the help of ROVs, or Remotely Operated Vehicles. Plus, in an amusing homage to The Blues Brothers, they were nicknamed “Jake” and “Elwood!”

Part of the documentary involved applying computer-generated imagery to what Cameron and crew were seeing in their submersible. Not only does this echo the movie-making technology used in Titanic, it helps enhance the real-life tragedy itself for future generations. Of course, aside from being a terrible chapter in maritime history, there’s an industry around the ship. Merchandise — from home entertainment releases to t-shirts — keep the memory alive. This isn’t always done in good taste. However, the Titanic Belfast experience in Northern Ireland provides an in-depth look at the ship and the fate that befell it for visitors from across the globe.

The story of the Titanic crossed over into the gaming sphere some time ago, though some of these developments maybe aren’t as frivolous as they sound. In 2012 a company called Vintage Digital Revival announced the release of Titanic: Honor and Glory. Yes, it’s designed as a game, but the producers have more honorable intentions, at least according to their statements. The overall idea is to totally recreate the ship in digital form. With a movie-style narrative, the project sounds about as epic as other endeavors inspired by the famous tragedy. At the time of writing this article, it has yet to be released.

In 2023 Cameron commented on WHOI’s latest release of the 1986 footage, which accompanied the restoration of his beloved movie. Encapsulating the scale of the tragedy, he said that “the human stories embodied in the great ship continue to resonate,” as quoted on the organization’s website. Both he, Ballard, and a raft of other scientists and experts have done sterling work exploring the Titanic, and the experience has clearly been life-altering. While there’s a sense that any new information about the ship is a long-shot, we do, at least, have a treasure trove of detail, some of which has been obtained by surprising means.

Most people will no doubt understand the Titanic story through Cameron’s film. Granted, it’s more accessible and indeed easier to watch than the recently-released underwater footage. Yet in decades to come, the Oscar-winning production will seem dated, with new material and technological developments taking its place. Without Ballard’s work, James Cameron probably wouldn’t have been half as inspired as he was. These contributors also serve to counter some of the stranger ideas, such as rebuilding the ship as Titanic II! Over a century on from the tragedy, and a quarter-century since the movie came out, the narrative endures. But the ’80s footage proves there’s nothing like the real thing.