How Deep Is the Titanic Wreck? And Other New Titanic Facts

Divers have been visiting the wreck of the boat almost constantly since it sank. Nothing remarkable has been overturned in the past 14 years until very recently. A mini-submarine uncovered a haunting truth in the wreckage at the bottom of the ocean.

The ship stopped briefly in Cherbourg, France, before continuing its voyage to her destination in Queenstown, Ireland, and eventually New York. More passengers came on board and everyone was buzzing with excitement for the journey ahead.

More than 1,500 people lost their lives in this devastating crash. Despite being called “unsinkable,” the Titanic became known for its journey to the bottom of the ocean rather than its journey to its destination. Very few survived.

Crews might have been able to save the ship if the flooding hadn’t infiltrated the four bow sections of the ship. But when it did, there was little hope for the guests and crew aboard. The water invaded five of the ship’s compartments, and it took them right to the bottom of the ocean.

Later, the Limiting Factor was the mini-sub that traveled to explore the wreckage left behind by the ship. Those in the submarine did not experience the tragic sinking of the Titanic, but they did discover something awfully troubling at the site of the wreck.

The Olympic ships took longer to build than any other ship because of the intricacies and sheer sizes of the vessels. Everyone assumed that they were made of better quality due to the way they looked and how long it took to build the things! They would soon find out this wasn’t necessarily the case.

The ship contained 2,000 steel plates, each weighing 3 tons! Working on this ship with such heavy objects was not easy, and it certainly wasn’t safe at the time. There were little to no safety procedures in place. By its completion, 246 employees reported injuries and eight people even lost their lives while working on the boat.

The third-class passengers did not get to enjoy these fancy privileges. They were still granted a unique journey, nonetheless. Simple necessities such as heating and running water were treated like privileges.

Its dimensions are proof that it is more than just an unusual ship. This queen of the ocean accommodated around 1,355 passengers and 885 staff on its first and last voyage, making it a moving city on the waves.

Because no one had seen this tragedy coming, the ship only had 20 lifeboats on its maiden voyage—enough to hold 1,178 people. According to British Maritime Regulations at the time, ships weighing above 10,000 tons were obliged to load only 16 lifeboats, meaning that White Star Line company did not break any rules.

Right from the launch, tragedy was in the air. Shipwright James Dobbin was helping to take the timber supports away from the ship. Several heavy blocks of wood fell on him, and he died from his injuries two days after.

Aside from the interior design, the great four funnels were the final touches necessary for the ship’s safe sail. One funnel was responsible for the kitchen’s ventilation, and three others were for the fumes coming out of the ship’s engine.

The Port of Southampton was the ship’s point of origin. While sailing on the Eastern coast of America, it stopped briefly at Queenstown and Cherbourg to pick up additional passengers.

Sixty-six of them were on the deck, 325 were the ship engineers and their assistants, and the remaining 494 comprised chefs, cleaners, printers, fishmongers, laundrymen, and other crew responsible for treating guests to the finest on-board experience.

While this seems like a large number, it was nothing compared to the ship’s intended capacity of 2,453 passengers! Why did places on the Titanic not sell out, given its fame and popularity?

Many travelers had a last-minute change of mind and canceled their plan to join the sought-after voyage. Nobody anticipated the tragedy, and many innocent lives were lost, including the richest people of that time.

Leontine and Madeleine survived, but sadly, the others did not. Among the casualties were Macy’s department store owner, Isador Straus, and his wife, and Harry Molson, a Canadian politician and business owner.

For some, however, heroism comes naturally, and this was proved by Thomas Andrews, the Titanic‘s designer. He chose to help others, putting his life on the line to do so. As a result, he was among those who did not survive.

The whole ship was in turmoil, and nobody was guaranteed safety. None of the crew had dealt with a situation like this before, so no one knew quite how to respond.

It was an unexpected misadventure, and questions as to why this happened were quickly raised. Reports say that the ship was going faster than normal, while the captain, who sadly lost his life too, was not attentive enough to icebergs.

The dropping of bombs to make the bodies resurface was deemed impossible because nobody knew precisely where the Titanic wreck location was. Another idea that cropped up in the 1970s was to use a huge magnet to pull up the whole ship and use balloons to carry anything recovered from the Titanic after that.

At 12,500 feet, the Limiting Factor team was the first to see the once magnificent ship after the last Titanic expedition in 2005. They brought back some fascinating stories along with pictures in incredible 4K resolution. Another impressive thing they had brought off-shore was their haunting discovery.

The team had five divers, and Victor Vescovo—the founder and CEO of Caladan Oceanic—was one of the divers. Of course, the venture wouldn’t be complete if there were no experts on the team. Rob McCallum, the lead planner, and Parks Stephenson, the Titanic expert, completed the group.

Crew member (and founder of Triton Submarines) Patrick Lahey mentioned in his statement that it was truly fascinating to see the once majestic vessel come into view in the murky depths. It is now home to a variety of marine species.

Surprisingly, some paper items like letters and currency have also been preserved. Everyday objects, including toiletry kits and luggage, along with furniture and musical instruments like a violin, further paint a picture of life on the Titanic. These artifacts, now displayed in museums, serve as reminders of the ship’s voyage and tragic fate.

Stephenson’s statement was backed by expedition scientist Clare Fitzsimmons. She explained that many artifacts were being eaten away by “rusticles”—bacteria that are eating up the steel structure of the ship. Unfortunately, rusticles turn into dust over time, and soon enough, the Titanic will just be a part of our memory.

The Titanic is turning to dust, but its oil reserves are not. Scientists are now thinking of a solution to solve the inevitable oil leak that will occur when the Titanic erodes more. Accelerated by being soaked underwater, this could happen at any time within the next few years. Where is the Titanic wreckage on a map, though, that will see the impact? The ship rests nearly 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The specific Titaniclocation coordinates are 41°43′32″N 49°56′49″W. It just so happens that it’s nearby another important shipwreck.

With the Nazis having invaded Denmark, the Germans had to move the Franken to Burmeister and Wain shipbuilders, a business based in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where the ship saw its completion.

The Franken supplied German ships like the Prince Eugen, a heavy cruiser battleship operated by the German Navy. It also serviced the utility ships that served as minesweepers and torpedo boats, delivering fuel and supplies.

The Franken was more than just a cargo ship. It could also tow ships that were badly damaged, bringing them to safety. This included everything from warships and destroyers to the small vessels used by the Germans as they fought the Russians.

Hel was one of the last stands Poland made against the German takeover. 3,000 Polish soldiers stood their ground here before succumbing to Nazi tyranny. The Germans blasted the peninsula with torpedoes just before the Polish surrendered, turning it into an island.

The German occupation of Hel was a strategic one. They used the beautiful seaside town as a base for training the crewmen who operated their U-boats. Hel had the conditions the Germans needed, so they saw their invasion as crucial. After all, controlling a U-boat isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Plenty of training is needed.

With all the chaos going on, the Baltic Sea became one of the most prominent locations of World War II. The USSR—often referred to back then as the “Red Army”—dominated the Nazis, pushing them away from Russia and the other Baltic countries.

The German Navy was left with the single option of evacuating its soldiers and civilians using Estonian waters. As they traversed these waters, they were bombed by Russian aerial war vehicles while torpedoes were launched from submarines deep under the ocean.

The Franken misfortune was devastating for the crew members and their families. Forty-eight sailors died as the Franken sank under the force of the bombing. It came to rest on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

After everything settled, people forgot about these merchant vessels. They were left to lie in peace at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for decades. But today, experts are extremely bothered by the threat these ships pose.

In April 2018, the Literal and the Imor — both Polish dive vessels — dove down for a lengthy 13-hour exploration to get to know and understand the structure of the Franken.

For the Franken, this is not good news. The tank walls were, by best estimates, around half an inch thick, and by now, its tanks have likely deteriorated more than a quarter of an inch. Can you imagine how near it is to collapse?

Considering the possible harm it may bring, why did they not take action before the situation got worse? The answer was simple: Retrieving the ship would cost too much money while offering little to no return of value.

That certainly isn’t cheap! Nor will this expenditure have any appreciable financial benefit for the government or any businesses involved. However, it would be of great value to environmentalists, scientists, and locals. In this case, which value should everyone consider?

If it is light fuel, it will quickly get into the bays and beaches, which will cause a great disadvantage to the Baltic region’s tourism industry. If this happens, the whole region will be closed and will suffer serious economic issues. With sunken ships like the Titanic and Franken, there are still many decisions left to be made in order to avoid the environmental threats these ships pose to our marine life.

The exact coordinates of the Titanic’s final resting place are approximately 41.72693° N latitude and -49.94825° W longitude. This location places the wreck directly on the seabed, far from any landmass, in an area known for its deep waters and challenging underwater terrain.

In mid-2023, global audiences were drawn to the news of a planned Titanic adventure on the Titan submersible operated by OceanGate Incorporated. OceanGate Inc. is a privately owned, Washington-based company that focuses on providing crewed submersibles for various purposes, including exploration, tourism, and research.

“Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023,” he wrote (via Reuters). Others who boarded the submersible include Stockton Rush (OceanGate’s CEO), French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani business owner Shahzada Dawood, and Suleman Dawood, his teenage son. 

“Titan is lighter in weight and more cost-efficient to mobilize than any other deep diving submersible. A combination of groundbreaking engineering and off-the-shelf technology gives Titan a unique advantage over other deep-diving subs,” OceanGate’s website read (via Entrepreneur).

“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” the statement read (via CNN). The reports have it that the lost submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion due to pressure buildup in the vessel. 

Another school of thought has used the opportunity to remind everyone of the unforgiving nature of the ocean. According to them, this is a sign that expeditions to the Titanic are nothing but extremely expensive death traps.