They're funding the expedition by spending anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 apiece. They'll take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the five-person submersible. But OceanGate is also bringing roughly 40 people who paid to come along. The expedition includes archaeologists and marine biologists. David Concannon, an OceanGate adviser who's been involved in various Titanic expeditions, said he once followed a trail "of light debris and small personal effects like shoes and luggage" for 2 kilometers. Hundreds of species have only been seen at the wreck, Rush said.Īnother focus will be the debris field and its artifacts. OceanGate also plans to document the site's sea life, such as crabs and corals. The Titanic as it was seen for the first time in 73 years. Charting the decomposition can help scientists predict the fate of other deep-sea wrecks, including those that sank during the world wars.
The company has outfitted its carbon fiber-and-titanium submersible with high-definition cameras and multi-beam sonar equipment, Rush said. "At some point you would expect the railing on the bow, which is very iconic, to have collapsed," Rush said. And a 2019 expedition discovered that the captain's haunting bathtub, which became visible after the outer wall of the captain's cabin fell away, is gone. The gymnasium near the grand staircase has fallen in. And the poop deck, where passengers crowded as the ship sank, folded under itself. The crow's nest from which a lookout shouted, "Iceberg, right ahead!" disappeared. Since the ship's 1985 discovery, the 100-foot forward mast has collapsed.