Titanic ‘gracefully’ eroding away in deep Atlantic

TRENTON, Canada

The most famous shipwreck in history is falling apart and may be unrecognizable in the near future, a Canadian expert said Thursday.

“I don’t think it’s going to remain intact for much longer, Rob McCallum said of the Titanic.

“Shipwrecks generally get to a point where the main frame starts to collapse and it’ll implode in on itself.

The Titanic sunk in 1912 after hitting an iceberg 185 miles (300 kilometers) off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on its way to New York City. The sinking killed more than 1,500 people onboard. It was the supposedly unsinkable ship’s maiden voyage.

McCallum was the leader of an exploration team that went down almost 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) in a submersible in the frigid Atlantic five times in eight days earlier in August. It was the first time in 14 years that the wreck had been visited.

The Titanic was discovered in 1985 and later plans were made to have tourists taken to the site for viewing. That was supposed to happen in 2018 but was postponed to 2020. Now it may never happen considering the ship’s decay.

The dive team took footage using types of 4K cameras and the images will be used in a documentary film being made by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Emmy award-winning Atlantic Productions.

It promises viewing of the Titanic like never before seen in 3D.

But it will also serve to preserve the memory of the great ship as its iron and sulphur is eaten away by bacteria.

“The most shocking area of deterioration was the starboard side of the officers’ quarters, where the captain’s quarters were,” said Titanic historian Parks Stephenson in a statement. “Captain’s bathtub is a favourite image among the Titanic enthusiasts, and that’s now gone. That whole deck hole on that side is collapsing.”

McCallum said the ship is “gracefully” eroding.

“Nature will take its course,” he said. “Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.”