Diving to the Titanic
When the massive bow comes into view, the enormity of the tragic story really hits home
My passion for travel and fascination with history began over 30 years ago. I was president of a travel company for 25 years, and although we focused primarily on domestic guided tours across North America, I’ve been fortunate to travel all around the world, including to the Polar ice cap and the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
Now that I’m retired, I have more time for adventure travel. I learned about an organization called the Los Angeles Adventurers Club and was lucky enough to be invited to join. The organization goes back over 100 years and U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt was one of the founders. This is how I learned about OceanGate Expeditions and the Titanic expedition.
In a webinar, I discovered the very different approach OceanGate Expeditions takes to visiting unique and previously inaccessible places at the bottom of the ocean throughout the world. I learned that OceanGate was developing a submersible that would allow up to five people at a time to experience these areas. One of the most renowned sites was the wreckage of the Titanic. Even though it happened nearly 110 years ago, people still talk about it.
The Titanic has always been a big draw for me and I wanted to learn more. I spoke with Kyle Bingham, the expedition manager with OceanGate Expeditions, who asked me a lot of questions about my experience and comfort in being in an expeditionary environment. What drew me to the Titanic expedition the most was how it would combine all my passions — adventure, history, science and the opportunity to be an active crew member.
THE EXPEDITION
We were met at the airport in St. John’s, N.L., and transferred to our hotel. It was great to meet the other mission specialists. We were all well-travelled, independent people. Over the next 10 days, we formed a lasting bond that would extend beyond the expedition.
When we arrived at the dock, my first impression of the expedition ship was astonishment. The Horizon Arctic was huge, very modern and outfitted for everything.
The Titanic is about 400 miles off the coast of St. John’s, so we travelled overnight and into the next day to reach the wreck in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
THE DIVE
We received training on board the ship, so we knew what our roles were and how to support the mission objectives for each day and each dive. I was fascinated to learn about the advanced carbon fibre and titanium technology that went into building the Titan submersible.
Before every dive, there is a detailed briefing that outlines the roles each crew member will play and a review of all safety checks. The first step is getting from the expedition vessel to a ridged-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) that transports you to the launch platform for Titan. Moving from the ship to the RHIB wasn’t scary, but there was a lot of bouncing around.
There are many layers of safety throughout the dive process. During the initial descent, it’s almost like a rocket launch. There’s a detailed checklist. If there are any anomalies, including things like the sea state or a mission specialist not feeling well, the crew records it. If there are three strikes, the dive is scrubbed.
My job was to document the co-ordinates throughout the dive. As you descend to the seafloor at the mercy of the currents, you try to make a best guess as to where you will be when you arrive at the bottom. As we descended, which took about two hours, I was plotting our location on the map. Our dive crew included me and two other mission specialists: Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions’ president and pilot, and P.H. Nargeolet, a veteran Nautile submersible pilot who has descended to the Titanic more than 30 times in the last 30 years.
THE TITANIC COMES INTO VIEW
We reached the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, about 10 feet above the seafloor. You could see what appeared to be a cliff in the distance. As we moved closer, I could see it was the hull of the Titanic. It was enormous. I thought, “wow, we made it!”
Our first look at the huge bow was mind-blogging and overwhelming. That’s when it sank in: the enormity of it, the history, the fact that when you say “Titanic” to anyone in the entire world, they know what you are talking about. For me, this was a dream come true. To be able to see something that is important to me historically, and at the same time play a role in documenting this important wreck, all while learning about this incredible technologically advanced submersible was a life-changing experience.
Our mission included making observations and recording our findings with photos and video. There was an enormous benefit to having Nargeolet there. The last time he dove to the Titanic was about 16 years ago. When we were cruising above the captain’s quarters, you could see what looked like the outline of the bathtub. Nargeolet said the tub was easily seen 20 years ago, but now it is filled with sediment. We also noted that the mast had fallen and is now leaning against the bridge. Nargeolet also said the degree of rusticles had increased significantly. They are formed when the iron of the ship is consumed by a unique bacteria. We saw that the wood on the deck had deteriorated and collapsed in places.
AFTER THE DIVE
After every dive there is a debrief. We review everything that went right, any improvements that could be made, how the navigation to the wreck went, what we discovered. The entire experience was exceptional. And it’s due to the teamwork of the entire crew. From the engineering department to the personnel on deck, to the support team, to the divers, everybody was dedicated and at the top of their field.
This was the best adventure experience of my entire life. Nothing else comes close.
After the expedition, I went to the Halifax Maritime Museum, which contains a lot of Titanic history. After the Titanic sank and the people were rescued, they were taken to New York. Many of those who died were taken to Halifax. The museum has some of the artifacts found floating on the ocean after the sinking. This provided closure for me. It was an overcast, rainy day and I went to the cemetery. A lot of the people buried there were the crew of the Titanic.
The Titanic expedition isn’t for everyone. But if you are a risk taker, with a desire to learn about history and dive technology and have a hands-on role in an expedition, and if you are in a place in life where it makes sense financially, it’s a great fit. The work OceanGate Expeditions is doing to preserve the history of the Titanic is important. I know some people feel going there is disrespectful to those who perished in the sinking, but I see this work as preserving their memory for future generations, before the wreckage deteriorates and the Titanic is forever lost to time.
Bill Price is a mission specialist with OceanGate Expeditions. He lives in California.