Rare video clips were shown showing the famous passenger liner “Titanic” lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, decades following its wreckage was discovered and more than a century following the huge ship collided with an iceberg, which led to its sinking.
The recording, which was revealed by the “Woods Hole” Institute of Oceanography, on Wednesday, was taken at a depth of approximately 3 kilometers below the surface of the ocean, just months following explorers found the wreck in 1985, and most of these footage were not previously shown to the public.
Since the discovery of the shipwreck, several documentaries regarding the “Titanic” have shown footage of it, and some short clips of diving operations have been broadcast.
But Wednesday saw the release of a longer, uncut, 80-minute clip on YouTube.
The “Woods Hole” Institute of Oceanography said that the publication of the footage “marks the first time that human eyes have fallen on the ill-fated ship since 1912, and includes many other amazing scenes.”
Disaster history
• When building the Titanic, it was the largest passenger ship in service at the time and was thought to be almost impregnable.
• It hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 in the Atlantic Ocean, during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York.
• More than 1,500 people died when it sank, shocking the world and sparking outrage over the lack of lifeboats on board.
• A team from the “Woods Hole” Institution of Oceanography and the French Institute of Oceanography found the sunken ship divided into two parts, southeast of Newfoundland, Canada, on September 1, 1985.
• During 11 dives in July 1986, footage of the ship was filmed with the cameras of a human-piloted submarine and a small remotely operated craft, which moved through tight spaces.
The new reveal of the footage coincides with the re-screening of the 1997 film “Titanic”, directed by James Cameron, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its release.
The film won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
“The human stories embodied in the great ship continue to resonate,” Cameron said in a statement. “By releasing this footage, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is helping to tell an important part of a story that spans generations and roams the world.”
