Image of the Titanic corroding underwater

This photo shows the rusted bow, or front, of the sunken ship.

© Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

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Will the Titanic Vanish?

Researchers are racing to explore the shipwreck before it’s gone forever. 

October 16, 2023
By Nina Strochlic

In the years since Robert Ballard found the Titanic shipwreck in 1985, other explorers have made many important discoveries at the site. For instance, in 1996, researchers found the rooms of the ship’s captain, Edward Smith. They could even see inside to Smith’s bathtub. 

But the bathtub was no longer visible during a visit to the site in 2019. A section of the upper part of the ship had collapsed, burying the captain’s rooms. It was a troubling example of how the Titanic has slowly deteriorated, or fallen apart, over the years.

As the Titanic sank in 1912, it cracked in half. The bow (the front end of the ship) settled on the ocean floor about half a mile from the remains of the stern (the back end of the ship). Since then, nature has taken a toll. Some experts think the wreck could be mostly gone within the next few decades. 

“This isn’t going to be there forever,” says Tad Fitch. He’s written four books about the Titanic. “So if we’re going to keep studying it, it’s now or never.”

Rotting Away

For decades, ocean currents and salt water have eroded, or worn away, the Titanic. Experts suspect that further damage was caused by explorers who accidentally bumped their submersibles into the wreck.

Some experts say the Titanic could disappear in the next 10 to 20 years.

But the most alarming threat is metal-munching bacteria. These microscopic organisms are eating away at the ship, creating rusty, icicle-like formations called rusticles. 

Portions of the Titanic have already disappeared. For example, the crow’s nest—where a lookout once yelled, “Iceberg, right ahead!”—has completely vanished. 

How Deep Is the Titanic Wreck?

Shutterstock.com

The Titanic is about 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface. That’s about as deep as nine Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other.

Note: The ship is not drawn to scale.

Damage Is Done

Beginning with Ballard’s expedition, researchers have spent years photographing the Titanic. Last year, a company called Magellan took the clearest images yet. It filmed the wreck from every angle and created the first digital 3-D model of what’s left of the Titanic. The images show that the Titanic may be in bigger trouble than experts thought. The remaining decks are in bad shape. So is the bow, which has nearly collapsed. 

“You can really see where the ravages of time have started to cause it to break apart even further,” Fitch explains.

Not Forgotten

Scientists know that the Titanic won’t be around forever. Even though the ship has been studied for decades, there is still more historians can learn.

“We continue to find new things over time,” Fitch says.

But reaching the sunken ship is difficult, expensive, and dangerous. Projects like Magellan’s give experts the chance to study the ship up close without having to visit the pitch-black ocean floor. 

For Fitch, studying the wreck is about more than the ship itself. He wants the public to learn more about the people who lost their lives on the Titanic.

“We need to preserve their memory so future generations don’t forget,” Fitch says. 

Pieces of the Past

Thousands of objects from the Titanic were saved by survivors or brought to the surface decades later by explorers. Here are a few.

Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

Items like shoes, clothing, and jewelry offer clues about the passengers. 

Mary Altaffer/AP Images

This hat belonged to William E. Hine, a baker on the ship. 

Michel Boutefeu/Getty Images

These binoculars were used by the lookouts in the crow’s nest. 

John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images

First-class passengers sipped from fancier cups (left) than those used by third-class passengers (right). 

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