THE LINKS
On September 1, 1985, Woods Hole Oceanographics Instituation and a joint French-American expedition team, IFREMER/Woods Hole, led by Dr. Robert Ballard, discovered the wreck of Titanic. She lies 375 miles off the coast of St. Johns, Newfoundland at a depth of 12,500 feet.
In 1986, Ballard and his team returned to the sight to conduct extensive photographic exploration of the wreck. A towed submersible was used to photograph many parts of the exterior of Titanic. Manned dives with a robot sub were used to take extensive photographs of the interior sections of the ship.
Ballard returned to conduct further exploration the following year. The wreck was once again captured on photo, and several artifacts were recovered. On August 26, 1996, a private expedition tried, yet failed to bring to the surface an 11 ton section of Titanic's hull. Unfortunately, the hull section crashed back down to the ocean floor, further damaging it, imbedding the hull deeper into the ocean floor, making it impossible to raise it again.
"Did you see any bodies? This is one of the questions asked most often of those who took part in the 1986 expedition. Although many human remains have long since disappeared, many poignant relics such as this pair of shoes lying side be side where a body once lay are strong reminders that the Titanic wreck is indeed a gravesite, one that I have long believed should be left undisturbed. Subsequent salvage attempts have altered the ship's hull. Our 1986 visit proved that images like this one are far more compelling than the odd artifact removed from its emotional and historical context."
Titanic's Bow
The Crow's Nest
Titanic's Decks
Teak Stairs
