It's been 14 years since people have seen the wreck of the famous Titanic - but new evidence suggests it might not be there forever.
The exploration team from Triton Submarines found that the massive ship was being slowly devoured by metal-eating bacteria, as well as being swallowed up by the ocean floor, according to Triton. Other corrosive elements at play beside the bacteria also include salt corrosion and deep current action at almost freezing temperatures.
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The Titanic saw its end on 14 April 1912, and since then has made its home on the bottom of the North Atlantic, but diving to its isn't so easy - it's about 3.8 kilometres down off the coast of Newfoundland.
This dive is also the first time that the wreck was visited by a human-occupied submersible since 2005. They completed five days over eight days where they took data from the ship, shooting stunning footage in 4K for the very first time.
With the new footage and mapping done of the wreck, people will be able to explore it via virtual reality technology, as well as create a tracking tool for the wreck's decay. The footage of the trip will also form part of an upcoming documentary produced by Atlantic Productions.
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“The most fascinating aspect was seeing how the Titanic is being consumed by the ocean and returning to its elemental form while providing refuge for a remarkably diverse number of animals,” says Patrick Lahey, president and co-founder of Triton Submarines who piloted three of the dives.
With the success of this dive, Triton is also making plans to visit other deep ocean wrecks around the world with their technology - who know what they might discover on their next dive.
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Compiled by Gabi Zietsman
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