Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Stunning new 8K footage shows Titanic as it's never been seen before

Share

New footage has been released showing the wreck of the RMS Titanic as it's never been seen before: in full 8K quality, the highest screen resolution currently available.

That's a horizontal resolution of 8,000 pixels, or twice as clear as a 4K TV. And it means there's an unprecedented level of detail and colour in this latest exploration of the 110-year-old shipwreck.

The video was captured by OceanGate Expeditions on its 2022 visit to the site, which lies 2.4 miles below the surface of the North Atlantic, some 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland, Canada.

OceanGate runs expeditions to the Titanic wreck with crews of submersible dive experts, Titanic historians, and research scientists, alongside civilian "mission specialists" who pay US$250,000 for the privilege of being one of the few people to have ever seen the legendary ship's final resting place first-hand.

"The amazing detail in the 8K footage will help our team of scientists and maritime archaeologists characterize the decay of the Titanic more precisely as we capture new footage in 2023 and beyond," said Stockton Rush, president of OceanGate Expeditions, in a press release. What's even more remarkable, he added, is "the phenomenal colours."

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN CLARITY

The newly released footage opens by panning up the Titanic's bow, which famously sank first after the British passenger liner hit an iceberg on the night of April 15, 1912.

Features of the ship, such as the name of the anchor maker, Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd on the port side anchor, are now visible. "I've been studying the wreck for decades and have completed multiple dives, and I can't recall seeing any other image showing this level of detail," said Rory Golden, OceanGate Expeditions Titanic expert and veteran Titanic diver, in the release.

The green lights seen on the port side anchor as the camera pans across are from the laser scaling system, explained Paul Henry Nargeolet, a veteran Nautile submersible pilot and Titanic diver. "This system allows us to accurately determine the size of objects [...] The distance between the two green lights is 10 centimetres."

"Early in the video you can see the crane used for deploying the enormous 15-tonne anchor still located on the deck of the shipwreck and the shackle that was originally attached to the main mast that has now collapse," Nargelot also explained.

Later on in the video we see three round structures along the inside railing. These, said Nargelot, are the triple fairleads which once fed the docking ropes to the bollards on shore to secure the 269-meter vessel when it was at port.

The footage also shows the first of the Titanic's two hulls, its huge anchor chain (each link weighing around 200 pounds), the first of Titanic's six cargo holds, and the ship's solid bronze capstans.

SILENT DAMAGE

There is also substantial evidence of decay where some of the vessel's rail has collapsed and fallen away.

"One of the most amazing clips shows one of the single-ended boilers that fell to the ocean's floor when the Titanic broke into two. Notably, it was one of the single-ended boilers that was first spotted when the wreck of the Titanic was identified back in 1985," said Golden.

"In comparing footage and images from [our 2021 expedition], we do see slight changes in certain areas of the wreck," said Rush. "Our science team will be reviewing the 8K, 4K, and other footage captured during the 2022 Titanic Expedition for any changes."

The extraordinary wreck is decaying at a rapid pace. Saltwater and sea pressure have silently been wreaking damage over the past century and more, while microbes eat away at the steel hull, creating thousands of rusticles -- those oxidized orange-green formations that hang off the Titanic like so many thousands of icicles. Some estimates say the ship will vanish in a matter of decades.

OceanGate Expeditions hopes the new footage will help determine the liner's current rate of decay, as future expeditions capture further footage that can be compared year after year.

The video should also help scientists identify species that are observed on and around the Titanic, while archaeologists will be able to document the wreck and debris field in better detail.

Spots are now open for the 2023 expedition, which will set off from Newfoundland in May next year. Those who set off the depths will be one of just two or three hundred to have made the journey -- fewer people than have traveled to space.

Applicants for the 10-day mission (eight days of which are at sea) can to discuss qualifications, availability and that quarter-of-a-million price tag.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.