See Stunning Titanic Details Emerge in First 8K Video of Famed Shipwreck
You won't find Leonard DiCaprio, but you will get an eye-opening new perspective on the decaying ship.
It's been over 110 years since the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and went down in the Atlantic Ocean, claiming over 1,500 lives. The ship's remains are an object of endless fascination, and a newly released high-definition video shows the wreck in stunning 8K, revealing tiny details that have escaped previous cameras.
OceanGate Expeditions captured the footage using a submersible during a 2022 expedition. The submersible is named Titan and can hold five people, carrying them as deep as 13,100 feet (4,000 meters). That's about as deep as the Titanic is located on the ocean floor.
The video premiere of the first 8K footage of the Titanic lasts for just a minute, but it shows the bow, an anchor and some of the hull and cargo hold with extraordinary clarity. The new video is an upgrade on the first 4K video of the Titanic from 2019.
The camera was able to see the name of the anchor maker, Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd., on the Titanic's portside anchor. You'll notice a pair of bright green lights at times. That's from a laser system that helps researchers work out the size of the objects on the video.
The shipwreck is fragile, and time and ocean conditions are taking a toll on it. "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 OceanGate president Stockton Rush in a statement last week.
So far, the only clearer view you could get of the Titanic would be to visit it in person. OceanGate is planning a return to the wreck next year and is selling spots for the journey for a mission specialist training and support fee of $250,000 (£217,000, AU$371,000). At that rate, you may choose to be content with the glorious video.