Exercise 7, page 109.0:01
Rob McCallum goes on an eerie underwater journey to see the world's most famous ship.0:21
My chance to view the wreckage of RMS Titanic came thanks to my job with the company Deep Ocean Expeditions.0:32
We work with the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, part of the Russian Academy of Science.0:40
They own two Mir submersibles which can dive to depths of 20,000 feet.0:45
These are among the very few that can reach the Titanic, which rests deep beneath the surface of the icy North Atlantic Ocean.0:51
The dive begins in the morning.0:59
At a depth of about 800 feet, the submersible descends into darkness, for this is the maximum depth to which the sun's rays can reach.1:01
As we travel further down, the blackness is broken only by the sub's lights.1:09
It takes about 2 hours to reach the ocean floor.1:13
As the craft glides through the freezing depths, more than 2 miles below the surface, I stare out through the thick glass window.1:16
It looks almost like a lunar landscape.1:23
Then suddenly there it is, a sight I shall never forget.1:27
Rising before my eyes is the prow of the RMS Titanic, which collided with an iceberg and plunged to a watery grave in April 1912.1:31
I gaze at the famous Grand Staircase and the Promenade Deck where the wealthy passengers once enjoyed themselves.1:40
Even in her broken, decaying state, surrounded by the darkness, the colossal size of the ship is striking.1:46
The Titanic was the largest ship of its time and one of the most beautiful ever created.1:53
Its wreck still has the ability to inspire and overwhelm.1:59
The ship broke as it sank, and the two parts lie about 600 meters apart.2:03
The stern of the ship is badly damaged because it hit the ocean bed so hard.2:08
However, it is fascinating to see the vast engine rooms down there, full of massive machinery.2:12
There is, however, no sign of the four enormous funnels, which would have been ripped off and scattered over a wide area as the Titanic began her descent.2:18
It is also possible to glimpse the interiors of some of the cabins.2:26
Although the woodwork and fabrics have long gone, the metal walls and bronze and brass fittings remain.2:30
Particularly moving are the three rooms of Captain Smith, who heroically went down with his ship.2:35
His bathroom is clearly visible, with his porcelain bathtub still in remarkably good condition.2:41
Even more astonishing are all the bottles, crockery, cutlery, even suitcases and shoes on the seabed nearby.2:47
Indeed, the number of shoes is surprising.2:55
This is because the ship went down just before midnight, at a time when many passengers would have returned to their cabins, undressed, and put their shoes outside the door, ready to be cleaned by the staff.2:58
There are no remains from any of the 1,514 victims who died in the disaster.3:08
Their bodies were spread over a huge area, and many of them drowned or died of hypothermia in the freezing ocean.3:14
Others, dragged down with the ship, would eventually have drifted away or been claimed by the sea life that hides in these depths.3:21
Indeed, there is still life on board the Titanic.3:28
In fact, the existence of other animal life so deep in the ocean is one of the most amazing features of our visit.3:31
As you travel down below 10,000 feet , it almost seems impossible that any organism could survive in this hostile environment.3:38
But the decks and rooms are home to a diverse range of fish, crabs, and shrimp.3:45
Even so, nothing can beat the awesome image of the Titanic itself.3:50
The tragedy was a turning point in history, the moment when man realized that nature could not always be tamed by technology, that no ship could ever be unsinkable.3:55
The trip to see her was unlike anything I had experienced or ever will again.4:04
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