World’s First and Only 8K Footage of the Titanic Reveals New Details
The 2022 Titanic Expedition has succeeded in capturing the first and only 8K footage of the wreckage which shows the most detail that has ever been captured of the sunken ship.
The Titanic Expedition’s goal is to survey the wreck of the RMS Titanic that sits 3,800 meters beneath the sea where it sank in April of 1912 after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton, U.K. to New York City. Over the course of multiple dives, the expedition says its goal is to assess and document the condition of the wreck with the use of high-definition deepsea cameras and 3D sonar scanners to advance the science about the RMS Titanic and its rate of deterioration as well as document the marine life that inhabits the wreckage site.
“Capturing this 8K footage will allow us to zoom in and still have 4K quality which is key for large screen and immersive video projects. Even more remarkable are the phenomenal colors in this footage,” Stockton Rush, President, OceanGate Expeditions, says.
The extremely detailed footage, published on the OceanGate Expeditions YouTube Channel, will be used by scientists to characterize the decay of the Titanic more precisely.
“We are seeing new details in this footage,” explains Rory Golden, OceanGate Expeditions Titanic expert and veteran Titanic diver.
“For example, I had never seen the name of the anchor maker, Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd., on the portside anchor. 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. It is exciting that, after so many years, we may have discovered a new detail that wasn’t as obvious with previous generations of camera technologies.”
“Early in the video you can see the crane used for deploying the enormous 15-ton anchor still located on the deck of the shipwreck and the shackle that was originally attached to the main mast that has now collapsed,” PH Nargeolet, Veteran Nautile submersible pilot and Titanic diver, says.
“Later in the video you see three round structures along the inside of the railing. These are the triple fairleads that were used to feed the docking ropes to the bollards on shore to secure the ship to the dock when the Titanic was at port. The green lights you see as we view the portside anchor are from the laser scaling system. This system allows us to accurately determine the size of objects we are looking at on camera and through the main viewport of the Titan submersible. The distance between the two green lights is 10 centimeters.”
This footage — which shows the bow, portside anchor, hull number one, an enormous anchor chain, the number one cargo hold, and solid bronze capstans as well as evidence of decay where the Titanic’s rail collapsed and fell away — will be compared to new footage that is planned to be captured year-after-year. OceanGate Expeditions is already planning a 2023 Titanic Expedition that will embark in May.
“In comparing footage and images from 2021, we do see slight changes in certain areas of the wreck. Our science team will be reviewing the 8K, 4K, and other footage captured during the 2022 Titanic Expedition for any changes. Having experts aboard the Titan submersible when we dive allows them to assess the shipwreck through direct observation, guide our exploration of different features of the wreck, and continue their study using the imagery,” Rush says.
