Latest Titanic expedition reveals statue, sad decay of historic wreck

The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, and since then it has been a subject of interest for many scientists who eagerly work on subsequent expeditions to a depth of about 3.85 kilometres to closely examine how time "devours" the Titanic. The latest photos provided by RMS Titanic Inc. perfectly show how the ship withstands the test of time. Next to the vessel, a statue was found that for years was considered destroyed.

It's been over 112 years since the sinking of the Titanic. During this time, multiple missions have been undertaken to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to capture what remains of the wreck with cameras. Most recently, such a mission was conducted by RMS Titanic Inc., which—as reported by IFL Science—has exclusive rights to recover the wreck. The expedition lasted 20 days, during which it took 2 million photos of a quality that had not been achieved before in the study of the ship.

The expedition team used the latest available technologies to move around the sunken Titanic and record as many of its elements as possible. The expedition used, among other things, LiDAR measurement devices (which use laser light), sonars, and magnetometers, which measure the size and changes of the magnetic field.

The latest photos from the 20-day expedition highlight two details. IFL Science notes that experts managed to photograph the railing surrounding the ship's bow deck. In the last photos from 2022, it remained relatively in good condition, but now it's visible that part of it has been destroyed.

However, another discovery deserves attention. The cameras operated by the crew observing around the sunken Titanic captured the "Diana of Versailles," a statue last seen in 1986. Since then, experts have considered the sculpture destroyed and lost forever. This is a valuable discovery because the "Diana of Versailles" from the Titanic was located in the first-class salon on the ship and is a replica of the larger Diana sculpture—a figure known in Greek mythology as Artemis.

"The discovery of the statue of Diana was an exciting moment. But we are saddened by the loss of the iconic Bow railing and other evidence of decay which has only strengthened our commitment to preserving Titanic’s legacy," she told IFL Science.

Let's remember that the Titanic sank in the waters of the North Atlantic in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. At that time, it was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. There were 2,240 passengers and crew members on board, but only 711 survived. The wreck is about 700 kilometres from the eastern coast of Canada, at a depth of about 3.8 kilometres.