Would You Visit the Titanic?

You’re in a small underwater boat, peering through a window into the dark ocean. Suddenly, you see a ghostly shape. Is it a sea monster?

No. It’s the most famous ship of all time: the Titanic.

The Titanic set sail from England on April 10, 1912. At the time, it was the biggest, fanciest ship ever built. Most people thought it could never sink.  

But four days into its trip to New York City, the Titanic hit an iceberg, a giant piece of ice floating in the water. It ripped the ship open. Less than three hours later, the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. More than half of the 2,208 people aboard died.  

It took 73 years to find the shipwreck. Since its discovery in 1985, more than 250 people have traveled miles below the ocean’s surface to explore it. Most visitors have been scientists. But in 2021, regular people began visiting too, thanks to OceanGate, a company that explores the deep sea. 

Would you want to be one of them?

You’re in a small underwater boat. You’re looking through a window into the dark ocean. Suddenly, you see a ghostly shape. Is it a sea monster?

No. It’s the most famous ship of all time: the Titanic.

The Titanic left England on April 10, 1912. At the time, it was the biggest, fanciest ship ever built. Most people thought it could never sink.  

But four days into its trip to New York City, the Titanic hit an iceberg. That’s a giant piece of ice floating in the water. It ripped the ship open. Less than three hours later, the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. More than half of the 2,208 people aboard died.  

It took 73 years to find the shipwreck. It was discovered in 1985. Since then, more than 250 people have explored it miles below the ocean’s surface. Most visitors have been scientists. But in 2021, regular people began visiting too. OceanGate, a company that explores the deep sea, takes them there. 

Would you want to go?

Still, if you could afford the trip, why not go? It could be the only chance you’ll ever get to see the Titanic. Scientists think that the shipwreck will be gone by 2050, buried by sand and eaten by tiny living things called bacteria.  

It would also be a chance to do science. Scientists have been studying how the ocean has affected the shipwreck over time. People on the OceanGate expeditions help with the research. They take photos and videos and even study the different kinds of sea life, like fish and lobsters, that live on the shipwreck.

Besides, OceanGate says its dives are harmless. Its boats never touch the Titanic, so there’s no risk of damaging the wreck. And it believes its trips honor those who died by keeping their stories alive. “We will document this historic site for generations to come,” says Stockton Rush, OceanGate’s founder.

So are you ready to journey down to the Titanic? Or do you think it should be left in peace?

Still, if you could afford the trip, why not go? It could be the only chance you’ll ever get to see the Titanic. Scientists think that the shipwreck will be gone by 2050. It will be buried by sand and eaten by tiny living things.  

The trip would also be a chance to do science. Scientists want to know how the ocean has affected the shipwreck over time. People on the OceanGate trips help with the research. They take photos and videos. They even study the different kinds of sea life that live on the shipwreck.

Besides, OceanGate says its dives are harmless. Its boats never touch the Titanic. So there’s no risk of damaging the wreck. And it believes its trips honor those who died by keeping their stories alive. 

So are you ready to journey down to the Titanic? Or do you think it should be left in peace?