We made it. After a year of preparation and anticipation, receiving that first message that the sub had reached the wreck was truly unforgettable.
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of welcoming new crew and Mission Specialists aboard the Horizon Arctic, fine-tuning our operations, and diving to the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
We’ve gone to bed after beautiful sunsets and gentle waves and woken up to foggy skies and confused seas. Troubleshooting internet connectivity issues miles from shore differs from restarting a router back at the office. Seasickness can affect even the most experienced mariner. Such is life on expedition.
Although our team works through it all, it does underscore the fact that our mission is complex. It also brings out some of the best in people.
We were already proud of our team before heading out here, but watching our crew step up to new challenges has been exciting. An accountant volunteers to help fill weights used to adjust the submersible’s buoyancy. An operations technician asks to borrow a camera to film a great shot of the dive team smiling through the viewport. A Mission Specialist joins our dome opening crew and suddenly finds themselves in the middle of dive ops. We love watching each crew member acquire skills that are very different from the skills they depend on in their day-to-day lives back on shore.
The three Mission Specialists on our first dives brought back some amazing images of the wreck and the creatures that live there.
“We got that beautiful shot that I’ve always imagined seeing in my head,” said one Mission Specialist who has been dreaming of diving the wreck for more than a decade. “Persistence pays off.”
Researchers and Titanic experts are studying the images for signs that the wreck is changing, and we’re excited to share we have discovered.
The 2022 Titanic Expedition is already halfway complete, and we are excited to welcome the new Mission Specialists who will join us on the next two missions. Keep an eye out on our social media over the next few weeks for more images of the world’s most iconic shipwreck.
Thank you for following our journey to honor its legacy.