The story Bow railing gone: wreck of the "Titanic" falls apart

The "Titanic" is inexorably decaying in its ocean grave. This is clearly visible at the bow of the ship, as photos and video footage from the latest diving expedition to the wreck in the North Atlantic show.

The front end of the luxury liner, which sank in 1912, has been almost iconically immortalized by James Cameron's ship drama "Titanic". Millions of viewers are familiar with the stirring image of Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) with outstretched arms at the bow of the ship and Jack's joyful cry of "I am the king of the world" - at the front of the ocean liner's railing. There is now a large gaping hole on the port side of the ship.

The bow has now lost around four and a half meters of its railing, which is now lying on the seabed, explained the company RMS Titanic, owner of what is probably the most famous shipwreck in the world, in an X-Post. For decades, it had been a testimony to the resilience of the "Titanic". The drastic change in the pictures is a reminder that the ship was actually disintegrating. "After 112 years at the bottom of the North Atlantic, the hostile ocean environment is taking its toll," the company concludes.

Two million photos and valuable finds

During the expedition in July and August - the company's first since 2010 - more than two million photos of the wreck were taken. The luxury liner, advertised as unsinkable when it was launched, collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912 and sank. Around 1500 of the more than 2200 people on board died. The wreck was found in 1985 south-east of the Canadian province of Newfoundland at a depth of around 3800 meters.

However, the debris field at the site of the tragic disaster is also a treasure trove for researchers. According to RMS Titanic, the expedition uncovered countless artifacts that will be unearthed in future missions. Among them is a gem, the rediscovery of which on the seabed has delighted the researchers: it is a bronze statue of the Roman goddess Diana, around 60 centimetres high, which was once enthroned on the mantelpiece of a first-class lounge.

The cabin was broken open when the ship sank and the statue was washed out, according to a statement. On the last day of the most recent dive, she was spotted in the debris field and photographed. Diana's "beautiful and intricate" details can now be seen again for the first time in 112 years.

Decay worries researchers

The slow decay of the wreck has been a cause of concern for researchers for some time. Microorganisms are decomposing the metal from which the ship was built, as RMS Titanic reported back in 2010. According to the company, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, rust and ocean currents are also affecting the wreck in addition to the bacteria eating through the ship's hull.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the company secured the rights to manage the wreck site and has since organized several expeditions. So far, mainly technical equipment, jewelry, coins and other memorabilia have been recovered. They have been restored and some of them exhibited.

Despite all efforts: The decay of the wreck is inevitable, writes the company. However, this only encourages the researchers in their mission to document and preserve the evidence of the past before it is too late.