Shipwrecks - Time Capsules of Human Civilization

NEW Titanic Documentary to Air on UK History Channel

The debut of the latest diving expedition documentary to RMS Titanic will premiere on the British History Channel in the UK tonight. This film will follow the adventures of Rob Goldsmith, the winner of the History Channel's contest, on his experiences in visiting this wreck site. Nautical Research Group's president, David Bright, was proud to be a member of this expedition and give Rob a first-hand view of this stunning shipwreck. The film is being produced/directed/filmed by documentary expert Andrew Brooking and I was honored to be a part of his documentary.

The Titanic dive management plan using the MIR submersible was meticulously created and planned by me following a thorough debrief of our 2003 scientific research expedition to the shipwreck. I met with both Genya Cherniev and Anatoly Sagalevitch, in advance, for endorsement of my plan and then briefed my partner Rob Goldsmith and producer/director extraordinaire Andrew Brooking on the plan. Our entire dive to the ship would be a huge filming session utilizing six cameras. Genya would be filming the ship via the HD videocam that was attached to the robotic arm of MIR II. Rob Goldsmith, who was being featured by the British History Channel, so they had him come along with me as his "tutor" to show him the wreck, was using two cameras. I brought with me 3 cameras, each with a different purpose and plan. Additionally, I took the History Channel's camera and filmed pictures of Rob and Genya within the MIR. Andrew's documentary will be premiering in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 18th at 10:00pm; Wednesday October 19th at 1:00pm; and Saturday October 22nd at 9:00pm. Hopefully, there will be a showing of this documentary outside of the United Kingdom so we will let you know the latest developments.

Titanic Photographs - Part III Helm and Bridge

Nautical Research Group is pleased to announce the distribution of the third part of our eight part series of our high-quality digital photographs from our 2005 Scientific Research Expedition to RMS Titanic. The third part of our photographic series will take you on a brief tour of Titanic's bridge area and the only structure left on the bridge - the ship's telemotor. Besides the bowsprit of Titanic, this telemotor is the most recognizable view of this legendary liner. These photographs will show the collapsed area of the bridge surrounding the telemotor and an up-close view on the condition of the beautiful bronze helm stand that allegedly was damaged by salvagers. As you can see, the telemotor is in a relatively pristine state.

These high-quality digital photographs were taken this summer while diving with Genya Cherniev in the MIR II submersible. To access these new photographs, as well as other Titanic photographs, scientific research paper and accompanying PowerPoint presentation go to our corporate website at http://www.nauticalresearch.com and within the text of this home page select the link entitled Educational Services. This will bring you to our educational page where all this valuable information can be viewed and downloaded for personal use only.  I will be placing stunning new photographs from various sections of  RMS Titanic every week so you might like to syndicate our site to be notified of the latest news.  Next week, we will be publishing the latest photographs that show the recent discovery of the bow mast collapse distal to the crow's nest.

Titanic Photographs - Part II Bow and Anchor

The second part of our photographic series from the 2005 scientific research expedition to RMS Titanic has been placed on our corporate website.  These high-quality digital photographs were taken this summer while diving with Genya Cherniev in the MIR II submersible. The second part of this series will show pictures of the bow sprit, the port side anchor, auxiliary anchor and the huge links of the anchor chain.

To access these new photographs, as well as other Titanic photographs, scientific research paper and accompanying PowerPoint presentation go to our corporate website at http://www.nauticalresearch.com and within the text of this page select the link entitled Educational Services. This will bring you to our educational page where all this valuable information can be viewed and downloaded for personal use only.  I will be placing stunning new photographs from various sections of  RMS Titanic every week so you might like to syndicate our site to be notified of the latest news. It is very easy to syndicate our site by going to the link on the far left column of our blog.

Living Legend - US Navy Submersible Leader Don Walsh

I have been around diving for thirty-five years now and there are many pioneers in diving that I have met. The latest living legend that I met while lecturing out on the Russian research vessel Akademik Keldysh over the Titanic wreck site is Navy Captain Don Walsh USN-Ret. Captain Walsh is the leading United States naval expert on submersibles and was the head of their undersea submersible program for many years. Although this would be considered quite an accomplishment, Don is most famous for another wonderful achievement.

As a young lieutenant, Don Walsh was a member of the elite US submersible team that started the exploration of the deep ocean floor. When the revolutionary submersible Trieste became available to the US Navy, this elite squad of naval professionals were quick to seize the opportunity. On January 23, 1960, Don and French submersible pioneer Jacques Picard journeyed to the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean's  Marianas Trench. At 37,800 feet, the Challenger Deep is the deepest spot known in all the oceans. No one has been back since and this feat will never be broken.  For this remarkable accomplishment, Don graced the cover of every news magazine throughout the world and was awarded a presidential medal by President Eisenhower.

Exploration of the deep oceans is still on-going; however, there are only 5 submersibles in the world that can dive deeper than the 12, 600 feet where Titanic resides. With the announced news that Wood's Hole's famous submersible Alvin will be retired, that leaves only the two Russian MIRs, the French Nautile and the Japanese Shinkai as the only submersibles that can do deep ocean exploration-although none of these vessels can make it down as deep as the Trieste did that historic moment in 1960. For that reason, Captain Don Walsh is immortalized as the deepest diver of all-time! As for the Trieste, she can be seen on display at the Washington (DC) Navy Yard.

New Commercially Available Titanic DVD Announcement

Nautical Research Group is proud to announce the development of a new, commercially available DVD that will feature high-quality digital video and Dolby sound from our two 2003 and 2005 scientific research expeditions to the wreck site of RMS Titanic. This video is slated for release in April of 2006 and will feature a virtual adventure of diving down to the Titanic without ever getting wet.

Interweaving the complete story of the construction, sailing and sinking of the famed Titanic, we will be leaving port from the Canadian shores of Newfoundland and depart on the Russian oceanographic research vessel Akademik Keldysh, the most advanced deep-diving support vessel in the world. Using the sophisticated submersibles Mir and captained by the famous ocean scientist and explorer Anatoly Sagalevitch, we will descend to the bottom of the Atlantic, where we will explore the wreck site of the Titanic. Once on the ship, we will explore the intact bow section of the ship and observe many features of the ship that played roles during the collision and sinking. Particular observation will be given to the microbial decay that has produced rusticles all along the ship. Moving back toward the debris field, we will see many of the passengers' personal effects, as well as other distinctive articles from the ship. As we conclude our visit to the wreck site, we will see the Titanic's huge engines and the mangled stern section of the ship. This presentation combines the exuberant feeling of observing a historic shipwreck and the reverent feeling of visiting the final resting place of more than 1,500 people.  Please subscribe to this blog for further information on the delivery schedule, pricing and purchasing of this exciting adventure DVD.

Photos and Science on the Titanic - Ready to View & Download

On our Corporate website at http://nauticalresearch.com , we have placed our scientific research paper and its associated PowerPoint presentation that was given at this past week’s Oceans 2005 conference in Washington, DC. This paper is part of a preliminary analysis on the gross morphological structural integrity changes due to natural processes on the bow of RMS Titanic. This paper is not meant to be an all-inclusive summary of the microbial effects on the ship, as the wonderful scientists, Roy Cullimore and Lori Johnston, are the experts in this field and would be in the best position to discuss their groundbreaking work. While looking at these downloads, please browse through our highly graphic and informative Corporate website. Throughout the website, we have pictures of Titanic, as well as many other famous wreck sites that we dive and conduct research.

Please note that this research paper and the presentation are covered by the corporate copyright protection act. This act will allow you to use this information as an individual and to place links from your websites or forums to the corporate source. You may not alter or copy these materials for re-distribution to another website or forum but feel free to discuss the contents of the items with links to the source on any internet forum or website that you wish. Additionally, you can make personal copies of the items but can not use the text or pictures in any other publication or website unless permission is granted by the corporation. These requests can be handled by our Corporate Affairs area at [email protected]. We wholeheartedly endorse the sharing of this educational information!

Finally, the method for retrieving this information can be found by going to our main Corporate website and then selecting Updated News from the left-hand column. The presentation links can be found under the September 26, 2005 submission. As mentioned on an earlier blog, we will be revamping the Corporate website to provide an Educational section that will include all our original articles, science, photos and video from various well-known and famous shipwrecks.

SPECIAL NOTE : We have released our exclusive 2005 RMS Titanic Scientific Research Expedition series of stunning photographs on the Corporate website. The first series is a never-before-seen complete Wellin davit mechanism with its double rocker arm that was found in the stern section of the ship. There has never been reports of a finding of a complete davit mechanism ever found on Titanic and this photo shows that this davit mechanism is in great shape!

Scientific Abstract on the Deterioration of Titanic

The Titanic is proving to be a literal treasure-trove for scientific study of the deep ocean floor. Because there are only five submersibles in the world that can visit the extreme depths of 12,600 feet, where Titanic resides, every visit to the ship have proven to be of tremendous value to the scientific community. Each dive to the Titanic has the potential to discover a new species of plant or animal life - and in most cases, many new lifeforms has been found and cataloged for further study. The area surrounding Titanic can now be referred to as a natural field laboratory for the study of deep ocean ecosystems. There are very few scientific works about Titanic that have been released to the general public; however, in the future we will be seeing more scientific data presented that will provide a keen insight into the local environment surrounding the ship. By further understanding this in-situ environment, we can provide the associated research that could aid in the preservation of the Titanic. Obviously, the difficulty of conducting scientific studies at this depth limits the number and types of comprehensive examination that can be performed on the wreck site of Titanic. The following is an abstract of a scientific research paper that I presented yesterday at the global Oceans 2005 conference in Washington, DC. The entire five page paper will be placed on our corporate website next week.

Comparative Photometric Analysis of Structural Degradation on the Bow of RMS Titanic

Abstract - A comparative, qualitative photometric survey of RMS Titanic was undertaken to subjectively analyze the condition of the structural integrity of the ship since her discovery in 1985 to the present. The goal of this study is to visually observe the rate of degradation of the condition of the bow section of the ship. Photographs taken from previous expeditions commencing from 1986 to the present were analyzed and compared to monitor the structural decay of the hull and superstructure over the course of time. The observations of this subjective analysis reveal a rapid decomposition of many areas throughout the bow of Titanic. Many decks have collapsing walls, rotted out structure, and vibrant growths of rusticle development. There is a significant widening of the bow expansion joint over time that is clearly evident in this part of the ship. Additionally, there is a very huge tear in the starboard plate aft of the number one davit that is expanding with each passing year. The results of this analysis show that the bow of RMS Titanic has been losing its structural integrity at a rapid rate and she is in danger of total collapse.

Titanic Revealed?????

Recently, many global media reports have been written about the submersible expedition down to Titanic regarding the finding of keel pieces in a “new debris field” located 900 meters away from the ship's stern. This claimant said he had found previously unseen damaged pieces of the ship's hull that are said 'to support his theory that the Titanic rode up onto the iceberg before sinking'. Unfortunately, the theory that he claims was his and his discovery of hull plating far from Titanic were nothing new to several dedicated Titanic researchers that have been visiting the wreck site for the past six years.

The theory regarding the notion that Titanic was a victim of a grounding was initially introduced immediately following the sinking.  In fact, that notion was well publicized as early as 27 April 1912 in a popular English newspaper and has been promoted by several dedicated Titanic researchers in the time since. Among those have been three veteran Titanic divers and Explorers Club members named Robert Williams and famed Arctic submariner Dr. Alfred McLaren, in close collaboration with David Concannon. These explorers have postulated this theory many years ago and have made several dives to Titanic to map out the limits of the debris field and observe hull pieces that lie beyond the immediate vicinity of the ship and known areas of debris. All divers that have been visiting Titanic over the past five years knew that Williams, Concannon and McLaren were gathering additional evidence to their research and had sworn people to utmost secrecy. Obviously this secret was revealed and these noble explorers had their opportunity to reveal the extent of their many years of research and their combined expenditures of many hundreds of thousands of dollars ruined.

In an unprecedented response, Robert Williams has created a website that will provide the high-level evidence for the work that he is doing at the wreck site of Titanic as well as other deep ocean locations. While looking through this wonderful website, you will be able to see all the amount of hard work that he has contributed in formulating and expanding the "grounding" theory and to also gather definitive evidence that Titanic's rapid influx of water was due to a keel breech indirectly caused by the grounding.

*** Setting the record straight is the right thing to do!

Titanic Logs - July 17th Great adventure, Nice to be Home!

This is our last segment of supplemental logs that were taken from our scientific research expedition to RMS Titanic earlier last month. I hope that you enjoy!

We had a late breakfast this morning following a night of revelry and festive spirits. It is time to take on the onerous task of packing all my bags and cleaning out my cabin that has been my home for the past couple of weeks. We plan on taking on the St John's harbor pilot at about 10 am and will arrive at the dock at 11:30 am. Once on the dock, there will be a rapid change of passengers from one expedition to another, as James Cameron's group will immediately board Keldysh.

There were many other people on this expedition that made the entire adventure very pleasing. In particular, three members of Deep Ocean Expeditions staff were wonderful. This includes our two gourmet chefs, Robert Bartl and Michael Holz, and our ship physician, Dr. Tia Renouf. Passengers that observed the entire Titanic experience but did not dive included Snezhana Proznina-Russia, Danny Goldsmith-UK, Brigitte Saar-Germany, Andrew Brooking-UK, Joan Walsh-USA, Melody Anderson-USA and Hubert Much-USA. I would like to thank all the people from Deep Ocean Expeditions for their guidance and support throughout the entire trip. This includes Mike McDowell, Belinda Sawyer, Rob McCallum, Peter Batson, Kelvin Magee, Don Walsh and Ralph White. Deep Ocean Expeditions is one of the finest adventure operations in the world and I would highly recommend their services. A link to their operation can be found on the right side panel of this weblog. Finally, I would like to personally thank all the officers and crew of the Keldysh and MIR for a wonderful expedition. These nautical experts and scientists are the leaders in their field for underwater ocean exploration!

One final note--we will be distributing our high-quality digital photos and video from this expedition in the next few weeks. Details on this distribution will be given in a future weblog (blog) article so please come back soon for a viewing of these fine photos and film.

Titanic Logs - July 16th Take Her to Port!

This is our series of supplemental logs that were taken from our scientific research expedition to RMS Titanic earlier last month. I hope that you enjoy!

Last night, we left the dive site of Titanic for our return to the port town of St. John's Newfoundland, Canada following the retrieval of the MIR submersibles. The weather is clear and the seas are calm and we are anticipating our arrival at the dock in St John's at noontime on Sunday, July 17th. Since there will be a short turnaround at St John's, with James Cameron and his crew boarding Keldysh for a return trip back to the Titanic site, the transponders were left on station. By now, everyone is ready to go home and return to dry land.

Since we have about a day and a half run time into shore, there are several activities planned throughout the day. As for me, I have the entire day free and I spent a majority of it down in the submersible lab where Kelvin Magee is preparing for James Cameron's arrival once we hit port. Kevin is in charge of the fiber-optic cabling for the live remote feed from the MIR down on Titanic for the Discovery Channel. Since Kelvin is a technical diver, we had a close kindred spirit as it relates to our underwater experiences. The tech diving community is very small and everyone knows everyone-and we had a good time chatting about some of our diving colleagues. In our world, it is amazing the things that you can do with duct tape and electrical ties! The amount and creativity of the technology used to report live from Titanic is staggering. Almost everything had to be created from scratch and it took quite a bit of innovation to make it all work together. I was truly impressed with James Cameron and his entire operation. This was an incredible achievement to accomplish and they should be congratulated!