Tag Archive - Titanic

Titanic’s 100 Year Anniversary

April 15, 2012 in Above or Below, Everywhere with 0 Comments

Nature of the Titanic's damage wrought by the ...

Nature of the Titanic's damage wrought by the iceberg. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I sit at my laptop its just passed 11:40pm; the time 100 years ago (well close to as its the 15th here in Melbourne, while its the 14th in the Atlantic where Titanic sunk)  that the great liner titanic on its maiden voyage hit an iceberg on its journey from England to New York.

There have been plenty of events around the world to mark the occasion and in a previous post I discussed options for seeing the Titanic up close – from below in the lead up to the anniversary .   For many the reruns on TV of the Titanic movie, news James Cameron’s recent submersible down to the wreckage or going out to see the

Cover of "Ghosts of the Abyss"

Cover of Ghosts of the Abyss

IMAX movie Ghosts of  the Abyss might have to suffice.

All of which make me want to get up close and see the site where Titanic sunk.  Given the number of c events, cruises and renewed interest in the story I’m expecting this year we’ll be hearing much more about the titanic.

The legend of Titanic always makes me think of adventure and exploration as well as great loss and poor planning and the inescapable power of nature that lurks around every corner. We all have our Titanic fix one way or another – whats yours?

 

 

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From below – your options to see the Titanic?

October 29, 2010 in Above or Below, Inspiration, Travel with 0 Comments

The Mir submersible

Mir submersible for viewing Titanic in the Atlantic

Most people know the story of the Titanic, the “unsinkable” ship that sunk on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg crossing the Atlantic in 1912.  The story has been retold many times and in abundance since the rediscovery of the ship on 1 September 1985 by American and French research vessels, which has led to numerous expeditions being mounted to investigate the wreck. You’ve probably seen the Oscar winning movie and in recent years there seems to be a Titanic exhibition popping up everywhere hosting some of the objects that have been recovered from the wreck site, survivors or the onslaught of time and sea water.

I recently visited Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition in Melbourne which has been sold out for months and its season had to be extended.  Sailing away in November it will move to another part of the world to retell the story while enabling people to see some of the items from the ship recovered from the ocean floor. A quick search online tells me that over the past 15 years, more than 22 million people have seen this exhibition in major cities worldwide – from Chicago to Los Angeles and Paris to Dublin.  And starting in November London is next to stage it over 6 months at the O2 arena.

Whats more with the 100 year anniversary of the fateful sailing in 2012, expect to be hearing much more about the Titanic in the coming year. For starters a Titanic Memorial Cruise, meant as a tribute to those who lost their lives, will cross the Atlantic arriving where the liner sunk on the 100 year anniversary (April 14/15) for a remembrance service.  Already sold out more than 500 days before it will sail, the 12 night cruise will follow the Titanic’s original itinerary. Travelling the other direction Voyages! Titanic 2012 cruise will depart Boston, Massachusetts, on April 9  2012.

Titanic wreck

But nothing would be quite the same as getting up close to the remains of the Titanic lying on the ocean floor.  The IMAX film Ghosts of the Abyss might provide some impression of the scale of the adventure required to explore the wreckage inside and out, but if you have the means then the Great Canadian Adventure Company can help.  Running from Newfoundland, exhibitions on the Russian Research vessel, Akademik Keldysh, travel to the wreck site and then aboard the MIR I and II submersibles will take you down underwater nearly 2.5 miles to the wreck site.  At US$54500 for an 11 day adventure, it’s the price paid for being one of the first non scientists (or movie makers) to see the wreck of the Titanic up close.

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