RMS TITANIC INC
EXPEDITIONS
Since 1987, RMS Titanic Inc. (RMST) has led nine expeditions to the Titanic wrecksite, located 12,500 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The importance of these missions goes far beyond just simply visiting Titanic. The Ship is rapidly deteriorating due to corrosion and rusticle-forming bacteria. Expeditions allow us to document Titanic’s current condition and measure changes, recover artifacts, and preserve Titanic‘s legacy before the Ship is lost forever.
1987
July 22 – September 9
Dives: 32
●
Artifacts Recovered: 1,800
Support vehicle: Nadir, Abeille Supporter
●
Submersible: Nautile (HOV)
- Inaugural expedition that developed groundbreaking techniques, methods, and tools that set the foundation for every following expedition.
- RMST joint expedition with French oceanographic institute IFREMER, focusing on retrieving small, manageable items using Nautile’s manipulators, and keeping meticulous records through hand-drawn maps, VHS footage, and thousands of photographs.
- Iconic artifacts included instruments from the stern, docking bridge, aft Grand Staircase cherub, and several leather bags, including one belonging to the Ship’s purser.
1993
June 8 – 22
Dives: 15
●
Artifacts Recovered: 800
Support vehicle: Nadir
●
Submersible: Nautile (HOV)
- RMST’s second joint expedition with IFREMER.
- Recovered large artifacts—including a set of the Ship’s whistles, a lifeboat davit arm, and a 2-ton engine eccentric strap—using diesel-filled lift bags secured with heavy drop weights.
- Also recovered smaller artifacts, including a delicate jet bead and a child’s marbles.
1994
July 12 – 20
Dives: 19
●
Artifacts Recovered: 700
Support vehicle: Nadir
●
Submersible: Nautile (HOV)
- RMST’s third expedition with IFREMER.
- Recovered personal effects, including a boot, binoculars, and a 2-ton set of Bollards that once secured Titanic‘s mooring lines.
- Discovered a 17-ton section of the Ship’s hull lying on the seabed, which was then measured by Nautile for retrieval during a later expedition.
- Recovered one ton of coal, just 0.01% of Titanic’s original supply.
1996
August 3 – September 1
Dives: 28
●
Artifacts Recovered: 400
Support vehicle: Nadir
●
Submersible: Nautile (HOV)
- RMST’s fourth expedition with IFREMER.
- Using the most sophisticated research tools available and advanced techniques of reverse engineering, forensic science, and crash investigation, an international team of naval architects, microbial biologists, metallurgists, and historians from five countries examined the Ship and attempted to solve the mysteries surrounding the disaster.
- To determine how fast Titanic is corroding on the seabed, Canadian microbiologist Dr. Roy Cullimore conducted investigations into the “rusticles,” elaborate colonies of iron-consuming microorganisms that cover nearly every surface of the hull.
- Team concluded that the microbes had consumed as much as 20% of the bow.
1998
July 30 – August 29
Dives: 21
●
Artifacts Recovered: 200
Support vehicle: Nadir
●
Submersible: Nautile (HOV), Magellan (ROV)
- RMST’s fifth expedition with IFREMER.
- Discovered new debris fields, including an area west of the stern containing ample passenger baggage.
- The team recovered remarkable artifacts, including the D-Deck Door, and, most significantly, a 17-ton section of the hull, called “the chunk” which came to be known as The “Big Piece”.
- Recovered artifacts included the D-Deck Door and a 17-ton section of the hull called the Chunk, later separated into Big Piece (on display in Las Vegas) and Little Piece (on display in Orlando)
2000
July 27 – August 27
Dives: 28
●
Artifacts Recovered: 1,500
Support vehicle: Akademik Mstislav Keldysh
Submersible: Mir 1 (HOV), Mir 2 (ROV)
- Recovered the Ship’s main wheel and steering stand, her navigating bridge wheel steering stand, two engine telegraphs, an automatic whistle timer, her capstan controller wheel, and her docking bridge stand.
- Also recovered sixty-five perfume vials belonging to first-class passenger Adolphe Saafeld of Manchester, England.
2004
August 24 – September 7
Dives: 11
●
Artifacts Recovered: 100
Support vehicle: Mariner Sea
●
Submersible: Remora 6000 (ROV)
- First independent MST expedition to utilize a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) instead of manned submersibles.
- The ROV was equipped with cameras, lighting systems, and two manipulator arms that allowed the team to engage in round-the-clock underwater operations.
- Recovered two never-before-seen artifacts: a gilded wall sconce from the À la Carte Restaurants and the frame of a tile from the Turkish Bath.
2010
August 23-30 & September 6-17
Dives: 11
●
Artifacts Recovered: None. Mapping expedition only.
Support vehicle: Jean Charcot
Submersible: Remora (ROV), 2x Remus 6000 (AUV)
- Considered the most technologically advanced scientific expedition to Titanic ever organized.
- Expedition aimed to produce a digital re-creation of Titanic, preserving the legacy of the Ship for all time.
- RMS Titanic Inc. team completed the first comprehensive sonar map of the wrecksite and a more complete map and view of the debris field.
2024
July 12 – August 9
Dives: 22
●
Artifacts Recovered: None. Mapping expedition only.
Support vehicle: Dino Chouest
●
●
Submersible: 2x UHD (ROV)
- Expedition utilized cutting-edge technology—including LiDAR, sonar scanners, and hyper-magnetometer sensors—to create of a 3D map of the wrecksite and debris field.
- Expedition aimed to compare 2024 images with 2010 scans to determine the impact of the ocean and other expeditions on the wrecksite.
- Biggest discovery was the loss of a 15-foot section of the Ship’s bow railing on the port side, confirmed by multibeam imagery.
- Expedition also rediscovered the exact location of the Dianna of Versailles Statue, lying fully intact in the debris field.
discoveries from
OUR 2024 EXPEDITION
LOST TITANIC STATUE REDISCOVERED
On RMS Titanic, Inc.’s recent Expedition to the Titanic wreck site, over two million photos were taken, and countless artifacts were scouted for future recovery. At the top of the list of hopeful discoveries was a 2-foot-tall bronze statuette of the Roman goddess Diana. Known as “Diana of Versailles,” she served as the centerpiece of the First Class Lounge and embodied Titanic’s palatial design. The lounge was torn open during Titanic’s sinking and Diana was thrown to the debris field where she has rested for over a century.
That is until Expedition 2024. With just hours left on the final day of Expedition 2024, Diana was found and photographed. We are honored to release these breathtaking visuals captured by Marine Imaging Technologies and showcase the beautiful and intricate details of Diana not seen in 112 years.
TITANIC’S ICONIC BOW LOSS UNCOVERED
Titanic’s Bow is iconic—a haunting image rising from the sea floor, symbolizing her strength and defiance. Over the past 40 years, expeditions have shown us how rusticles and sea life continue to transform the Ship.
TITANIC Expedition 2024 spent hundreds of hours documenting the wrecksite in greater detail than ever before. After 13 days of surveying the debris field, the team reached the Bow on July 29 and discovered a major change: the once miraculously intact railing was missing a 15-foot section on the port side. Working with partners at 3D at Depth, multibeam imagery confirmed the section had fallen as a single piece and now rests on the seafloor below. This loss is a stark reminder of Titanic’s ongoing and inevitable decay. Each expedition strengthens the mission to document and preserve her legacy before more of the Ship is lost to time.
the blog
research & Conservation
Each expedition uncovers new chapters of Titanic’s story—but the journey doesn’t end at the wrecksite. Behind the scenes, our team of conservators works tirelessly to research and preserve recovered artifacts, ensuring they can be studied, shared, and remembered for generations to come. Learn more about our Research & Conservation efforts.