‘Titanic’ director says new study proves Jack could not have survived

The footage was taken in July 1986, when WHOI-led researchers aboard the HOV Alvin used cutting-edge imaging technology and a remotely operated vehicle, the Jason Jr., to film the Titanic’s exterior and rooms inside the ship. It depicts, among other things, the ship’s bow, a chief officer’s cabin, a promenade window, leftover debris and a chandelier still hanging from a ceiling against a backdrop of dark water.

The Titanic was touted as unsinkable in the media before its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York. But it struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, and slowly plunged nearly 12,500 feet into the North Atlantic Ocean. Only about 700 of the 2,227 passengers and crew on board survived, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

The shipwreck is located about 350 miles southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. Since the discovery of the wreckage, significant parts of the ship have collapsed or gone missing, spurring accusations of looting and even the signing of a treaty to protect its remains.

The WHOI released the footage in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film “Titanic.” “More than a century after the loss of Titanic, the human stories embodied in the great ship continue to resonate,” James Cameron, director of the award-winning romantic drama, said in a release. “Like many, I was transfixed when Alvin and Jason Jr. ventured down to and inside the wreck.”

“By releasing this footage, WHOI is helping tell an important part of a story that spans generations and circles the globe,” he added.

The full video can be watched here.