Who'd have thought that going to the bottom of the Atlantic, in a vessel that can't navigate, would be this dangerous.
When I've seen something totally static on TV that'll do me. When people say 'Yes we drove for twelve hours in a stifling bus to see Ayers Rock' I think they're idiotic. It's exactly what you knew it would look like ffs, a big rock 'Dougal, these rocks are small, those rocks are far away'.
I think it would be fascinating to see the Titanic. Commercial tourism isn't really appropriate there though as it's recognised as a maritime grave. I've been diving on the block ships in Scapa Flow and would love to do the German High Seas fleet but I'm not a proficient enough diver yet. Wouldn't do the Royal Oak and the other war graves there though obviously.
A slightly different perspective from me, but I do agree with the general views on here. I would go if I could. Not out of any morbid curiosity. I just think seeing things of great historic importance, in reality rather than on a screen, is much more powerful and enlightening. I remember when they brought the Mary Rose up. I went to see it as soon as I could and was transfixed by it. I have a big interest in the deep ocean and what is yet to be discovered down there. We are going to the canaries later in the summer. We have booked a submarine trip funnily enough. Only 100ft deep it goes, but it tours shipwrecks and you see some awesoms fish. I suppose at 100ft there are risks and I will be signing a waiver. Having said the above I accept there is a certain stupidity in it. If I did go and it went wrong I wouldnt expect a rescue effort. I reckon you know the risks involved and take them on. I am of course watching and hoping they are found and rescued, but at the depth they have gone to it seems somewhat unlikely. Apparently the last ping was 1hr45 in and they were almost at the titanic. Fingers crossed for them.
Agree totally about witnessing historic sites and sights (!) for yourself. In fact, I built a career on the need to get up close to history. Have you been to see the Mary Rose since the revamp? It's brilliant, one of the best museums I've seen. Also, if you like that kind of stuff, the Vasa in Stockholm is a must. I think I may have been on that submarine trip in the Canaries- it's really good if it's the same one.
I went to see the Mary Rose again last year mate. It is brilliant. I saw it first when they were spraying it to preserve it and it looked great then as well. Whole thing is amazing.
The ordinary man couldnt afford to get themselves into this kind of mess, if I could afford it I wouldnt, far too much risk involved. They have got to be mega rich thrill seekers, mind I do sympathise because waiting for imminent death must be terrifying, they will know they are history. Hopefully they are the last lives the Titanic takes. On the subject of visiting areas of disaster / death, I visited the Twin Towers site in New York a few years back, the scale of the area is huge. It was a very strange atmosphere and left me very emotional, although the footprint is huge when you take into account the height the towers were it is horrific to think what happened in the area in which you stand.
Some interesting opinions and I think I might agree with them all. I'd like to see the Titanic but wouldn't want to go down four miles in an unsuitable vessel. I'd like the see many things like the private quarters of the Kremlin, the lost city of Atlantis, Hitler's bunker plus many other things ... ... but none of of those will happen. Just because something exists, or may exist, it doesn't mean we absolutely have to see it.
I read somewhere that the vessel only has one button and a computer joystick. I mean? What could possibly go wrong?
Just been on about in on Radio 2. Steer it with an xbox controller and some of it was made with waste engineering pipework according to a fella who has been on it.
Yep. It's a ghoulish type of show off voyeurism. It's not " scientific" at all, remote vessels have seen and found out much more than this vessel can. Hope they get back, but the place is a grave, and best left that way.
Imagine as soon as getting to the wreck, raising the fact to your colleagues that you are in need of a ****. '.......and back up we go!' Imagine having to try and hold in your farts for 8 hours! Imagine the smell that comes out of the hatch when opened back on the surface.
But if someone said they could take you to see them and you had the money to do so, surely you would? I don't really see why these poor people don't deserve sympathy, they're likely going to die a horrible and lonely death. Fingers crossed they get out alive but I feel very sorry for them, tbh...
I hope there is a positive outcome to this but sadly I doubt there will be. I have dived on many wrecks around the world, for some people the fascination is the wreck itself, it's history and story, sometimes tragic. For me the enjoyment in doing so is to see the incredible abundance of marine life wrecks attract, I've never nor would ever dive a war grave, whilst the Titanic is not a war grave, I think, having been found, it should be left in peace, it doesn't need any more lives lost, and certainly shouldn't be treated as a tourist attraction.
Theyr Nor me, I doubt anyone isn't sympathetic but there are various aspects to anything of this nature. It's like when the Eton student, in his group, was killed by a polar bear having pitched a tent in an area frequented by polar bears. There's sympathy but also culpability.
