NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA — The famous wreck of the Titanic is quickly disappearing.
The iron giant is being eaten by metal-eating bacteria and battered by deep-sea currents, but for only a quarter of a million dollars you can dive down and get a look before it’s gone.
The Associated Press reports that you can now join an expedition to see the Titanic for as little as $250,000.
That’s the price OceanGate Expeditions is charging people to join its next expedition and dive down to the Titanic’s wreck in its five-person submersible.
For that price, you’ll be trained to be a mission specialist, operating some of the equipment and helping experts to survey the famous wreck.
The wreck itself is gradually disappearing, and the company’s next cluster of 10-day expeditions, slated for May to June next year, will focus on documenting all remaining objects with high-tech scanning devices.
The 109-year-old ocean liner is being battered by deep-sea currents and metal-eating bacteria that consume hundreds of pounds of iron a day.
Holes pervade the wreckage, and large parts of the superstructure are nearing the point of collapse.
In addition to charting the decomposition of the wreck, OceanGate also plans to document the site’s unique sea life, such as crabs and corals.
The Titanic was dubbed “the unsinkable ship” because of its strong construction, but in 1912 it sank within three hours in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic.
The unsinkable ship was brand new and on its maiden voyage when it struck an iceberg and sank, killing more than 1,500 people.