OceanGate Expeditions, which has conducted dives to the site of the Titanic shipwreck in 2021 and 2022, says it will begin its trips a month earlier this year, in May — a schedule change that strikes a chord with history.
“May is still considered to be iceberg season in the North Atlantic where the shipwreck of the Titanic lies,” Stockton Rush, president of OceanGate Expeditions, noted in a news release. Rush is also the CEO and founder of Everett, Wash.-based OceanGate Inc., which has OceanGate Expeditions as its exploration branch.
Almost exactly 111 years ago, the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg during its first voyage, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths. The tragedy sparked one of history’s best-known tales of a disaster at sea — and also sparked interest in underwater shipwreck surveys like the ones organized by OceanGate.
Rush said he and his team were mindful of the potential hazard. “With this in mind, having a capable ship specifically designed for working in the icy Arctic regions is going to be very valuable for our extended crew of scientists, Titanic experts and mission specialists,” he said.
OceanGate Expeditions has signed a charter contract with Horizon Maritime and Miawpukek Horizon Marine Services for the use of the MV Polar Prince, which was previously operated by the Canadian Coast Guard as a light icebreaker known as the Sir Humphrey Gilbert. During most of its 64-year history, the ship cleared ice from harbors and guided other ships through ice-choked marine environments.
“We are excited to have OceanGate Expeditions join us onboard our vessel, the Polar Prince (Oqwatnukewey Eleke’wi’ji’jit), this year as they continue to explore the Titanic wreck and expand upon the important scientific research, archaeological and marine biodiversity work that began in 2021,” said Mi’sel Joe, traditional chief of the Miawpukek First Nation.
Over the past two years, OceanGate’s five-person Titan submersible has surveyed the Titanic site annually to document the shipwreck’s rapidly deteriorating condition as well as the broader ecosystem 13,000 feet beneath the Atlantic’s surface.
“We learned so much during the 2021 and 2022 Titanic expeditions, and have identified new questions we want to answer with further studies of this unique deep-sea artificial reef,” said Steve Ross, who is OceanGate Expeditions’ chief scientist as well as an adjunct research professor at the Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
“The discovery of the Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge in 2022 also gives us a natural reef comparison to study,” Ross said. “This is a biologically diverse and dense habitat that we look forward to continuing to research.”
Five missions, each lasting eight days, are scheduled to sail out of St. John’s in Newfoundland and head to the Titanic site for dives during a period running from May 11 to June 24. OceanGate is taking on a limited number of mission specialists who pay a $250,000 fee to participate in the adventure.
