When Alvin visited the wreck of the Titanic 

This ship was sitting quietly in the cold dark, deteriorating while the surface world went through decades of history (WW1, Industrial Revolution, WW2, Pearl Harbor, Nagasaki/ Hiroshima, Great Depression, Elvis reign, Moon landing, Civil Rights movement, Korean War, Vietnam, birth of Internet, etc. All the way up to the Cold War) before human eyes were set on her again. Incredible.

I have been a Titanic buff since the wreckage was discovered in 1985.I taught Titanic in schools for 20 years. My son is named after a survivor. I have made several trips to Southampton England where Titanic departed and saw all the sites there including the harbor. I met Millvina Dean (last survivor to pass in May 2009)privately in September of 2008. To say I’m obsessed is probably an understatement. So excited to see more footage from 1986. Millvina Dean signed my National Geographic magazine of the discovery.

No matter what resolution this was in, it's still the best Titanic footage we have today. It's the youngest and most preserved the ship ever was after discovery.

I never thought that I'd see the day that Woods Hole would release the 1986 footage. For those who don't know, they only license snippets of the footage to shows and documentaries. Seeing the footage released is a dream come true.

Ballard’s team spotted the wreckage at the very end of their expedition - I believe on the 13th of 14 long “passes” through the area where it was determined the ship had sank. They had reached the point where it was almost time to pack up and go…and then a crew member monitoring the video suddenly yelled: “Wreckage!!” They had come upon the field of debris near the actual wreck. Then they saw the distinct boilers from the vessel. And, finally, Titanic herself. Just a magnificent, needle-in-a-haystack find.

What a piece of history. Still can't believe all those people lost their lives only hours after being so blissfully unaware of their fate. RIP to each and every one of them.

For those asking, at 39:26 you can see the once gorgeous chandelier now completely overtaken by time and the ocean. It's amazing that not only is it still hanging, but it's *swaying* because of the water current. My heart aches for everyone on the boat who were helpless in stopping the sinking ship and could see nothing but the dark ocean as the Titanic slowly, slowly, slowly began to tip and drown. In complete darkness, not even able to see the hand in front of you, knowing that this is how you die while everyone panics around you. So eerie. I have nothing but heartache and empathy for those poor souls who died on what should've been a fun cruise vacation.

Thanks to Alvin and Jason for making this possible for the world to see.

It's weird to see something "new" that's 37 years old. Think about how much different the Titanic looks now. Lucky to have found it in the mid 80s. Imagine what it would have looked like if it were able to have been found in the 50s or something.

My grandfather came to the US from Hungary in 1910 on the SS Carpathia; he was five years old. The voyage brought him from Trieste to New York. He was processed at Ellis Island where he was promptly renamed to a more American sounding name - Lazlo Ioseph became Louis Joseph. Back in the sixties when I was a kid, he told me about the ship's connection to the Titanic. Being six or seven, I didn't know what the Titanic was, but mom had the handy Encyclopedia Brittanica in the house, so I looked it up. I have been fascinated with the Titanic ever since. My grandfather passed at 101 years of age, and I inherited the collection of memorabilia from the Carpathia voyage and the Titanic newspapers, magazines, books and collectibles that his parents had kept from the voyage and collected when the Titanic sank.

Many years ago, I taught elementary school in Tampa, Florida. There was an exhibition of Titanic artifacts in St. Pete. My fifth graders (they are about nine or ten years old) practically demanded we take them to see it; they were so excited. This was not an easy field trip to arrange because it was out of county, but I think the fact that we were going to see the Titanic exhibit helped us get the permission to do it. Needless to say, the kids loved it and so did the teachers! I continue to be amazed at the intense interest people have for the Titanic. I must admit that I also have it. Because of this fascination, I think the people who died will always be remembered, and their deaths will not have been in vain.

This footage is breathtaking. The scope and scale of the disaster set in again when I saw that lone chandelier. This ship is huge, solemn and haunting. It's nice to see she's respected still, not only for the legacy that got passed down but the ones who perished with her.

Rest In Peace ......may all the lost souls who went down with the Titanic never be forgotten.

I love reading these comments and seeing so many other people who share such a passion for the Titanic. I wasn't born until 1990, but my mother took me to see Titanic in theaters when I was probably a bit too young, haha. The world of Titanic just captured me at that age. My mom helped me understand what parts of the movie were real and which were fictional, but I was absolutely stunned. Not long after, I read an "eyewitness" book (the one published in 1999; i have since repurchased this exact edition!!) in my elementary school library that covered the Titanic and that was it for me. From then on, I read anything I could get my hands on including fictional historical novels based on survivor testimony or journals from passengers. I lived and breathed Titanic for most of my childhood. When our local science and history museum had an exhibit covering Titanic, my mom took me and I was blown away. They had hundreds of artifacts on display that had been saved from the wreckage. They gave everyone who attended a boarding pass that corresponded to someone who was on Titanic's voyage, and it was so genuinely human and special. There were videos showing the very little footage the public had from dives like this one, as well as chronological accounts explaining what happened that fateful day. The most touching experience were seeing the personal items that had been recovered from Titanic, including combs, shoes, broken White Star Line china. It was incredible. I'm 32 years old now, and I'll never forget it. I know they have since expanded the Titanic exhibition I went to as a child to include full recreations of various rooms of the Titanic and I'd give anything to go see it now. I know it's currently in Los Angeles, so I seriously encourage anyone interested to look into it. I've read they still give every attendee a boarding pass referencing a real passenger who took that voyage, and I can honestly say that had such a profound impact on me as a child to imagine walking in this person's footsteps. Maybe it's the music from this video, but I'm getting emotional just remembering it. Thank you so much to Dr. Ballard and the entire team behind Alvin and JJ for the immense efforts put into Titanic's rediscovery, as well as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for releasing this footage. I know there is SO much going on right now in our world, but preserving historical moments like this is so important and so profound to our human experience. I can't wait to see a whole new generation of people swept up by Titanic and not just her story, but the stories of all those who were lost and survived that day. What an incredible and awe-inspiring journey it is.

When that chandelier came out of the darkness it made me gasp! How amazing it must have been for everyone to see this for the first time. This was so powerful to see, thank you for the amazing footage! ❤️

We are close to April, and the Titanic spirit is high and mighty! Love these expedition footage, it’s truly a treat for the explorer and wonderer.

This would be even more amazing if we could hear the audio track from inside Alvin as the footage was being recorded. I'd love to hear the sounds of surprise and joy in their voices.

Thought I'd come here instead of spending $250k to get owned by water pressure

Just watched the entire thing on my 65” tv. All I can say is wow, breathtaking, sad, and beautiful. The emotion seeing footage like this of the Titanic evokes is next level. The flyover at the beginning is incredible - seeing the bridge without any plaques yet, all untouched. I wish OceanGate would film this exact footage with today’s technology. Thank you WHOI for sharing this with the world. Titanic will never cease to amaze and intrigue us.

Huge amount of thanks and respect to those who recorded this piece of history for the current and the future generations so that it can be revisited again and again at any point of time!🌹🌟💯

When I was around 6 years old I was obsessed with the National Geographic special that showed portions of this footage, so to see all of it now is very special. As a lifelong Titanic nerd, thank you for posting this!

This made me cry. It's haunting to this day and will continue to be so 100 years from now. Thank you for this.

could you imagine if we could have gotten underwater video just a few years after it sunk to see how it looked then

This is amazing! But I do wish there were subtitles sharing where on the ship Jason and Alvin are as they move along. Also, the tech is mind blowing! The maneuvering of the smaller cam looks extremely complicated. Haunting....

I remember when the RMS Titanic was found. When the Nat Geo magazine came to the house. I just stared at it. I was so sad. The loss was so enormous. I was eleven. I have studied the Titanic. Every video and photo I could. I’m 47 now. So hallowed. I have even started the video at the time she was struck and it shows the ship sinking in real time. So I will sit and watch it. Every April 14. This is amazing because, it is in its natural unmolested state. This truly is what I have wanted to see! Thank you!!! ❤

Never have I been more grateful for the 2x speed option

It's wonderful to finally have this footage released for us to see and review. I think it's particularly important as it is early footage of the wreck, where less of the more recent deterioration is visible. Thank you for sharing it with the Titanic community!

I remember being absolutely fascinated by the search, and the emotions that ran high when they found her. Thanks for making this footage available to us all.

Seeing the movie as a kid made me interested in the ship. As an adult with a kid, now it’s horrific to think of all those people with their children knowing they were going to die. RIP to all of those people that lost their lives that night

The first time I read about the Titanic, I was my 1st grade school year (1987-88). There was a chapter in our reading book and I remember seeing the picture of the bow in the corner of the page and at the time, I had no idea what the Titanic was. Sometime within the following two years, I ordered Dr. Robert Ballard's book "Exploring the Titanic" through Scholastic Books and I immediately became obsessed with the ship. I have read just about everything that I could find on the Titanic and have watched so many documentaries. In 1998, Dr. Ballard did a lecture at a local college and my mom got me tickets to go and I was able to get his autograph. I'm so happy to see this footage released to the public.

I vaguely remember my great-grandmother telling me about Titanic when I was a child. She was already settled in America with her family then but she read about the disaster in the newspaper. Ever since then, I've been fascinated by Titanic and her disaster. I have seen so much footage of recent dives. It's interesting yet sad to see how much of this beautiful ship has disappeared. Thank you for the reference of footage of the first time she was discovered. It's great to compare recent footage of her to this.

Here's the Music Used (In Order): Exploration - The Ambient Composer Blossoming Thought - Emmanuel Jacob Piano Sonata No. 14 (Light Rain) - Peter Murakami Passage of Dreams - Eleven Kingdoms Nomad - Yotam Agam Landing on the Ground - Sivan Talmor & Yehezkel Raz Jūra - Ardie Son Birthplace - Ardie Son Compass - Some Were At Sea

These images are incredible. I have been fascinated with Titanic since I was a kid. The movie came out on my birthday in 1997 and I can't imagine what it must have been like to board the ship with so much hope for the future only to be forever changed 5 days later.

This is by far the best unedited footage I've ever seen of the Titanic wreck... so fascinating yet so overwhelmingly eerie.

This is so disorientating to watch,really hard to figure out where you are but an amazing piece of history captured.

It is nice to see a video of the Titanic, Without 40 minutes of planning and talking having 5 minutes on the site.

I'm so excited to see this!! I've seen just about every single documentary there is about Titanic, so this will be absolutely fantastic!! I've been obsessed since I was 9 years old, when the movie came out ❤️❤️

Amazing video. You can actually still see the black paint still on the hull (around the 1:13:06 mark). It’s incredible actually that after 75 years underwater it was still the case. Unfortunately that is all but gone now. Still it just shows you how well it was actually built. Going to the Titanic slipway in Belfast really puts it into perspective how gigantic it was. Today they still have the original timber railing it was built on. The tender Nomadic is there too. RIP to all those who lost their life that Monday night.

In 1992, I was on vacation and stopped in Wood's Hole . As I was walking to the ferry with my bicycle to head over to Martha's Vineyard I was passing a building and a door opened and out stepped Robert Ballard. I went over and shook his hand and had a brief encounter with him that I've never forgotten.

This video was thrilling. The Titanic has been part of my life since I was 5, and I'm about to be 27. To be able to see these first images taken directly from the wreck (back in 1986, one year after RMS Titanic's resting place was discovered) is simply... overwhelming and incredible. The way I'm feeling right now is... indescribable ❤

Some of the music is so haunting but so fitting. I’ve got chills. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. I’ve been a Titanic fan since I was a kid.

Every picture tells a story. And what a story it continues to tell. With much Reverence & Respect. 😔

Great to see this footage,this ship has been a part of my life for 70 years and the Nomadic in Belfast is the last of the White Star Line. I last visited her 2014 and donated a brass bell and an inclinometer,so if you want to get close to Titanic visit Nomadic you won't be disappointed.

I was a free diver for 25 years and if I could dive this deep I would have explored the titanic myself. The victims of the titanic are immortalized by the technology and ability of scientists to explore the deepest parts of our world. May they rest in peace and in our memories and hearts. ❤️

Every time I see footage of the wreck, the realisation always hits that at some point, many many years ago, Titanic was resting at the bottom of the ocean with all her colours still intact.

As a kid we went to see the major traveling museum exhibits. They had so many artifacts, recreations of some of the rooms, a massive chunk of the hull, touching a wall of ice, a live showing of the organisms and small creatures that inhabit the wreck now, and getting a ticket at the start of the exhibit to hold onto to 'see if you survived' at the end (I was first class and died both times)...truly an amazing experience. I'm hoping it comes back to the museum again

This was fantastic, thank you Alvin, JJ & WHOI for all of your hard work on this beautiful discovery!!

The Titanic lasted 74 years (as seen in this film) until it was discovered, but sadly in the last 37 years it has mostly disintegrated to the point that within the next twenty or so years it will be completely gone! All survivors are now also gone and soon only memories and these films will remain. The ship and it’s sinking changed so many lives and thus it seems odd that soon it will be completely gone!

I will never forget seeing Robert Ballard as the Keynote speaker for the New York State Science Teachers Association conference only a short time after this footage came back. Ballard, a couple of tvs on a stage in the Catskills, a raw video tape, and a couple hundred science teachers not breathing. One of the most memorable evenings of my life. Thank you.

I've been fascinated with Titanic since I read an illustrated book about it as a teenager back in 1973 or 74. This video is both awesome and a sobering reminder of the mass loss of life associated with the disaster. I did find myself wishing however, that there was a small inset showing us exactly where on the ship we were viewing.

So excited to see this footage - can't wait.

As a proud Irishmen born in N. Ireland living in Canada 🇨🇦this will always be an Irish ship . If you have not been to the Thompson’s Dry docks in Belfast . Please go down and see where the Propellers were put on and the scale of the ship . You feel her presence there 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇮🇪☘️

Thank you for sharing! Titanic is timeless, even as time reclaims her. I watched in awe of the unfiltered, unedited footage of this amazing ship!

Big big thank to those who shared this amazing piece of history!!

Funny story they actually weren’t searching for the sight in 1985. It was a Soviet Sub they were going after and the whole Titanic thing was just a cover story and no one including Ballard ever thought they would actually discover it. It’s spooky to think that once you realize they almost made it to NY and likely would’ve arrived the next day

To any who did not see this to the end, I urge you to go to about 1:17:00 and watch Jason return to Alvin, parked on the deck of the ship. It is a stunning sight.

It's amazing to think that some of the pictures released from 1986 came from this recording, absolutely amazing: There's paint! black and white paint visible! I've never seen that before in any other wreck footage.

Thank you for Sharing!! Titanic is timeless,, Even as time reclaims her.. I watched in awe of the unfiltered,, unedited footage of this amazing ship!! #Bangladesh 🇧🇩 ❤️

First time in 7 decades that human eyes saw the ship . It's sad to think that most of the survivors including Harold bride ( one of Titanic's operators ) were already dead , when she was found.

I was working on a seismic vessel looking for oil in 1981. We were in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia all around where Titanic sank in the middle of winter. I had the saddest feeling come over me. We were in and around where you could see icebergs. Very, solem and sadness was all around.

I've been a member of THS, Inc. (Titanic Historical Society) since approximately 1982. I've always been drawn to the Cafe Parisien. I still feel that the Titanic and all of her contents should remain intact and untouched where they came to rest on April 15, 1912. That's the only way to really preserve the ship. The memories will live on. 💜💙💜

I served on the USS Lexington and USS Forrestal back in the day, in my mind it gave me a connection to the Titanic. I have every DVD, put a beautiful puzzle together that hangs in my office along with a huge replica of the ship. Not quite sure, but just something about it. A treasure that should not be made fun of. It obviously is easy for many to get emotionally attached to.

I was about 9 when they discovered the wreckage. My dad was a veteran and didn't have much to say about anything. This usually quite man rented a VCR (too expensive for toutright own one on 85) and our whole family watched the VHS tape of the discovery over and over.

19:42 - Amazing to see the Starboard wing bridge almost intact - hard to believe what view Murdoch must’ve seen stood up looking out upon hearing the bells, as well as Captain Smiths thoughts when he looked over and observed…

My great great grandfather died doing his duty. Henry hesketh also know as Harry, from Liverpool. Crewe member. God bless.x

It is amazing footage. It would have been nice, however, to hear the explorers speaking versus the musical score that has been added. Hearing them describe what they were seeing, and by extension what they were thinking and feeling, is as important to this human story as these stunning images.

I have been studying the Titanic since I was 3 years old. Here I am, turning 26 next month, and I still am as passionate as ever. But I NEVER thought that WHOI would release this uncut footage in its entirety. 23 years of research and boundless fascination. Thank you Woods Hole. And thank you, Dr. Ballard!

That flyover music across Titanics bow after Alvin is fixed for the full dive still gives me goosebumps to this day at 42 and as a kid of 9 back in 1989 watching that VHS tape over and over and over . BOOOOMMM... booom..... Ooooooohhhhh.... "Titanic.... No longer lost. No longer legend......There are people aboard the great ship once again after 74 dark and silent years..... " Booom... Boom.... Oooooooooohhhhh.... That sound engineer for NationalGeo was a master for the Titanic VHS

My son and I are in awe. Thank you for this special chance to see this footage. May the lost souls rest in eternal peace. A&A❤❤#WHOI

The 5 people who went down in that little sub could had watched this video & many others out here rather then wasted their lives & money only to die in a mini sub they would all be alive today if they didn't go in the sub.

When I was 6 years old when Ballard discovered the Titanic and a few years later I learned about the wreck in grade school back in 1989 and my life changed forever to keep Titanic and her story alive

I've been in love with this ship and her story since the wreck was discovered. Thank you for sharing this.

I’m not someone who cries but this (for some reason) made me cry . This is amazing! Thank you for this beautiful piece of history.

This is amazing! Thank you so much! Have been a Titanic fan for decades - even before it was found ~ still remember the excitement when the discovery was announced.

I visited the wreck 2005 an amazing site. Sad to see shoes in the sand where there was a person. A life changing experience.

Been a Titanic buff since I first read a book about it in 3rd grade reading class. Watched the 1997 film a year later and fell in love with the ship. Soon I was buying every Titanic book I could find. Also fascinated by other ocean liners of that time like the Normandie. Such beautiful ships of a bygone era compared to today's cruise ships.

This is INCREDIBLE! I have been OBSESSED with the Titanic since I was born in 1980. I spoke of the ship and dying on it “in my life before this one” to my mother at the age of 3 and 4….Ballard discovered her as we all know in 85 when I was 5 years old. I watched it, and cried. I’m crying watching this. I’ve cried watching and reading everything I possibly could over the years of and throughout my entire life….i cannot explain logically why I’m so connected to her but I just am and always have been. I would give anything to be able to go down to the wreck just once in my life. I even have it in my will that I was at least some of my ashes scattered at the wreck site when I pass. Thank you for releasing this. ❤

I’m just imagining the long, cold silence that the ship has existed in down there. The people long gone , a ship that had been full of people at one time. The sound of cold, indifferent water replacing the screams and explosions. I imagine the survivors back then probably woke up with nightmares of the sounds (and images) of that night often. How much collective ptsd the survivors must have had. RIP

That was freaking awesome to see Alvin on the top deck of Titanic with JJ looking down and knowing Dr Ballard was inside that tiny sub back when I was barely 6 years old when this was happening so so far away from my home in Montana. Amazing how much time changes things and perspective......

As someone unfamiliar with ship construction, I can't tell what I'm looking at, or what part of the ship we're in at a given moment in the film. I really wish there could be captions (or whatever) labeling each section as we go along. Just a thought, & I still enjoyed the video of this sad, sad ship.

Amazing footage! Titanic continues to capture people’s imagination and continues to make people come back to her. I became a Titanic enthusiast at 7, saw Titanic when I was 8, and ever since then all I’ve done is just watch documentary after documentary and learn anything and everything about Titanic.

It must have been equal parts scary and thrilling. Two and a half hours just to get down there. Insane.

It's interesting how much trouble the ROV operator had keeping Jason Junior from drifting. Either there were some pretty hefty currents during those dives or the gyro technology back in the 1980s was not fast enough to correct. If you compare this to some of the ROV shots that James Cameron was able to get about 20 years later, it's night-and-day. Cameron's ROVs had the advantage of being small enough to get into areas that JJ simply could not. It is a testament to the skill of the ROV pilots on the 86 expedition that they were able to drive that ROV while sitting in the cramped confines of Alvin's cabin using the relatively low-res video tech of the day. The 1986 expedition inspired me as a kid and now I am able to take my own ROVs to shipwrecks.

This footage is really helpful for the future generations to see the titanic when it was less destroyed by the time

I'm so glad to see the entire footage. I have been a huge Titanic history buff for 50 years, ever since I was 8 years old. At 58 yrs old I'm still fascinated at Titanic's haunting beauty. She has fascinated the world since she sank. I'll never forget Dr. Ballard's excitement when we all first watched the footage in 1986, I was mesmerized. While I understand the awe and wonderment of artifacts from anything of historical importance, I'm saddened at the fact that it still seemed like grave robbing. I know, I mean no disrespect in saying that, it just hits my heart knowing how many people suffered and died when the Titanic sank. I'm just like everyone else, including probably the ones who boarded the ship: awestruck at her beauty, how gigantic she was, how immaculate everything was inside that ship on such a grand scale. She was "dressed to the nines" only to be forever gone, with nothing left but her exterior, slowly deteriorating. That's how I feel about the Titanic. She still fascinates me so much that I still don't think I know enough. I want to know more but, we all know what we've been shown throughout history. Growing up a cop's daughter, I guess my Dad was right, I have this intense desire to dig deeper, to know more...I simply can't get enough of anything about the Titanic. I applaud you Mr. Ballard, you took us all on a journey that most of us will never experience, except through your eyes and Alvin's...Thank you!!

This is incredible footage. Nice to see interest in the Titanic hasn't faded.

A respectful salute in memory of all of those who were lost on that cold night of 1912 aboard this once beautiful ship and that now rest eternally. May their souls be in peace and that they were eventually reunited with their families.

This is so cool!! When I was a kid I got a book all about the expedition with pictures and stories of the building of the ship and the passengers. I have been in awe ever since!

Absolutely amazed and so eerie at the same time. I was in awe when I realized that, that was actually a chandelier. Thank you for sharing this!

Great and old beautiful tragic story is still being remembered discussed and to be loved by people who have always known of the Titanic or just discovered. In a era of digital footprint so glad The Titanic still captures people. May all the souls rest in peace xx

Thank you WHOI for posting this video. The loss of 1500 lives is heartbreaking. Curious how many dives to gather that much footage?

This footage is the greatest footage of them all. It makes it seem more real than the 4K versions we see today. Weird thing to say I know, but this is the footage of the ship before it was robbed, it is unrecognisable today from when it was discovered. A lot of its history taken away to put on show.

It’s amazing to see this footage but It would be nice if someone was narrating it so we know where in the ship we are and what particular thing we are looking at incase someone (like me) doesn’t know

I think the biggest tragedy here is the fact it took 37 years to release this to the public.. this type of behaviour should be remembered when funding is asked for from organisations like this.

At 39:35 that stunning chandelier appearing out of the darkness gives me chills...

hauntingly beautiful but I wouldn't pay 250k and risk my live to see itt

Thank you for sharing! I saw a headline about the live viewing just minutes ahead, and I'm glad I stayed up to watch the whole thing ❤️

Just amazing to see this footage! The music is also beautiful but yet so sad. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Although the footage is amazing, I often think of the people who perished, the fear that they experienced. They were real people with real feelings and their lives ended in fear. Needlessly. I'd like to say we've come a long way as a society, but we haven't. The ship itself is not like they show in the movies. When you see old buildings and ships, you have to think of the difference in materials, quality and style. It's not quite what you imagine compared to today. This is amazing footage nonetheless. I watched it in silence. There is something about honoring the grave of so many by watching this in silence. In the future when I watch ot again, I might watch it with the music. For now I am just honoring those who have passed so painfully. I know it's been 100 years and the people related to those who died have mostly come and gone but it still feels so tragic even now.

This footage from 1986 is more detailed then the modern one...