The
12,468 foot depth of the Titanic wreck is only accessible to a few manned
submersibles in the world. All of RMS Titanic Inc.'s expeditions have been conducted with Nautile,
meaning "nautilus" in French, IFREMER's manned submersible which can operate to
a maximum depth of approximately 20,000 feet. Nautile's distinctive bright yellow
exterior encases an extremely strong titanium sphere that accommodates a crew of three
members in an area with a diameter of approximately seven feet. The co-pilot sits on a
chair in the middle and the pilot and an observer lie on their stomachs on each side of
the co-pilot. The crew members limit what they eat or drink for twelve hours before a
dive. A typical dive day lasts about ten to eleven hours, including about one and one-half
hours for both the descent to the ocean bottom and the return to the surface.
Nautile is launched from its mother ship Nadir by the extension
of an A-frame crane beyond the stern, where it is lowered into the ocean by a 30 ton
capacity tether. As Nautile floats on the ocean and the launch is successfully
performed, a team of IFREMER scuba divers perform final checks on the condition of the
submersible and Nautile's crew finalizes tests on its equipment and systems. When
all the checks and tests have been completed, Nautile begins its one and one-half
hour descent to the wreck site. After releasing the air from her ballast tanks, the Nautile
literally sinks freely as ocean colors change from a spectrum of blue tones to black as
the luminescence of daylight disappears at a depth of approximately 900 feet.
As Nautile descends and the ocean temperature decreases, moisture from
the breath of crew members condenses and forms droplets of water. By the end of the dive
day, approximately three gallons of water from condensation accumulates in a sump during
each dive. Nautile's lights, which illuminate an area of approximately 50 feet,
are switched on when the submersible reaches the bottom, and its battery powered engines
are started. The submersible can travel at a speed of up to 1 1/2 knots on the ocean
floor. Each crew member is able to view the ocean through thick plexiglass portholes with
a circumference of about 7 inches. The illuminated area of the otherwise pitch-black ocean
bottom is often desolate, resembling a desert inhabited only by deep-ocean fish, shrimp,
starfish and crabs.
The
12,468 foot depth of the Titanic wreck is only accessible to a few manned
submersibles in the world. All of RMS Titanic Inc.'s expeditions have been conducted with Nautile,
meaning "nautilus" in French, IFREMER's manned submersible which can operate to
a maximum depth of approximately 20,000 feet. Nautile's distinctive bright yellow
exterior encases an extremely strong titanium sphere that accommodates a crew of three
members in an area with a diameter of approximately seven feet. The co-pilot sits on a
chair in the middle and the pilot and an observer lie on their stomachs on each side of
the co-pilot. The crew members limit what they eat or drink for twelve hours before a
dive. A typical dive day lasts about ten to eleven hours, including about one and one-half
hours for both the descent to the ocean bottom and the return to the surface. 
Nautile is launched from its mother ship Nadir by the extension
of an A-frame crane beyond the stern, where it is lowered into the ocean by a 30 ton
capacity tether. As Nautile floats on the ocean and the launch is successfully
performed, a team of IFREMER scuba divers perform final checks on the condition of the
submersible and Nautile's crew finalizes tests on its equipment and systems. When
all the checks and tests have been completed, Nautile begins its one and one-half
hour descent to the wreck site. After releasing the air from her ballast tanks, the Nautile
literally sinks freely as ocean colors change from a spectrum of blue tones to black as
the luminescence of daylight disappears at a depth of approximately 900 feet. 
As Nautile descends and the ocean temperature decreases, moisture from
the breath of crew members condenses and forms droplets of water. By the end of the dive
day, approximately three gallons of water from condensation accumulates in a sump during
each dive. Nautile's lights, which illuminate an area of approximately 50 feet,
are switched on when the submersible reaches the bottom, and its battery powered engines
are started. The submersible can travel at a speed of up to 1 1/2 knots on the ocean
floor. Each crew member is able to view the ocean through thick plexiglass portholes with
a circumference of about 7 inches. The illuminated area of the otherwise pitch-black ocean
bottom is often desolate, resembling a desert inhabited only by deep-ocean fish, shrimp,
starfish and crabs.