Lifestyle Travel Cruises See the Haunting Photos From the 'Titanic' Wreckage Debris from the ocean liner have been captured on camera since it was discovered 12,500 feet underwater By Zoey Lyttle Zoey Lyttle Zoey Lyttle is an Editorial Assistant at PEOPLE. She writes digital specials across all entertainment verticals and has been working at PEOPLE since July 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 23, 2023 06:52PM EDT Comments Close The Titanic's propeller. Photo: Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty The RMS Titanic has sustained over a century's worth of damage since it tragically crashed and sank miles below the surface. But while the decay is extensive, the ocean hasn't yet rendered the ill-fated ship unrecognizable. After nearly 75 years of searching, remnants of the boat were finally discovered in 1985. Researchers could identify significant pieces of the ship — like the renowned bow replicated in James Cameron's 1997 film. Such fallen pieces of history have enticed explorers and enthusiasts, some of whom have ventured into the depths to view it themselves. Five of these enthusiasts boarded the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible, the Titan, only to never return. See details from the wreck that claimed over 1,500 lives in 1912 and has captivated the world ever since. 01 of 09 Below the Surface Wreck of Titanic. Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho Getty The Titanic's debris field is located about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Former navy officer and professor of oceanography Dr. Robert Ballard led a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 12,500 feet underwater to successfully locate the famed wreck after decades of searching in 1985. 02 of 09 An Unforgiving Ocean Wreck of Titanic. Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho Getty Bacteria, salt corrosion and deep sea currents have taken their toll on the ill-fated ship. Business Insider reported that experts believe the ship could disintegrate over the next few decades. 03 of 09 'A Preserved Museum' Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty In February 2023, the WHOI released previously unseen footage of the wreck shot in 1986. Speaking on the Today show in February 2023, Ballard compared the sunken Titanic to "a preserved museum," adding that the deeper his team explored, "the more preserved it was." 04 of 09 Details in the Debris The shoes of a Titanic victim photographed in a debris field. NOAA-IFE/URI/shutterstock The Titanic's debris field is lined with shoes worn by the wreck's victims. 05 of 09 Sunken Damage NOAA-IFE/URI/shutterstock Rust covers the starboard railing near the ship's bow. In 2022, OceanGate Expeditions released "the very first 8K video" of the wreck. The high-definition footage showed other places where the railing had collapsed. 06 of 09 In the Cabins A bathtub is one of the Titanic's cabins. Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty A bathtub can be seen among the rotting matter within what remains of the luxury ship. 07 of 09 Structural Pieces A boiler from the Titanic. Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Cameras can make out the top of a Titanic engine in the debris field. 08 of 09 'Somber' and 'Haunting' Wreck of Titanic. Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho Getty In the wake of the lost OceanGate submersible, award-winning physicist Michael Guillen spoke out about his mission to the wreck in 2000. As they arrived at the ship's bow, Guillen revealed, they held a moment of silence for the victims of the crash. “It’s all very somber, very haunting,” he said. 09 of 09 The Titanic's Propellers Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Guillen told Sky News about his own brush with tragedy while on the mission to the sunken ship, telling the outlet that a "very high-speed underwater current" caught his vessel and slammed it "right into the blades of the propeller." His group was reportedly trapped within the blades for "the better part of an hour." While the sub's pilot worked to wriggle them free, "huge pieces" of the Titanic rained down. The level of danger dawned on Guillen then, as he remembered thinking, "This is how it's going to end for you."