‘IF SHIPWRECKS ARE THE SIRENS THAT LURE US INTO THE DEPTHS, THEY ENCOURAGE EXPLORATION INTO WHAT TRULY IS THE LAST FRONTIER OF THE PLANET’
AN IMMENSE RAILING, gnawed at by metal-eating bacteria for more than a century, emerged amid the pitch black waters. For more than two hours, the submersible had plunged through the water column to reach the depths of the Atlantic; now its lights bobbed over the prow of a ship dripping in red and orange icicle-like formations.
“My heart just started beating,” says Bill Price. “It was just like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing. This is the actual Titanic.’”
The 2021 expedition catapulted the 70-year-old retiree on to a shortlist – believed to number fewer than 300 people – who have visited the wreckage of the tragedy since the site was discovered 4km underwater, more than three decades ago.
The hours-long visit came at a steep cost, with Price, a former travel company president, digging into his life savings to fork out
