Titanic’s final distress call

As Titanic disintegrates on the seabed, Pablo O’Hana argues that it’s time to stop exploiting the iconic wreck for profit an let the world’s most famous ship rest beneath the waves

On the anniversary of her discovery, Titanic’s iconic bow is no more. The setting of one of the most romantic scenes in cinema history — Jack’s hands around Rose’s waist, the Atlantic unrolling beneath her, arms flung wide against a copper sunset — has finally succumbed to the relentless pressures of greed and profit.

Last week’s news that a 15ft section of the ship’s iconic railings has been lost to the seabed should shame us all. For nearly 40 years since her discovery in 1985, Titanic has been relentlessly pillaged and exploited. This tragic milestone is a stark reminder of what happens when human greed, obsession and unchecked curiosity are allowed to run rampant — it’s time we take responsibility.

For decades, scientists, experts and renowned explorers, including the man who found the wreck, Dr Robert Ballard, have long warned about the lack of proper oversight on Titanic expeditions. I have previously advocated for the establishment of an independent committee to ensure preservation and respect of this historic site — a graveyard of 1,500 souls — but no one has a say in Titanic’s future apart from one company: RMS Titanic Inc. (RMST)

They hold the exclusive salvage rights to the wreck and bear the weight of blame for this tragic deterioration. Their relentless pursuit of profit, masked as historical preservation, has caused more damage to the liner than the infamous iceberg that sealed her fate.

This trend is not unique to Titanic. The 2021 implosion of the Oceangate submersible during a deep-sea expedition to the wreck underscores the perils of prioritising commercial gain over safety and respect for heritage sites.

One company has sole rights to Titanic wreck

When RMST first gained control of Titanic — by simply being the first to recover items from the wreck site— their mission was ostensibly noble: to preserve the history of the most famous ship of all time.

But over the years, it has become increasingly clear that their motivations are far from altruistic. Each dive, each artefact retrieved, and each exhibition has been in pursuit of nothing more than another dollar in their pocket, regardless of the impact on the wreck. The company’s actions have turned what should be a solemn site of remembrance into a commercial spectacle — a morbid tourist attraction in the depths of the Atlantic.

Endless rows over decaying children’s shoes, unopened champagne bottles, and intimate handwritten notes led to RMST successfully arguing that they have the “unconditional” rights to Titanic and its artefacts.

In 2020, they won a ruling that allowed them to cut into the wreck to retrieve the Marconi telegraph machine used by the two heroic wireless operators who tirelessly sent SOS and CQD distress calls until the water came in around their feet. Their chilling perseverance is embodied in the final message at 2:10 am when the ship violently split in two: ‘C.Q… *silence*’.

RMST’s continual disturbance is not just an affront to the memory of those who perished but is undoubtedly accelerating the destruction of the ship. The collapse of the great bow, the most recognisable part of the ship, is a direct consequence of these repeated invasions.

The company claims its “mission is to preserve the legacy of Titanic’s maiden voyage, subsequent sinking, and the memory of her passengers and crew through care and display of our recovered artifacts, comprehensive educational programs, innovative exhibitions, research and recovery initiatives, wreck site imaging and analysis, and ongoing Titanic collaborations”. But of the tens of thousands of personal items and artefacts that have been hauled to the surface, many have been sold off for record sums and others are hoarded in secret warehouses.

Preservation does not require endless physical intrusion. Titanic’s extraordinary story can be told through artefacts already recovered, interpretive museums like Titanic Belfast, documentaries, and digital reconstructions. The timelessness of Titanic and her lessons are secure without the need to disturb her repeatedly. Continuing to do so is an act of hubris, driven solely by a desire for profit rather than any genuine concern for historical preservation.

What remains of the great liner is crumbling under the weight of human interference, making it less of a historical site and more of a plundered ruin. The ocean, time, and nature should now be the ones to dictate her final chapter.

In the end, it’s not just about Titanic — her immense historical, cultural and societal impact will outlive us all. But it is her memory and passengers’ right to the dignity in death that they were denied in life that we must protect now.

The collapse of her bow is Titanic’s final distress call. For over a century, she has awed and appalled us, but even legends deserve to rest — the world must now let go of her.