An immersive video shows how deep it could be amid urgent efforts to locate a submersible that went missing while on its way to the Titanic remnants.
The 3D movie, made by the Spanish animation firm MetaBallStudios, steadily descends through a virtual underwater seascape filled with global landmarks to demonstrate how deep specific portions of the ocean are – from the beach to the Mariana Trench.
According to the video’s YouTube description, the footage was shot in 2021, yet it’s making headlines online in the aftermath of the Titanic submersible’s disappearance.
The Titan, a vessel operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was bringing five passengers to the famed wreck when it vanished off the radar.
The animation begins on the coast and eventually moves to show several sites in the ocean, including the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
The movie displays the test depth of a typhoon-class submarine (400 metres) and the bottom of the Southern Ocean (3,270 metres) as the camera pans over the digital depths.
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As the movie progresses, spectators witness the Titanic debris 3,700 metres below sea level at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, where rescuers believe the Titan remains stranded.
It is administered by the founder of OceanGate Expeditions. Company CEO Stockton Rush, French Titanic specialist Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman are among the five persons on board.
The US Coast Guard, Canadian military planes, French warships, and teleguided robots have all been dispatched to locate the sub, which has about one hour of oxygen remaining. In the event of an emergency, the Titan was built to have an oxygen supply lasting up to 96 hours.
On Wednesday, a Canadian plane equipped with sonar detected sounds, and remotely operated vehicles were dispatched to the location of the disturbances. Although specialists have not been able to establish their source, the sounds have fuelled optimism that the people on the small tourist boat are still alive.
According to OceanGate, the submersible can take passengers to a depth of 4,000 metres, which implies it can only reach the Titanic wreck at 3,800 metres. The adventure costs $250,000 for each seat, according to the business.
