(WAND) – New footage of the Titanic in 14 years shows that the ship is deteriorating at rapid speed, due to bacteria.
The legendary ship is dissolving from the effects of saltwater, strong currents and metal-eating bacteria.
A dive over eight days this month was led by renowned explorer Victor Vescovo. His expedition included five dives. He found that bacteria is covering the ship and eroding the iron.
His team was aiming to capture video for a National Geographic documentary as well as computer imagery to create 3-D models of the ship.
The famous bathtub in the captain's quarters has also disappeared under a collapsing deck, the exploration team said in a news release by Atlantic Productions.
"The most shocking area of deterioration was the starboard side of the officer’s quarters, where the captain’s quarters were,'' Titanic historian Parks Stephenson said in a statement. "Captain’s bath tub is a favorite image among the Titanic enthusiasts, and that’s now gone. That whole deck hole on that side is collapsing taking with it the staterooms, and the deterioration is going to continue advancing."
The Titanic set sail on April 12, 1912 from Southampton, England, on a maiden voyage to New York with 2,200 passengers and crew before colliding with an iceberg 370 miles south of Newfoundland two days later. More than 1,500 people died after the ship broke in two and sank the next day.
The team of explorers laid a wreath and held a short ceremony in honor of those who died in the wreck.
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