Recorded in 1986, first-known footage of Titanic from bottom of ocean floor released for first time

In 1985, the downed ship was found more than 12,000 feet below the surface by the Woods Hole Oceanic Institution.

A video posted on Instagram page Now This News shows the footage that was recorded in 1986.

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There has always been mystique and fascination attached to the Titanic. Owing to the 1997 blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the fictitious tale set in the backdrop of a real tragedy has always been in the spotlight. Now, taken in 1986, the first-known footage of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean floor has been released to the public for the first time.

A video posted on Instagram page Now This News shows the footage that was recorded in 1986. After the ocean liner sank during its maiden voyage in 1912, researchers spent decades looking for the wreckage. In 1985, the downed ship was found more than 12,000 feet below the surface by the Woods Hole Oceanic Institution.

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Expedition lead Dr Robert Ballard described his first time seeing the ship as “spooky”. After hitting the iceberg, the Titanic broke in half, the stern roughly tumbled through the water before slamming into the ocean floor hard. However, the bow stuck the ocean floor at such an angle that large sections of the interiors remained intact.

Using a human-occupied submersible named Alvin and a remotely operated vehicle named Jason Jr, the team was able to film the wreckage for the first time. The footage is now being publicly released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 1997 epic, directed by James Cameron.

Watch the video below:

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“I had a relative that perished in the disaster. She was originally coming from Sweden with an end destination of Minnesota to be the nanny for my great grandmother and her siblings after their mother died young. Her name was Ida Strandberg and she was only 23 years old and traveling alone in third class; I can’t imagine how scary it must have been for her. Makes me sad to even type but I’ve always thought the titanic’s victims have in a way been dehumanized for our entertainment and I wanted to share a part of her story,” commented a user. “Why wait 25 years to release the footage? If I ever find such an important thing that marked humanity, I’d want the world to know immediately my discovery,” said another.