The Titanic is one of the greatest seafaring tragedies in modern history. The RMS Titanic left England on April 10, 1912, headed for New York City.
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The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship of its time, and over 2,000 passengers were eager to experience such a high-end travel experience.
Unfortunately, just five days into its voyage, the Titanic hit an iceberg and was lost to the sea. An estimated 1,500 people perished, and the once majestic vessel sank to the sea floor.
The shipwreck of the Titanic was found in 1985, and since then, regular expeditions have taken place as historians, archaeologists, and enthusiasts look for clues about the lives of those aboard.
Since the Titanic can't be raised, researchers have to gather artifacts from the wreckage and piece together the story as best they can. Along the way, they found a variety of strange, creepy, and heartbreaking items. Here are seven of the strangest things found in the Titanic wreck.
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7 Pet Collars
The human passengers weren't the only tragic loss of life that day
Three dogs aboard the Titanic. At least 12 dogs were onboard, but only three survived the wreck.
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Just like today, many passengers aboard the Titanic were traveling with their pets. As a luxury experience, the Titanic had a designated kennel area where passengers could keep their furry companions.
Dogs, cats, and even birds (there is also a rumor that a monkey may have been among the menagerie) were all housed on the boat deck of the Titanic.
Unfortunately, the lifeboats that did not have enough room for all the passengers on the ship definitely did not have room for any pets. Indeed, based on artifacts left behind, the beloved pets were not let out of their kennels during the Titanic's sinking.
Collars, still inside the now-brittle cages, are all that remains of these loyal companions, adding another dark layer to the tragedy.
Item Found
Dog, cat, and other pet collars in cages
Where Found
"Boat Deck" region of the ship
Significance
Records show a variety of pets, most belonging to first-class passengers, were aboard the ship
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At least 12 dogs were aboard the Titanic, all belonging to first-class passengers. Three of the dogs survived the tragedy
6 Rattail Fish
The Titanic may represent death, but is decaying walls are protecting new life as well
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The artifacts aren't the only strange things found in the Titanic Wreck. The dissolving ship is home to a variety of deep-sea creatures, each one weirder looking than the last.
One of the most notable members of the Titanic's ecosystem is the Rattail fish. With a large head and long, slender body that tapers like a rat tail, the Rattail fish highlights the odd appearance of deep sea creatures.
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The Rattail fish coexists with other unusual creatures, including tube worms, spider crabs, and sharks.
With massive eyes and an intimidating jaw, the Rattail fish is perhaps one of the strangest things found in the deep ocean, and certainly one of the most unusual fixtures around the Titanic wreck.
Item Found
Deep Sea Creatures
Where Found
Throughout the shipwreck and the surrounding ocean waters
Significance
The Titanic shipwreck has created its own ecosystem, providing for various deep-sea creatures
5 A Bronze Statue
First seen when the ship was found, the Diana of Versailles was lost again until April 2024
Rusticles from the Titanic
The Titanic was the peak of opulence at its time, so perhaps it is no surprise that elaborate bronze statues were among the items found in the wreck.
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Numerous high-end items, including one-of-a-kind paintings and valuable jewelry, were on the Titanic.
The bronze cherub statue, known as the "Diana of Versailles," was spotted when the Titanic was first located in 1985. However, it hadn't been seen since 1986, adding a new mystery to the famous shipwreck.
The iconic statue was rediscovered in 2024 during an April expedition to the site. The statue, and the first-class lounge it resides in, highlights the continuous decay of the Titanic.
Item Found
Diana of Versailles Bronze Statue
Where Found
Wreckage of the first-class deck
Significance
The Diana of Versailles was one of the first items spotted on the Titanic, but it hasn't been seen in 40 years
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4 A Case Of Opium
Hinting at a darker side of sea travel, remains of opium cases have been found at the wreck site
Bow of Titanic
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In a land of excess and extravagance, not everything is going to be "above board." Tucked among the jewels, paintings, statues, and instruments was something a little more unscrupulous: opium.
Logs indicated there were as many as four cases of opium on the Titanic, being snuck into the United States. Unsurprisingly, there is no official record of who this illicit bounty belonged to, but historians have their suspicions.
John Jacob Astor IV, whose family made their fortune in international opium trade, was aboard the Titanic. Neither Astor nor his bounty made it to New York, but the remains of the boxes are still one of the weirdest things found in the Titanic wreck.
Item Found
Boxes of opium
Where Found
Debris around the main ship
Significance
The boxes of opium give more clues about the passengers on the boat, and their intents when they landed
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3 Perfume Bottles (With Perfume Inside!)
Still producing a strong sent, these perfume bottles are a true step back in time
Artifacts from the Titanic on display in a traveling exposition
While perfume bottles aboard a ship like the Titanic aren't all that surprising, researchers were in awe when they found four bottles of perfume still full of their trademark liquid.
While damaged by time and the traumatic sinking they underwent, several bottles of first-class perfume were recovered unbroken from the sea floor. Once removed and touched up, researchers were amazed to find they could still smell the high-class perfume.
Offering an olfactory window into the past, these perfume bottles are one of the most wonderfully strange things found on the Titanic wreck.
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Item Found
Filled perfume bottles
Where Found
Stern of the ship
Significance
The perfume bottles were recovered years after the ship was first found, but still had their strong scent when opened
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2 A Doll Head
Haunting and rare, the doll head at the bottom of the ocean is a clue about the passengers
damaged doll head
Doll heads are notoriously one of the creepiest things to come across. Whether hanging from the trees on the visitable Island of Dolls or just sitting on the seafloor, a doll head is an eerie sight.
Hidden in the muck around the Titanic wreck, a doll head was found during one of the earlier expeditions. Passengers had to leave nearly all of their personal belongings behind when they fled, including sentimental items like dolls.
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Despite the masses of items lost at sea, relatively few remain to be collected. The doll head represents a rare moment of such an item surviving long enough to be collected.
Eerie and solemn, the doll's head is a reminder of the youngest victims of the tragic shipwreck.
Item Found
A Doll's head
Where Found
Muck in wreckage path of the Titanic
Significance
One of the few sentimental items found in the wreckage before being dissolved by the ocean
1 Fields Of Shoes
While the skeletons are long gone, the leather shoes forever preserve those lost to a watery grave
Shoes recovered from the Titanic
Shoes in and of themselves are not a surprising find at a shipwreck. After all, the massive casualties are a well-known aspect of the Titanic's story.
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However, these shoes, which lay in fields at the bottom of the ocean around the ship, are strange because they are not attached to anything. Research has shown massive decay at the Titanic, and the skeletons of the victims are no exception.
In fact, no skeletons remain in the Titanic; they have all been dissolved by the ocean water. Instead, leather shoes lay abandoned around the ship, the only indicator of the lives lost there 100 years ago.
Item Found
Hundreds of shoes
Where Found
All around and inside the ship
Significance
With all the skeletons gone, the shoes are the only visual reminder of the people who died on the ship
References: American Kennel Club; Britannica
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