A recent discovery at the bottom of the North Atlantic has rekindled the mystery and horror surrounding the wreck of the Titanic. During an underwater expedition near the site where the remains of the famous ocean liner lie, a team of explorers found an old camera that, after being recovered and restored, revealed never-before-seen images of the moments after the sinking.

The chamber, buried under debris and covered in more than a century of marine sediment, was discovered by the OceanX team during a routine mission to map the area. The device was significantly damaged, but experts managed to extract the coil, which was protected by the camera’s sealed design, which prevented the water from being fully filtered.

The recovered images show disturbing scenes: a partially sunken lifeboat, with human figures barely visible; remains of furniture and personal belongings floating on the surface; and a poignant photo of a hand holding a rope, possibly of a passenger struggling for survival.

Dr Alan Prescott, head of the recovery team, described the photos as “a terrifying reminder of the despair and tragedy that enveloped that fateful night in April 1912”. Prescott said the images could have been taken by a survivor or someone who tried to document the events before succumbing to the icy waters.

Researchers believe the camera could have belonged to an amateur photographer or one of the first-class passengers, as they were the only ones with access to such advanced technology at the time. While the owner has yet to be identified, inscriptions etched into the metal of the device could provide key clues to its origin.

The discovery not only brings a more human dimension to the Titanic tragedy, but also opens up new avenues of research. The photos, now carefully analyzed by maritime history experts, could provide details on weather conditions, the distribution of the wreckage and the exact circumstances of the sinking.

Moreover, these images may be the first to capture the disaster from the perspective of the passengers themselves, a viewpoint previously unknown. “These photographs are a window into the past, an emotional connection to those who lived and died in one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history,” said historian Marcia Davenport.

The discovery has also sparked controversy. Some marine conservation groups question the recovery of personal items from the wreck site, which is considered an underwater graveyard. However, researchers say such discoveries help preserve the memory of the victims and provide a better understanding of the context of the disaster.

More than a century later, the Titanic remains a source of fascination and sadness. This discovery, while frightening, reinforces the importance of remembering the more than 1,500 people who lost their lives that night.

The OceanX team plans to release the full footage in a documentary to be released next year, giving the world a never-before-seen view of the Titanic’s final moments.